The measure was adopted by the Suffolk County Legislature and signed into law by County Executive Ed Romaine.
Lennon announced the law following a press conference at the William H. Rogers Legislative Building in Hauppauge.
The legislation is designed to provide law enforcement with additional tools to identify, investigate and deter trafficking-related activity.
It increases mandatory record keeping requirements for hotel and motel operators, strengthens penalties for violations, and places restrictions on hourly room rates, a practice officials say is often associated with trafficking and other criminal conduct.
“With this now signed into law, our law enforcement has more tools to prosecute those who trade people for money,” Lennon said.
Romaine joined Lennon along with members of the Suffolk County Legislature, New York State officials, law enforcement representatives, emergency services personnel, and advocates from ECLI-VIBES and the Suffolk County Anti-Trafficking Taskforce.
Officials at the event emphasized the need for coordinated enforcement and stronger local laws to protect vulnerable individuals and improve public safety across Suffolk County.
“As we continue to confront the challenge and reality of human trafficking in Suffolk County, we must look at every aspect of this situation and address it accordingly,” Romaine said.
The law also aims to strengthen cooperation between county agencies and law enforcement by establishing clearer compliance standards within the hospitality industry, improving transparency, and ensuring swift consequences for operators who enable or ignore trafficking activity.
County officials said the hospitality industry plays an important role in identifying suspicious activity, and the updated requirements are intended to ensure businesses are partners in prevention efforts. Lennon said the county will continue working with local and state agencies to hold offenders accountable.