SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1696        FILED ON: 1/21/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 917

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Katherine M. Clark

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act strengthening wage enforcement.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Katherine M. Clark

Fifth Middlesex

Frank I. Smizik

15th Norfolk

James M. Cantwell

4th Plymouth


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1696        FILED ON: 1/21/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 917

By Ms. Clark, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 917) of Katherine M. Clark, Frank I. Smizik and James M. Cantwell for legislation to strengthen wage enforcement.  Labor and Workforce Development.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

_______________

 

An Act strengthening wage enforcement.

 

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

Section 27B of Chapter 149 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is amended by inserting at the end of the first paragraph, the following paragraph:- Every contractor shall ensure that the each employee or person performing construction services entering or leaving the work site completes the appropriate entries in a sign in-out log. The sign in-out log shall include the location of the project, current date, printed name, signature, Massachusetts trade license number, where applicable, and the time of each entry or exit.

Section 27B of Chapter 149, as so appearing, is amended by inserting after the words "payroll records", in line 20, the following words:- "and sign in/out log".

Section 27C of Chapter 149, as so appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is amended by inserting at the end of the last paragraph, the following paragraph:-              

(d) As a further alternative to initiating criminal proceedings pursuant to subsection (a), the attorney general may file a civil action for injunctive relief, for any damages incurred, and for any lost wages and other benefits on behalf of an employee or multiple, similarly situated employees. If the attorney general prevails in such an action, the employee or employees on whose behalf the attorney general brought the civil action shall be awarded treble damages, as liquidated damages, for any lost wages and other benefits, and the attorney general shall also be awarded the costs of the litigation and reasonable attorneys’ fees.