Democrats in Nassau County are stepping up efforts against human trafficking with the introduction of a comprehensive measure designed to curb illicit activities in massage parlors. This initiative aims to set a precedent for strict enforcement of anti-trafficking laws across New York.
The newly proposed Nassau County Anti-Human Trafficking Prevention and Victim Protection Act mandates rigorous compliance from massage parlors, requiring them to uphold licensing standards, maintain detailed employee payroll records, and prohibit any residential use of their premises. The legislation imposes escalating fines that can reach as high as $25,000 for violators.
Additionally, the bill seeks to hold landlords and property owners accountable, particularly those associated with repeatedly raided parlors for sex trafficking. These individuals could face legal consequences if their properties are tied to continuous investigations.
“For too long, we’ve seen the brunt of law enforcement efforts target those least empowered in trafficking situations—the victims,” stated Democratic Nassau Legislator Viviana Russell. “While the exploited individuals face arrest, the core operators often evade significant scrutiny, disappearing into the background.”
Russell emphasized that, “It is unjust for the victim to be the easiest target for punishment; our legal framework needs to consider the entirety of these operations and not just the individuals caught at the lowest level of the hierarchy.”
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The money the county would collect from the fines, Russell said, would flow into a new human trafficking victim assistance fund that would cover emergency housing, counseling, transportation, legal services, workforce development and language assistance for survivors of trafficking.
The legislation would go even further by establishing a new countywide human trafficking response working group that would bring together police, prosecutors, social services, health professionals, educators and survivor advocates to help coordinate how the county identifies victims, prosecutes traffickers and connects survivors to services.
This proposed bill would expand on a Nassau County law already on the books that combats sex trafficking in hotels and motels by banning hourly motel bookings, requiring hotels to keep a detailed log of all guests, preserve all security footage for at least 90 days, and increasing financial pressure on those found to be illicit operators.
The bill is now being reviewed by Republicans — who hold an 11-8 majority — who, along with the legislature’s Presiding Officer Howard Kopel, will decide whether the legislation will be put up for a vote next month.