CaliforniaFarm labor contractors: surety bonds.
What it does
Existing law requires a farm labor contractor to be licensed by the Labor Commissioner and to comply with specified employment laws applicable to farm labor contractors. Existing law provides that a person who violates the above-described provision is subject to a civil penalty, including, for any initial citation, $100 for each farmworker employed by the unlicensed person, plus $100 for each calendar day that a violation occurs, for a total penalty not to exceed $10,000.
More detail
This bill would instead provide that a person who violates employment laws applicable to farm labor contractors, unless otherwise specified, is subject to a civil penalty, including, for any initial citation, $100 for each farmworker employed by the unlicensed person or licensed farm labor contractor, plus $100 for each calendar day that a violation occurs, for a total penalty not to exceed $10,000.
Existing law prohibits the Labor Commissioner from issuing or renewing a license to act as a farm labor contractor unless specified requirements are met. Existing law requires an applicant for the issuance or renewal of a farm labor contractor license to have deposited with the Labor Commissioner a surety bond to be payable for, among other things, interest on wages and for any damages arising from violation of orders of the Industrial Welfare Commission and for any other monetary relief awarded to an agricultural worker as a result of a violation of specified employment laws. Existing law requires the amount of the surety bond to be based on the size of the person's annual payroll for all employees, and requires, for payrolls up to $500,000, a $25,000 bond, for payrolls of $500,000 to $2,000,000, a $50,000 bond, and for payrolls greater than $2,000,000, a $75,000 bond. Existing law requires the Labor Commissioner to require documentation of the size of the person's annual payroll for purposes of these provisions, as provided.
This bill would instead require, for payrolls up to $500,000, a $50,000 bond, for payrolls of $500,000 to $2,000,000, a $100,000 bond, and for payrolls greater than $2,000,000, a $150,000 bond. The bill would require the bond amounts to be deposited when a farm labor contractor first registers or files the application for their first annual renewal. The bill would require the Labor Commissioner to, among other things, include bond information on the public farm labor contractor license database, as described.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 18Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 294, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 18Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 8Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 28Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 51. Noes 18. Page 6807.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 2227 Connolly Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 27In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB2227 Connolly et al. By Pérez. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 27Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 28. Noes 10.).Passed Senate
- Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 13Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 13).Major
- Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 25Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 25Withdrawn from committee.Major
- Jun 24From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 15From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.Major
- Jun 10Referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and JUD.Minor
- May 28In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 2227 Connolly Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 27Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 51. Noes 20. Page 5480.)Passed Assembly
- May 19Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 18Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- May 14From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (May 14).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- May 6In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Apr 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 23Coauthors revised.
- Apr 22
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 13Re-referred to Com. on L. & E.Minor
- Apr 9From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. & E. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 9Referred to Com. on L. & E.Minor
- Feb 20From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
- Feb 19Read first time. To print.Introduced