Don’t STEAL Act

Bill: 118-hr-9337
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2]
Introduced: 2024-08-09
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Latest action: action_date: 2024-08-09
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9337 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 9, 2024 Mr. Magaziner (for himself, Ms. Balint , Mr. Bowman , Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania , Mr. Carson , Ms. Chu , Mrs. Dingell , Mr. Evans , Mr. Goldman of New York , Mrs. Hayes , Mr. Jackson of Illinois , Ms. Norton , Ms. Ocasio-Cortez , Mr. Pocan , Ms. Porter , Ms. Schakowsky , Mrs. Sykes , Ms. Tlaib , Ms. Tokuda , Mr. Trone , and Mrs. Watson Coleman ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for increased criminal and civil penalties for wage theft.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Don’t Stand for Taking Employed Americans’ Livings Act or the Don’t STEAL Act . 2. Right to full compensation The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 is amended by inserting after section 7 ( 29 U.S.C. 207 ) the following: 8. Right to full compensation (a) In general In the case of an employment contract or other employment agreement, including a collective bargaining agreement, that specifies that an employer shall compensate an employee (who is described in subsection (b)) at a rate that is higher than the rate otherwise required under this Act, the employer shall compensate such employee at the rate specified in such contract or other employment agreement. (b) Employee Engaged In Commerce The requirement under subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any employee who in any workweek is engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, or is employed in an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce. . 3. Penalties for wage theft (a) Criminal penalties Subsection (a) of section 16 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 ( 29 U.S.C. 216 ) is amended— (1) by striking Any person and inserting (1) Except as provided by paragraph (2), any person ; (2) by striking subsection each place it appears and inserting paragraph ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (2) (A) Any person who willfully violates section 3(m)(2)(B), 6, 7, or 8 of this Act, relating to wages, shall be— (i) in the case of a violation of section 3(m)(2)(B), 6, 7, or 8 relating to unpaid wages, or unpaid overtime compensation, in an amount greater than $1,000, fined in accordance with title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both; or (ii) in the case of a violation of section 3(m)(2)(B), 6, 7, or 8 relating to unpaid wages, or unpaid overtime compensation, in an amount equal to or less than $1,000, fined in accordance with title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both. (B) In determining the amount of a fine under subparagraph (A), the following factors shall be considered: (i) The gravity of the violation, including the number of employees affected and the value of the unlawfully kept wages. (ii) Whether the person charged has previously been convicted for a violation of section 3(m)(2)(B), 6, 7, or 8. (iii) The appropriateness of the penalty given the size of the business of the person convicted. . (b) Funds for Wage and Hour Division Paragraph (5) of section 16(e) of such Act is amended— (1) by inserting and fines collected under subsection (a)(2) of this section after 12 ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: Sums collected as fines under subsection (a)(2) shall be applied by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor to the costs of enforcing sections 3(m)(2)(B), 6, 7, and 8. . (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to violations of section 3(m)(2)(B), 6, or 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 occurring on or after the date that is 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act.