Bill Text: CA SB671 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Employment: payment of wages: print shoot employees.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-09-05 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 253, Statutes of 2019. [SB671 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB671-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  March 27, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 671

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Introduced by Senator Hertzberg

February 22, 2019

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An act to amend Section 64 of Sections 203, 203.1, and 220 of, and to add Section 201.6 to, the Labor Code, relating to employment.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 671, as amended, Hertzberg. Department of Industrial Relations. Employment: payment of wages: print shoot employees.

Existing law subjects employers to various requirements related to the payment of wages. Existing law generally requires that if an employer discharges an employee, the wages earned and unpaid at the time of discharge are due and payable immediately. Existing law establishes specific provisions that entitle an employee engaged in the production or broadcasting of motion pictures, as defined, whose employment terminates, to receive payment of the wages earned and unpaid at the time of the termination by the next regular payday, as defined. Existing law establishes penalties for certain violations relating to payment in accordance with these specific provisions.

This bill would establish similar specific provisions for a print shoot employee, as defined.

Under existing law, the willful refusal to pay wages due and payable after demand is made, or falsely denying indebtedness for an employee’s wages with prescribed intent, is a crime.

By establishing new wage payment provisions, the willful or intentional violation of which would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Existing law creates the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement within the Department of Industrial Relations. The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement is headed by the Labor Commissioner, to whom various powers are granted, including the authority to enter into reciprocal agreements with the labor departments of other states for the purpose of collecting specified claims or judgments.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the reciprocal agreement provision.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NOYES  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 201.6 is added to the Labor Code, to read:

201.6.

 (a) As used in this section:

(1) “Print shoot employee” means an individual hired for a period of limited duration to render services relating to or supporting a print shoot.

(2) “Next regular payday” means the day designated by the employer, pursuant to Section 204, for payment of wages earned during the payroll period in which the termination occurs.

(3) “Time of termination” is when the employment relationship ends, whether by discharge, layoff, resignation, completion of employment for a specified term, or otherwise.

(b) A print shoot employee is entitled to receive payment of the wages earned and unpaid at the time of termination by the next regular payday.

(c) The payment of wages to employees covered by this section may be mailed to the employee or made available to the employee at a location specified by the employer in the county where the employee was hired or performed labor. The payment shall be deemed to have been made on the date that the employee’s wages are mailed to the employee or made available to the employee at the location specified by the employer, whichever is earlier.

(d) Nothing in this section prohibits the parties to a valid collective bargaining agreement from establishing alternative provisions for final payment of wages to employees covered by this section if those provisions do not exceed the time limitation established in Section 204.

SEC. 2.

 Section 203 of the Labor Code is amended to read:

203.

 (a) If an employer willfully fails to pay, without abatement or reduction, in accordance with Sections 201, 201.3, 201.5, 201.6, 201.9, 202, and 205.5, any wages of an employee who is discharged or who quits, the wages of the employee shall continue as a penalty from the due date thereof at the same rate until paid or until an action therefor is commenced; but the wages shall not continue for more than 30 days. An employee who secretes or absents himself or herself themself to avoid payment to him or her, the employee, or who refuses to receive the payment when fully tendered to him or her, them, including any penalty then accrued under this section, is not entitled to any benefit under this section for the time during which he or she the employee so avoids payment.

(b) Suit may be filed for these penalties at any time before the expiration of the statute of limitations on an action for the wages from which the penalties arise.

SEC. 3.

 Section 203.1 of the Labor Code is amended to read:

203.1.

 If an employer pays an employee in the regular course of employment or in accordance with Section 201, 201.3, 201.5, 201.6, 201.7, or 202 any wages or fringe benefits, or both, by check, draft or voucher, which check, draft or voucher is subsequently refused payment because the employer or maker has no account with the bank, institution, or person on which the instrument is drawn, or has insufficient funds in the account upon which the instrument is drawn at the time of its presentation, so long as the same is presented within 30 days of receipt by the employee of the check, draft or voucher, those wages or fringe benefits, or both, shall continue as a penalty from the due date thereof at the same rate until paid or until an action therefor is commenced. However, those wages and fringe benefits shall not continue for more than 30 days and this penalty shall not apply if the employer can establish to the satisfaction of the Labor Commissioner or an appropriate court of law that the violation of this section was unintentional. This penalty also shall not apply in any case in which an employee recovers the service charge authorized by Section 1719 of the Civil Code in an action brought by the employee thereunder.

SEC. 4.

 Section 220 of the Labor Code is amended to read:

220.

 (a) Sections 201.3, 201.5, 201.6, 201.7, 203.1, 203.5, 204, 204a, 204b, 204c, 204.1, 205, and 205.5 do not apply to the payment of wages of employees directly employed by the State of California. Except as provided in subdivision (b), all other employment is subject to these provisions.

(b) Sections 200 to 211, inclusive, and Sections 215 to 219, inclusive, do not apply to the payment of wages of employees directly employed by any county, incorporated city, or town or other municipal corporation. All other employments are subject to these provisions.

SEC. 5.

 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.

SECTION 1.Section 64 of the Labor Code is amended to read:

64.

The Labor Commissioner may enter into reciprocal agreements with the labor department or corresponding agency of any other state, or with the person, board, officer, or commission authorized to act for, and on behalf of, that department or agency, for the collection in that other state of claims or judgments for wages and other demands based upon claims previously assigned to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.