Foreign labor contractor registration: agricultural workers.

Existing law requires the Labor Commissioner to enforce and administer a program to register and supervise foreign labor contractors who perform foreign labor contracting activities to recruit or solicit foreign workers. Existing law requires foreign labor contractors to register under the program, as prescribed, and imposes specific requirements relating to recruitment or solicitation for employment and relating to work contracts. Existing law authorizes the commissioner to adopt regulations or policies and procedures to implement these provisions. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law makes these provisions applicable only to nonagricultural workers, and exempts persons licensed as farm labor contractors, specified persons exempt from farm labor contractor licensing requirements, and employers of agricultural workers. This bill would delete those limitations. By expanding the application of the foreign labor contractor registration provisions, the bill would expand an existing crime, thereby imposing 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.