Labor & Employment (Gig Economy)

Portable Benefits Accounts for Independent Contractors and Sole Proprietors; Authorizes certain parties to make voluntary contributions to portable benefits accounts for independent contractors & sole proprietors; provides requirements for such contributions.

Labor Pool Act; Prohibiting a labor pool from charging a certain fee to a third-party user if such user directly employs a laborer for work; requiring a labor pool to register annually with the Department of Commerce; revising the remedies, damages, and costs a court may award the prevailing party in certain actions, etc.

Division of Labor Standards; Creating the Division of Labor Standards within the Department of Commerce for specified purposes; revising the protected rights of an employee; authorizing and providing the division certain powers to conduct investigations, issue citations, enforce and collect judgments by certain means, and partner with other entities for enforcement and education outreach; creating the Division of Labor Standards Community Advisory Board within the Division of Labor Standards, etc.

Employee Protections; Providing that public officers, public employees, and local government attorneys commit a breach of the public trust when they initiate adverse personnel actions against employees of an agency or independent contractor under certain circumstances; prohibiting agencies and independent contractors from taking specified actions against employees or certain persons for disclosing certain information to the Commission on Ethics; requiring that information disclosed include specified violations or alleged violations; providing that specified provisions protect employees and persons who submit written complaints to the commission or provide information to an investigator during an investigation of a complaint or referral, etc.

Portable Benefits Accounts for Independent Contractors and Sole Proprietors; Creating the “Voluntary Portable Benefits Act”; authorizing certain parties to make voluntary contributions to portable benefits accounts for independent contractors and sole proprietors; prohibiting contributions to a portable benefits account from being used as a criterion for determining a worker’s employment classification, etc.