Bill > AB538

This bill amends Section 1776 of the Labor Code to clarify and strengthen requirements for payroll record management in public works projects. Specifically, the bill requires awarding bodies to obtain certified payroll records from contractors when a public records request is made and the awarding body does not already possess those records. If a contractor fails to provide the requested records within 10 days, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) can enforce penalties by requesting funds be withheld from the contractor's progress payments. The bill maintains existing requirements that payroll records must include detailed information about workers, such as names, addresses, work classifications, hours worked, and wages paid, and must be verified under penalty of perjury. The legislation also preserves existing privacy protections by requiring personal identifying information like social security numbers to be redacted when records are shared publicly. The bill expands the potential administrative burden on contractors and subcontractors, which could be considered an expansion of a potential misdemeanor crime, but it does not require state reimbursement for these new requirements. The overall aim is to increase transparency and accountability in public works project payroll record-keeping.

Budget and Finance, Labor and Employment

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB538