Advocacy News

Between near-constant travel and her district relying heavily on a tourism-based economy, U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) is tuned into the importance hotels play not just at home in the 28th District of California, but across the country. Holding a seat in Congress since 2009, Rep. Chu serves on several high-profile committees, and she has focused much time and effort on drafting and enacting legislation that protects small business owners and ...

The annual Tennessee Governor's Conference on Hospitality and Tourism (GCHT), produced by HospitalityTN in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, brought together representatives from the state's travel and tourism industry to Knoxville. The last time Knoxville hosted this event was in 2015, and hospitality has experienced significant changes over the last eight years. “Obviously, we saw a global pandemic, and ...

In early September, AAHOA Alabama Regional Director Sanjay Patel and AAHOA Member Viral Patel had the opportunity to meet with Senator Katie Britt in Tuscaloosa, AL, to discuss critical economic issues at the national and state levels. The meeting touched upon the Department of Labor's proposed overtime rule and its potential impact on hotel businesses. The proposed regulation would require employers to pay overtime to salaried workers who are ...

Congressman Buddy Carter, who represents Georgia's 1st Congressional District, visited an AAHOA Member-owned hotel in Savannah, Georgia, where he engaged in a Back–of–the–House Tour of the property and discussed top priority issues with local hoteliers. The tour included critical areas of the hotel, including the laundry facilities, kitchen, and meeting rooms. AAHOA Young Professional Director Eastern Division led the tour, Dylan Patel, alongside ...

In June 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed the Hotel “Panic Button” law . The law intends to protect hotel employees from sexual assault and other dangerous working conditions. What You Need to Know: For hotels with 100+ rooms ONLY , employers must equip housekeeping and room service staff with panic devices they carry whenever they are assigned to work in a guest room without any other employees present. Additionally, If there ...