LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Private Right of Action to collect wages or benefits 

(P.L. 2004, ch. 597, § 1) R.I. Gen. Law § 37-13-17. (Creates a private right of action to collect wages or benefits not paid on public works projects that requires offenders to reimburse the plaintiff the cost of reasonable attorneys’ fees and provides for liquidated damages in an amount not to exceed two times the amount of unpaid wages and/or benefits.)

Relating to Cities and Towns 

(P.L. 2004 ch. 390 § 1 and ch. 275 § 1) R.I. Gen. Law § 45-33.2-4. (Amended existing law to require entities seeking tax incremental financing or assistance from the State Economic Development Corporation to document the number of jobs they would create from the assistance sought, their approximate wage rates, the projected impact on increased personal income taxes to the State, the extent to which their will be hiring opportunities for local workers, and several other related criteria.)

Relating to Labor and Payment of Debts by Contractors 

(P.L. 2005 ch.402 § 1) R.I. Gen. Law § 37-13-11. (Modified existing law to requiring contractors to post all rights and remedies an aggrieved an employee may have for nonpayment of wages on prevailing wage projects.)

Relating to Public Property and Works—Labor and Payment of Debts by Contractors  

(P.L. 2007 ch. 521 ch. § 1) R.I. Gen. Law § 37-13-7. (Amended current law to require that any contractor receiving a public works project to adjust their wage rate on an annual basis as opposed to the term of their contract.)

Relating to Public Property and Works—Labor and Payment of Debts by Contractors 

(P.L. 2009 ch. 76 § 1) (R.I. Gen. Law § 37-13-13. Modified existing statute to require contractors to submit certified payrolls on a monthly basis as opposed to a weekly basis and increased penalties for non-compliance.)

Omnibus Fair Contracting Standards Act 

(P.L. 2011, ch 396, §1 and ch. 332, §1) R.I. Gen. Law § 37-13-13. (Amended existing law to improve prevailing wage contract enforcement).

Relating to Businesses and Professions — Contractors’ Registration Board

(P.L. 2012, ch 293, §1) R.I. Gen. Law § 5-65-10. (Amended existing law torequire Contractors’ Registration Board to suspend or revoke the registration of a contractor that owes outstanding wages or other sums pursuant to a Department of Labor and Training (“DLT”) determination).

Relating to State Affairs and Government — Department of Labor and Training

(P.L. 2012, ch 424, §1) R.I. Gen. Law § §§42-16.1-2 and 44-1-2. (Amended existing law to require that the DLT provide to the Department of Administration and that the Division of Taxation provide to the DLT any requested information necessary to promote and facilitate minimum wage enforcement and the detection, investigation and/or prosecution of misclassification violations.)

Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Payment of Wages Training 

(P.L. 2012, ch 306, §1) R.I. Gen. Law § §§28-12-19, 28-14-19, 19.1-19.3; 28-50-4. (Amended and added to existing law to modify administrative enforcement procedure and create private right of action for wage and hour violations, by substantially increasing penalties and available relief and established misclassification as a violation for which relief may be sought in either an administrative or civil action.)

Relating to Public Records – Access to Public Records  

(P.L. 2012, ch 423, §1) R.I. Gen. Law §38-2-2. (Amended existing law to restore longstanding interpretation that certified payrolls of private contractors completing public works projects are public records.)

Relating to Public Property and Works—Contractors’ Bonds

(P.L. 2016 ch. 537 § 1) R.I. Gen. Law § 37-12-1 and 2. (This legislation requires bonding companies to not only pay any back wages due, but to also pay any penalties and/or interest assessed with the non-payment of wage violation(s).)

Regulatory

Apprenticeship Ratio Regulations (Department of Labor and Training 2009)(Lobbied and provided drafting input to achieve the promulgation and approval of regulations by the DLT establishing apprenticeship job site ratios favorable to clients).