2023 -- H 5372

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LC001168

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - PAYMENT OF WAGES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Potter, Shanley, Kazarian, Casey, Bennett, O'Brien,
Cruz, and Fellela

     Date Introduced: February 03, 2023

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 28-14 of the General Laws entitled "Payment of Wages" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     28-14-32. Contractor liability.

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     (a) A contractor making or taking a construction contract shall be liable for any debt

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resulting from an action under this chapter, owed to an employee or third party on the wage

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claimant's behalf, incurred by a subcontractor at any tier acting under, by, or for the contractor or

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its subcontractors for the employee's performance of labor. The provisions of this section shall not

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be deemed to limit the liability of a subcontractor under § 28-14-19.2 or any other provision of law.

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     (b) No agreement or release by an employee or subcontractor to waive liability assigned to

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a contractor under this section shall be valid. The provisions of this section shall not be deemed to

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impair the rights of a contractor to maintain an action against a subcontractor for owed wages that

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are paid by a contractor pursuant to this section.

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     (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the remedies available for a claim pursuant

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to subsection (a) of this section shall only be civil and administrative actions.

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     (d) In the case of a private civil action by an employee, an employee may designate any

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person, organization or collective bargaining agent authorized to file a complaint on his or her

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behalf pursuant to § 28-14-19.2, to make a wage claim on their behalf.

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     (e) In the case of an action against a subcontractor, the contractor shall be considered jointly

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and severally liable for any unpaid wages benefits, wage supplements, penalties, presumed or

 

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statutorily imposed damages, attorneys' fees and any other costs resulting from such action.

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     (f) Nothing herein shall preclude the attorney general from bringing a civil action to collect

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unpaid wages and penalties on behalf of employees pursuant to this section.

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     (g) Before bringing a civil action pursuant to this section, an employee, or third party on

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such employee's behalf, shall give the contractor notice of the alleged violation. The notice need

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only describe the general nature of the claim and shall not limit the liability of the contractor or

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preclude subsequent amendments of an action to encompass additional employees employed by the

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subcontractor. An employee, or third party on an employee's behalf, may not bring a civil action

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until ten (10) business days after giving the contractor notice of the alleged violation and may not

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bring a civil action if the contractor corrects the alleged violation. An employee, or third party on

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an employee's behalf, is not required to give notice to a contractor pursuant to this subsection before

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bringing a civil action pursuant to this section if any employee, or third party on any employee's

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behalf, previously has given notice to the contractor of the same alleged violation or a prior alleged

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violation by the same subcontractor.

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     (h) The provisions of this section shall not be deemed to diminish, impair, or otherwise

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infringe on any other rights of an employee provided pursuant to this chapter, including the right

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of an employee to bring an action against any employer pursuant to the provisions of § 28-14-19.2.

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     (i) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to diminish the rights, privileges, or remedies

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of any employee under any collective bargaining agreement. On behalf of an employee

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subject to a collective bargaining agreement, the provisions of this section may be waived by

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a collective bargaining agreement with a bona fide building and construction trade labor

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organization which has established itself, and/or its affiliates, as the collective bargaining

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representative for persons performing work on a project; provided that, for such waiver to be

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valid, it shall explicitly reference this section. Provided, however, that such waiver shall not

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diminish or impair the rights of an employee under any other section of this chapter.

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     (j) As used in this section:

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     (1) "Construction contract" means a written or oral agreement for the construction,

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reconstruction, alteration, maintenance, moving or demolition of any building, structure or

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improvement, or relating to the excavation of or other development or improvement to land.

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     (2) "Contractor" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, association, company,

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organization or other entity, including a construction manager, general or prime contractor, joint

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venture, or any combination thereof, which enters into a construction contract with an owner.

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     (3) "Owner" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association or

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other organization or other entity, or a combination of any thereof, (with an ownership interest,

 

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whether the interest or estate is in fee, as vendee under a contract to purchase, as lessee or another

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interest or estate less than fee) that causes a building, structure or improvement, new or existing, to

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be constructed, altered, repaired, maintained, moved or demolished or that causes land to be

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excavated or otherwise developed or improved.

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     (4) "Subcontractor" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, company,

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association, organization or other entity, or any combination thereof, which is a party to a contract

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with a contractor, and/or the contractor's subcontractors to perform any portion of work within the

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scope of the contractor's construction contract with the owner, including where the subcontractor

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has no direct privity of contract with the contractor.

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     (k) Severability. If any provision of this act, or any application of any provision of this act,

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is held to be invalid, that shall not affect the validity or effectiveness of any other provision of this

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act, or of any other application of any provision of this act, which can be given effect without that

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provision or application; and to that end, the provisions and applications of this act are severable.

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     (l) This act shall take effect one hundred and twenty days (120) after the passage date and

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shall apply to construction contracts entered into, renewed, modified or amended on or after such

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effective date and shall only apply to wages, benefits, and/or wage supplements earned on or after

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such effective date.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect one hundred twenty days (120) after passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - PAYMENT OF WAGES

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     This act would provide for contractor liability for debts owed to an employee or third party

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on the wage claimants behalf, incurred by a subcontractor.

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     This act would take effect one hundred twenty days (120) after passage.

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