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<section article="gtr" article_name="Transportation" number="2-114" title_number="2" title_name="Department of Transportation" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Organization and General Authority of the Department">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “transit service” and “transit station” have the meanings stated in § 7–101 of this article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>This section applies only to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>An employee who is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A State employee who works at a transit station, airport, port facility, or highway rest stop;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A State employee who provides transit service; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Employed under a contract with the State to provide transit service; or</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An employer of an employee described in item (1) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>In consultation with stakeholders, develop or identify and implement a training program that includes a curriculum on the identification and reporting of suspected human trafficking; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Administer the training program:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>To all employees and contract employees of the Department; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>To the extent feasible, during regular working hours.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The training program shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Include a definition of human trafficking; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Offer guidance to employees and contract employees on the identification of potential victims of human trafficking and protocols for reporting suspected human trafficking.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, on or before January 1, 2027, and each January 1 thereafter, each employer shall certify to the Department that all the employer’s employees have completed the training program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An employer shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Provide a new employee with the training required under this section within 90 days after the date of hire; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>To the extent feasible, administer the training program during regular working hours.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>Each employer, in consultation with the Department, shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Establish a procedure for employees and contract employees to report suspected incidents of human trafficking to the appropriate local agencies, including the designated regional navigator; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Implement a human trafficking prevention policy for employees and contract employees by providing information on how to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Recognize potential victims of human trafficking;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Respond to an individual who may be or is a victim of human trafficking; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Connect an individual who may be or is a victim of human trafficking with available resources.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>An employer, an employee, or a contract employee may not be held civilly or criminally liable for reporting or responding in good faith to a suspected incident of human trafficking.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>To the extent practicable, the Department shall require frequent public service announcements with safety information for human trafficking victims to be made, in both English and Spanish, at transit stations, airports, port facilities, and highway rest stops.</text>
  </level>
</section>
