Protection of employees; stay or pay contracts prohibited, civil penalty.

The definition of 'transferable credential' was simplified to require only that the credential be offered by an accredited third-party institution, removing references to employer-established programs.

Exemptions for apprenticeship and tuition contracts were narrowed; the list of recognized apprenticeship programs was shortened, and tuition contracts now have stricter rules on repayment formulas and acceleration clauses.

The exemption for discretionary monetary payments (bonuses) was reduced by removing the specific list of payment types and changing the termination conditions to allow repayment if the employee leaves voluntarily.

The civil penalty for violating the bill was increased from $1,000 to $10,000 per violation, with the final amount left for legislative selection.

The requirement for a five-day review period for bonus contracts was retained, but the conditions under which repayment is required were tightened to include voluntary resignation.