Bill > HB718

This bill amends the Wage Payment and Collection Law to strengthen worker protections and enforcement mechanisms. It expands the definition of "employer" to include various government entities and introduces the concept of a "high-violation industry" defined as an industry with at least 25 violations over two years. The bill requires the Department of Labor to collect and report quarterly data on wage violations, including the number of complaints, violations, and recovered unpaid wages. It mandates more frequent investigations of high-violation industries and cross-agency referrals to protect workers' rights. The legislation significantly increases penalties for wage violations, with fines now up to $2,000 per violation or triple the unpaid wages, and escalating criminal penalties ranging from summary offenses to felonies depending on the frequency and amount of unpaid wages. The bill also prohibits employer retaliation against workers who file complaints or cooperate with investigations, with potential fines and imprisonment for such actions. Additionally, the bill establishes a Wage Enforcement Fund to collect penalty revenues and support ongoing labor law enforcement efforts, with mandatory annual reporting on the fund's collections and expenditures. The new provisions aim to more effectively protect workers' wage rights and hold employers accountable for labor law violations.