COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO) — A new proposal at the Ohio Statehouse aims to increase oversight of massage businesses statewide as lawmakers look to combat human trafficking and illegal activity connected to some massage operations.

Republican State Representative Brian Lorenz introduced House Bill 978 after an investigation involving a Powell massage business that authorities say uncovered allegations of prostitution and human trafficking-related activity.

The proposed legislation would create new licensing requirements for massage businesses, increase penalties for violations and establish additional monitoring tools for state agencies according to WCMH.

“Human trafficking is slavery,” Lorenz said. “There’s no place in the 21st century for anything like this. … This is a problem that continues to proliferate within our state.”

The bill comes after a statewide human trafficking investigation led by the Ohio attorney general’s office that targeted several massage businesses. One of the businesses involved was K Spa in Powell, located in Lorenz’s district.

Court records say Yixiang He, 51, who operated K Spa, faces charges including money laundering and promoting prostitution. She was among more than 120 people arrested during the investigation.

Under current Ohio law, individual massage therapists must be licensed, but House Bill 978 would expand state oversight by requiring massage business owners themselves to obtain a license through the Ohio Department of Health.

The proposal would require business owners to undergo criminal background checks before receiving a license. Employees would also be required to complete background checks, with the results submitted to the state health department.

The bill would also require massage businesses to provide workers with workplace rights information in their native languages, display human trafficking hotline information and publicly show proof that employees hold valid massage therapy licenses.

If approved, operating a massage business without the required state license would become a third-degree felony. Violations involving employee notices, reporting requirements or background checks would be classified as first-degree misdemeanors.

The legislation also calls for the creation of a task force within the Ohio attorney general’s office focused on identifying suspicious financial activity and investigating businesses that classify massage workers as independent contractors.

Under the proposal, massage businesses would not be allowed to classify workers as independent contractors.

The Ohio Department of Health would also be required to inspect licensed massage businesses at least once each year.

The bill directs the health director to immediately suspend a business license if inspectors find certain warning signs, including businesses accepting only cash payments without proper payroll records, maintaining locked bedrooms or refusing inspections.

Another part of the legislation would create a publicly available database listing massage businesses whose licenses were revoked because of prostitution or human trafficking-related offenses, locations where trafficking has been identified and information about individuals convicted of trafficking crimes.

HB 978 would also create a new felony offense called money laundering through massage operations.

The proposed crime would apply to people who knowingly conduct financial transactions involving money connected to human trafficking through massage operations with the intent of supporting or hiding criminal activity.

Lorenz said he worked with the Powell Police Department, law enforcement officials and anti-trafficking advocates while developing the proposal.

“This bill channels many solutions into one concrete piece of legislation,” Lorenz said. “It just brings a cohesive approach to solving this problem, and so whether it’s in Powell or Columbus or Cleveland or wherever, we’ll have some uniform standards that will really be able to attack the problem from multiple fronts.”

Lorenz said he expects the proposal could receive questions about regulating a specific type of business but argued the measure would also help legitimate massage businesses by creating clearer standards.

He said legitimate operators are looking for “some guardrails to protect themselves as well.”

House Bill 978 has not yet been assigned to a legislative committee and is awaiting its first hearing at the Ohio Statehouse.