Turn To Tara investigation sparks new NY law to protect trafficking victims
The new law comes after the Turn To Tara team spent more than a year visiting over 100 hotels and motels across New York - and discovered that more than 80% were failing to display required human trafficking hotline information designed to help victims escape their abusers.
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Gov. Kathy Hochul signed new legislation into a law directly inspired by our News 12 investigation that exposed troubling gaps in New York's fight against human trafficking.
The new law comes after the Turn To Tara team spent more than a year visiting over 100 hotels and motels across New York, discovering that more than 80% were failing to display required human trafficking hotline information designed to help victims escape their abusers.
The investigation's findings prompted Assemblywoman Amy Paulin to introduce legislation - now signed by the governor - that will hold hotels accountable.
News 12 caught up with Paulin right after the bill was signed into law.
"I'm overjoyed," said Paulin. "It really will make a difference. As you had indicated with your great reporting, so many of the lodging facilities, hotels, motels, etc. were not abiding by the law. Whether they didn't know about it, whether they were evading it, we don't know. But a penalty or two is going to make it happen."
Businesses that fail to comply will face fines of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent violation.
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