Baltimore City Councilman James B. Kraft has proposed a bill that aims to combat human trafficking in the city by training hotel staff to recognize signs of prostitution. The bill would also ban hotels from renting rooms for less than half of a day. As reported in The Baltimore Sun:

Kraft said he is concerned about prostitution in his district, which includes parts of Southeast Baltimore. But he said the driving force behind his proposal is the city’s proximity to I-95 and research he’s done that shows how rapidly victims are transported from one location to another, including from the West Coast to the East Coast.

“It’s something that will help us address a growing problem,” Kraft said. “We are in a well-traveled corridor, and I think that’s why we have even more of an obligation.”

Under the legislation, hotel workers would have to be trained each year on how to identify human trafficking activities and victims, including watching a video approved by the city’s police commissioner that describes warning signs. The requirement would apply to hotels with rooms for at least five guests.

Kraft said his bill is based on similar legislation in Prince George’s County. Hotels there must train their workers on how to identify human trafficking victims and activities, and are forbidden from renting rooms by the hour, among other requirements.

For more information read the full article in The Baltimore Sun.