employment practices; wage claims

SB 1159 amends Arizona law to increase the maximum amount employees can claim for unpaid wages from $5,000 to $12,000 and extends the filing deadline to one year from when wages accrued. The bill allows employees to file written claims with the Arizona Department of Labor for unpaid wages under this threshold, with the department authorized to collect payments and deposit them into a special state fund for disbursement to claimants. It clarifies that employees or the department may pursue remedies like garnishment or judgment to recover unpaid wages. This law, signed by the governor on April 2, 2025, directly affects Arizona workers with unpaid wages below $12,000 who missed the previous filing window.