California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom signing Assembly Bill (AB) 1002 into law. Authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, AB 1002 permits the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to seek Contractors State License Board (CSLB) license suspension or revocation against licensed contractors for wage theft or similar violations. Wage theft affects some of the most vulnerable workers in our economy, many of whom may not have the resources or knowledge to protect themselves when an employer refuses to pay wages owed. While wage theft and labor violations are already illegal in California, this new law will add a remedy to DOJ’s existing toolbox as the Department combats serious and repeat wage theft and other wage and hour violations.

“With the signing of this new law, we are putting bad actor licensed contractors on notice. For far too long, bad actors in the construction industry have engaged in a pattern of wage-theft — stealing hard-earned pay from the very people who build our communities,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This new law strengthens enforcement by allowing my office to not only seek civil penalties, injunctions, and restitution for workers, but also seek to suspend or revoke licenses of contractors who steal wages and exploit labor. I want to thank Assemblymember Gabriel for his ongoing partnership to strengthen corporate accountability and the Building Trades, Carpenters, Laborers, and the Contractors State License Board for their partnership. Every worker deserves to be paid fully and fairly for their work, and this law will build on that commitment and hold those who violate it fully accountable.”