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Bill would let municipalities suspend or revoke hotel certificates of occupancy after probable-cause finding in trafficking cases

3511759 · May 26, 2025
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Summary

Senator Paxton presented a committee substitute to House Bill 5,509 allowing municipalities to suspend or revoke a hotel’s certificate of occupancy when law enforcement and a criminal court find probable cause of human trafficking, with due-process protections required.

Chairman Bettencourt recognized Senate sponsor Senator Paxton to lay out the committee substitute to House Bill 5,509, a measure aimed at giving municipalities additional tools to address suspected human trafficking activity at hotels and motels.

Senator Paxton told the committee that while law enforcement investigates trafficking, municipalities historically have had "very few direct tools to act against businesses suspected of enabling or ignoring trafficking activities" and often must wait for criminal convictions…

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