Attorney General Alan Wilson announces SC Human Trafficking Task Force releases new national hotline posters to commemorate 10th anniversary of state law

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Chair of the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force, announced the release of two new legislatively mandated posters for use across the state. The first version of the poster was released 10 years ago when the General Assembly passed a law requiring hotline posters in certain business establishments.

South Carolina law (Code 16-3-2100) requires the national human trafficking hotline poster, including the specific language included, to be hung in the following locations:

• Establishments that have been declared a nuisance for prostitution pursuant to law;
• An adult business, including a nightclub, bar, restaurant, or another similar establishment in which a person appears in a state of sexually explicit nudity or semi-nudity, as defined by law;
• Businesses and establishments that offer massage or bodywork services by any person who is not licensed under appropriate laws;
• Emergency rooms within any hospital;
• Urgent care centers;
• Any hotel, motel, room, or accommodation furnished to transients for which fees are charged in this state;
• All agricultural labor contractors and agricultural labor transporters as defined by law;
• All airports, train stations, bus stations, rest areas, and truck stops.

The information must be posted in each public restroom for the business or establishment, and in a prominent location conspicuous to the public at the entrance of the establishment. The Department of Revenue, the State Law Enforcement Division, and the Department of Transportation, depending on regulatory control or authority, are authorized to issue a written warning and assess a fine of not more than fifty dollars. Each day that the poster is not hung in the establishment constitutes a separate and distinct violation, and the establishment may be fined appropriately.

The new designs were developed in conjunction with the State Task Force Survivor Advisory Subcommittee. The posters can be downloaded on the State Task Force website at humantrafficking.scag.gov. The 11 Regional Human Trafficking Task Forces across the state will also be provided with 1,000 copies to help distribute posters.

To report an incident or seek victim services, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888. The Hotline is confidential and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.