On Thursday, the Montgomery County Council’s joint Public Safety (PS) and Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will review proposed legislation aimed at preventing human trafficking at bodywork establishments and spas across the county.
Bill 34-26 would require applicants seeking a bodywork establishment license to disclose all corporate officers and business managers to the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Under the proposed legislation, the county would be prohibited from issuing a license if a corporate officer or business manager has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or otherwise been found responsible for human trafficking or related offenses. Applicants would also be ineligible if those individuals previously owned or managed a bodywork establishment that had its license revoked.
The bill is intended to prevent individuals involved in human trafficking or related criminal activity from opening new establishments in Montgomery County. Councilmember Dawn Luedtke is the lead sponsor, with Council President Natali Fani-González, Vice President Marilyn Balcombe, and seven other councilmembers serving as cosponsors.
