SENATE DOCKET, NO. 675        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 702

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act to protect wages of employees who receive wages through an electronic wage card..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.   Section 1 of chapter 149 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 official edition, is hereby amended in line 30 by inserting after the word “Discrimination” the following:- “Electronic wage card, is an electronic card or other similar medium issued by an employer to an employee in order for an employee to receive payment of wages from an employer and where said employee’s wages are deposited into an account that is established and controlled by the employer or by a third party as designated by an employer; provided further that having employees pay for the implementation of said electronic wage card wage system shall be prohibited.”

SECTION 2. Section 148 of chapter 149 of the General Laws is hereby amended in line 95 after the words “to be reasonable.” by inserting the following:- “Any employer paying wages by electronic wage card shall provide for such employee such facilities for the employee to withdraw money from said account without charge by deduction from said account thereof or otherwise, as shall be deemed by the attorney general as reasonable.”