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Bill > S1179

MA S1179

To prevent wage theft, promote employer accountability, and enhance public enforcement

summary

Introduced
03/29/2021
In Committee
03/29/2021
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
12/31/2022

Introduced Session

192nd General Court

Bill Summary

For legislation to prevent wage theft, promote employer accountability, and enhance public enforcement. Labor and Workforce Development.

AI Summary

This bill aims to prevent wage theft, promote employer accountability, and enhance public enforcement. The key provisions include: 1. Expanding the types of violations that can trigger criminal and civil liability for employers under the state's wage theft laws. 2. Allowing the Attorney General to file civil actions to recover damages and lost wages on behalf of employees, and awarding treble damages to employees if the Attorney General prevails. 3. Establishing joint and several liability for lead contractors, labor contractors, and labor subcontractors for wage theft, and requiring them to provide written notice of prior wage theft violations. 4. Authorizing the Attorney General to issue stop work orders against employers found to have violated unemployment insurance or wage theft laws, with provisions for employee pay during the stop work period. 5. Enhancing anti-retaliation protections for employees who exercise their rights under state labor laws. 6. Creating a new "public enforcement action" mechanism that allows whistleblowers and representative organizations to bring civil lawsuits to enforce state labor laws, with a share of any recovered funds going to the whistleblower or organization. The overall goal is to strengthen enforcement and accountability around wage theft and other labor violations in the state.

Committee Categories

Labor and Employment

Sponsors (52)

Sal DiDomenico (D)*,  Brian Ashe (D),  John Barrett (D),  Mike Barrett (D),  Joseph Boncore (D),  Michael Brady (D),  Tony Cabral (D),  Harriette Chandler (D),  Sonia Chang-Díaz (D),  Nick Collins (D),  Jo Comerford (D),  Brendan Crighton (D),  John Cronin (D),  Julian Cyr (D),  Marcos Devers (D),  Diana Dizoglio (D),  Pat Duffy (D),  Jamie Eldridge (D),  Paul Feeney (D),  Cindy Friedman (D),  Carmine Gentile (D),  Jessica Giannino (D),  Anne Gobi (D),  Adam Gómez (D),  Chris Hendricks (D),  Adam Hinds (D),  John Keenan (D),  Ed Kennedy (D),  David LeBoeuf (D),  Eric Lesser (D),  Jack Lewis (D),  Jason Lewis (D),  Joan Lovely (D),  Joe McGonagle (D),  Mark Montigny (D),  Mike Moore (D),  Mike Moran (D),  Susan Moran (D),  Brian Murray (D),  Patrick O'Connor (R),  Marc Pacheco (D),  Angelo Puppolo (D),  Becca Rausch (D),  Maria Robinson (D),  John Rogers (D),  Mike Rush (D),  Danny Ryan (D),  Adam Scanlon (D),  Tom Stanley (D),  Walter Timilty (D),  Erika Uyterhoeven (D),  John Velis (D), 

Last Action

Accompanied a new draft, see H4681 (on 04/11/2022)
(8 Companion Bills)

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Document Type Source Location
State Bill Page https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S1179
Bill https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S1179.pdf
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