Silver Taube: Proposed state legislation would strengthen workers' rights - San Jose Spotlight
Briefly

California lawmakers are introducing various bills to tackle wage theft, backlog at the Labor Commission, paid leave, and human trafficking issues. Key legislation includes SB 261, which would publicly name businesses failing to pay wage theft judgments and impose hefty fines, and AB 485, which would deny state business licenses to those not complying. Additionally, SB 355 may revoke vehicle licenses for unpaid judgments, while AB 1362 seeks to regulate foreign labor recruiters in agriculture to prevent trafficking. Overall, these measures aim to empower enforcement and protect workers' rights across the state.
The California State Auditor's report revealed that between 2018 and 2023, only 12% of wage theft cases referred for enforcement were fully collected by the Labor Commission.
SB 261 mandates that businesses failing to pay wage theft judgments will be publicly listed, with penalties up to three times the owed amount if not settled in 180 days.
AB 485 denies licenses to state-contracted businesses that do not comply with wage theft judgments, illustrating a stricter approach to combating this issue.
AB 1362 aims to regulate foreign labor recruiters and combat human trafficking while providing new protections for agricultural workers.
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