Employment regulation and supervision: unpaid wages.

Existing law provides for the regulation of farm labor contractors and of garment manufacturers by the Labor Commissioner and for their licensure and registration, respectively, by the commissioner. This bill would require an applicant for licensure as a farm labor contractor, for registration as a garment manufacturer, for renewal or reinstatement of the license or registration, and for a change in key personnel, to submit a statement as to whether he or she has satisfied all requirements involving unpaid wages in a final court judgment, as defined, a final order issued by the commissioner, or an accord. The bill would subject any person who provides false information on the statement to a civil penalty, as specified. The bill would require the commissioner to deny the application if the statement shows unpaid wages, unless the applicant submits a bond or cash deposit to guarantee payment of the wages or a notarized accord demonstrating satisfaction of the obligation. The bill would require the commissioner to suspend the license or registration of a farm labor contractor or a garment manufacturer who made a false representation in the statement and would make reinstatement contingent on the applicant demonstrating compliance with the unpaid wages requirements or submitting an accord showing satisfaction of that obligation. The bill would require a licensee or registrant to notify the commissioner within 90 days of a final court judgment, final order issued by the commissioner, or an accord imposing requirements relating to unpaid wages and submit with the notice security, as previously described, for the unpaid wages. The bill would prohibit a licensee or registrant from having a person who is a named judgment debtor in a final court order or order issued by the commissioner for unpaid wages serving in a key personnel capacity and would require the commissioner to suspend the license or registration of a person who violates this prohibition. The bill would require a licensee or registrant to pay to the Labor Commissioner all reasonable costs incurred in adverse license or registration activities, as defined, under its provisions.