A New York State Senator from the Hudson Valley believes his legislation that was just signed by Gov. Hochul will "empower bartenders" and help all New Yorkers.

On Tuesday, Senator James Skoufis of New York's 39th District was at The Captain's Table in Monroe, New York with Orange County Tavern & Restaurant Association and Fearless Hudson Valley, Inc. to call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign his legislation requiring human trafficking awareness to be part of bartender training courses.

His bill requires materials related to human trafficking awareness to be included in alcohol training awareness programs; requires such training to be developed in conjunction with and approved by the New York state interagency task force on human trafficking.

New York Gov. Signs 8 Human Trafficking Bills

Governor Hochul Makes Announcement With Mayor Adams In New York City
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On Wednesday, Gov. Hochul signed the bill along with seven other pieces of legislation that officials believe will provide support and resources for victims of human trafficking across New York State.

"These new laws will ensure locations such as airports, bus terminals, hotels and truck stops prominently feature information on human trafficking. This will inform employees and visitors of crucial information about the horrible practice of human trafficking, as well as pro," Hochul's office stated in a press release.

Bill Impacts All New York Bars

Three Frosted Beer Glasses on Granite Counter
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According to Hochul's office, the bill the Governor signed will:

Require all New York State Liquor Authority-certified Alcohol Training Awareness Programs to include a human trafficking training component. This will increase the awareness and understanding of the signs of human trafficking to allow warning signs and victims to be identified in order to respond when needed.

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New York State Ranks 4th In Nation For Human Trafficking

State Senator Skoufis thanked Hochul for signing the bill.

Senator James Skoufis
Senator James Skoufis
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"Lawmakers shouldn't stand by while New York consistently ranks fourth in the nation for prevalence of human trafficking. Our legislation to empower bartenders to spot and stop this inhumane exploitation will protect countless victims of trafficking. I thank the Governor for signing this bill as well as the other protective measures in the package," Skoufis said in a press release.

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New York released a report with the most recent number of violent assaults on inmates in state prisons. There were 134 inmate deaths noted in the report, although it doesn't break down the prisons where each death occurred or who caused them. Here's a look at some of the general violent incidents reported for 2020, which is the most recent data reported by the state. Compared to 10 years ago, inmate assaults have almost doubled. In 2011 there were 666 and in 2020 there were 1,205 reported. These numbers do not include inmate assaults on staff members. Overall, the number of unusual incidents includes things like assaults, deaths, accidents, sexual misconduct, and disruptive behavior.  According to the state,
"The number of unusual incidents has increased 132% from 5,980 in 2011 to 13,870 in 2020. These higher incident numbers were largely due to increases in assaults on incarcerated individuals (+81%), assaults on staff (+86%), contraband (+130%), disruptive behavior (+372%), and staff use of weapons (+1,035%)."
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