SB 985 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Short-term rental properties; human trafficking awareness training.

Summary

Short-term rental properties; human trafficking awareness training. Mandates every accommodations intermediary to require its accommodations providers to complete certain training on recognizing and reporting instances of suspected human trafficking. Current law limits this requirement to every hotel proprietor and its employees and excludes short-term rentals. The bill prohibits an accommodations intermediary from listing a short-term rental property prior to receipt of an up-to-date written certification signed by the accommodations provider of such property that such accommodations provider has complied with the relevant training requirements.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Last action Jan 29, 2025

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What changed between versions

Introduced → General Laws and Technology Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to narrow its scope from covering both hotels and short-term rental properties to only covering hotels. It also removed the requirement for short-term rental property owners to complete human trafficking training, instead requiring only that accommodations intermediaries notify property owners of the training requirements and allow them to certify completion. This change significantly reduces the training mandate for short-term rental operators while maintaining requirements for hotel employees.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed from requiring human trafficking training for both hotel employees and short-term rental property owners to only requiring training for hotel employees. Short-term rental property owners are no longer directly required to complete the training, though intermediaries must notify them of the requirement.

SCOPE

Removed the requirement for short-term rental property owners to complete human trafficking training, limiting the mandate to hotel employees only.

DEFINITION

Added a definition clarifying that real estate licensees managing short-term rental properties are not considered accommodations providers under this bill.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the training requirement for accommodations providers from direct completion to being notified by intermediaries and allowed to certify completion digitally or in writing.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new provision allowing courts to order closure of accommodations for up to six months if found to be the site of human trafficking.

TIMELINE

Added a transition period allowing preexisting listings on July 1, 2026, until January 1, 2027, to complete training requirements.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

upper

Jan 7, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors