State Senate Bill 1193 was enacted into law on April 1, 2013.
SB 1193 provided a landmark bill for Human Trafficking awareness and education in the state of California.
The bill requires businesses to maintain postings providing education on what human trafficking is and provide the national human trafficking resource center hotline number for victims and community members to reach out for assistance when suspecting cases of human trafficking.
Even though SB 1193 was enacted in 2013, many businesses have yet to comply with the bill due to lack of knowledge and resources provided.
SB 1193 requires postings of public notices regarding slavery and human trafficking in “specified businesses and establishments” such as any establishment licensed by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, Adult or sexually oriented businesses, airports, intercity rail stations, truck stops, rest stops, emergency rooms, urgent care centers, farm labor contractors, job recruitment centers, and massage parlors.
The postings are required to be available in 2-3 languages: English, Spanish and a possible third language specified by county. The postings must be 8.5” by 11” and be placed in a conspicuous places close to the entrance, and able to be seen by both employees and the public.
The posters provide information on the definitions of human trafficking and slavery and provide information and numbers for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Line (1(888)373-7888) and the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) hotline (1-888-KEY-2-FRE or 1-888-539-2373), a localized hotline number for California.
The California Attorney General’s Office has provided a model notice of the posting in the required languages to be posted in all businesses. Additionally, advocacy groups and coalitions have developed their own posters adhering to the regulations and provide a singular poster with all the required languages, eliminating the need for multiple posters.
Failure to comply with SB 1193 can result in a fine of $500 for the first offense and $1000 for each following offense.
SB 1193 requires Fresno County postings to be in both Spanish and English. Local Anti-Human Trafficking Agencies are currently uniting together to raise greater awareness of the legal requirements of SB 1193 and to facilitate campaigns to provide businesses with the proper postings for their store fronts.
Find the full bill text here: https://oag.ca.gov/human-trafficking/sb1193
For more information about SB 1193 and the current work involving SB 1193 in Fresno County email cvaht@fresnoeoc.org or call (559)263-1389.