(a) A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to be awarded contracts for, or engage in the performance of, any work on projects or developments subject to the requirements of Section 65852.24, 65912.130, 65912.131, or 65913.4 of the Government Code, unless currently registered and qualified to perform work pursuant to Section 1725.6.

(b) Notice of the requirement described in subdivision (a) shall be included in all bid invitations and contracts for any work on projects or developments subject to the requirements of Section 65852.24, 65912.130, 65912.131, or 65913.4 of the Government Code, and a bid shall not be accepted nor any contract or subcontract entered into without proof of the contractor or subcontractor’s current registration to perform work pursuant to Section 1725.6.

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(c) The department shall maintain on its internet website a list of contractors who are currently registered to perform work pursuant to Section 1725.6.

(d) A contract entered into with any contractor or subcontractor in violation of subdivision (a) shall be subject to cancellation, provided that a contract for work on projects or developments subject to the requirements of Section 65852.24, 65912.130, 65912.131, or 65913.4 of the Government Code shall not be unlawful, void, or voidable solely due to the failure of the developer, development proponent, contractor, or any subcontractor to comply with the requirements of Section 1725.6 or this section.

(e) If the Labor Commissioner or their designee determines that a contractor or subcontractor engaged in the performance of any a contract for work on projects or developments subject to the requirements of Section 65852.24, 65912.130, 65912.131, or 65913.4 of the Government Code without having been registered in accordance with this section, the contractor or subcontractor shall forfeit, as a civil penalty to the state, one hundred dollars ($100) for each day of work performed in violation of the registration requirement, not to exceed an aggregate penalty of eight thousand dollars ($8,000) in addition to any penalty registration fee assessed pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1725.6.

(f) (1) In addition to, or in lieu of, any other penalty or sanction authorized pursuant to this chapter, a higher tiered contractor or subcontractor who is found to have entered into a subcontract with an unregistered lower tier subcontractor to perform any work in violation of the requirements of Section 1725.6 or this section shall be subject to forfeiture, as a civil penalty to the state, of one hundred dollars ($100) for each day the unregistered lower tier subcontractor performs work in violation of the registration requirement, not to exceed an aggregate penalty of ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

(2) The Labor Commissioner shall use the same standards specified in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1775 when determining the severity of the violation and what penalty to assess, and may waive the penalty for a first time violation that was unintentional and did not hinder the Labor Commissioner’s ability to monitor and enforce compliance with the requirements of this chapter and of the requirements of Section 65852.24, 65912.130, 65912.131, or 65913.4 of the Government Code.

(3) A higher tiered contractor or subcontractor shall not be liable for penalties assessed pursuant to paragraph (1) if the lower tier subcontractor’s performance is in violation of the requirements of Section 1725.6 due to the revocation of a previously approved registration.

(4) A subcontractor shall not be liable for any penalties assessed against a higher tiered contractor or subcontractor pursuant to paragraph (1). A higher tiered contractor or subcontractor may not require a lower tiered subcontractor to indemnify or otherwise be liable for any penalties pursuant to paragraph (1).

(g) The Labor Commissioner or their designee shall issue a civil wage and penalty assessment, in accordance with the provisions of Section 1741, upon determination of penalties pursuant to subdivision (e) and paragraph (1) of subdivision (f). Review of a civil wage and penalty assessment issued under this subdivision may be requested in accordance with the provisions of Section 1742. The regulations of the Director of Industrial Relations, which govern proceedings for review of civil wage and penalty assessments and the withholding of contract payments under Article 1 (commencing with Section 1720) and Article 2 (commencing with Section 1770), shall apply.

(h) (1) Where a contractor or subcontractor engages in the performance of any contract for work on projects or developments subject to the requirements of Section 65852.24, 65912.130, 65912.131, or 65913.4 of the Government Code without having been registered in violation of the requirements of Section 1725.6 or this section, the Labor Commissioner shall issue and serve a stop order prohibiting the use of the unregistered contractor or the unregistered subcontractor on the project or development until the unregistered contractor or unregistered subcontractor is registered. The stop order shall not apply to work by registered contractors or subcontractors on the project or development.

(2) A stop order may be personally served upon the contractor or subcontractor by either of the following methods:

(A) Manual delivery of the order to the contractor or subcontractor personally.

(B) Leaving signed copies of the order with the person who is apparently in charge at the site of the project or development and by thereafter mailing copies of the order by first class mail, postage prepaid to the contractor or subcontractor at one of the following:

(i) The address of the contractor or subcontractor on file with either the Secretary of State or the Contractors State License Board.

(ii) If the contractor or subcontractor has no address on file with the Secretary of State or the Contractors State License Board, the address of the site of the project or development.

(3) The stop order shall be effective immediately upon service and shall be subject to appeal by the party contracting with the unregistered contractor or subcontractor, by the unregistered contractor or subcontractor, or both. The appeal, hearing, and any further review of the hearing decision shall be governed by the procedures, time limits, and other requirements specified in subdivision (a) of Section 238.1.

(4) Any employee of an unregistered contractor or subcontractor who is affected by a work stoppage ordered by the commissioner pursuant to this subdivision shall be paid at their regular hourly prevailing wage rate by that employer for any hours the employee would have worked but for the work stoppage, not to exceed 10 days.

(i) Failure of a contractor or subcontractor, owner, director, officer, or managing agent of the contractor or subcontractor to observe a stop order issued and served upon them pursuant to this subdivision is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in county jail not exceeding 60 days, by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both.

(j) Penalties received pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the State Public Works Enforcement Fund established by Section 1771.3 and shall be used only for the purposes specified in that section.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 39, Sec. 27. (AB 130) Effective July 10, 2023.)