(a) (1) To ensure that employees are paid for all hours worked, a garment manufacturer, contractor, or brand guarantor, who contracts with another person for the performance of garment manufacturing operations, shall be jointly and severally liable with any manufacturer and contractor who performs those operations for the garment manufacturer or brand guarantor, for all of the following:

(A) The full amount of unpaid minimum, regular, overtime, and other premium wages, reimbursement for expenses, and any other compensation, including interest, due to any and all employees who performed the manufacturing operations for any violation of this code.

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(B) The employee’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs pursuant to subdivision (e).

(C) Civil penalties for the failure to secure valid workers’ compensation coverage as required by Section 3700.

(2) Nothing in this section shall prevent or prohibit two or more parties, who are held jointly and severally liable under this section after a final judgment is rendered by the court, from establishing, exercising, or enforcing, by contract or otherwise, any lawful or equitable remedies, including, but not limited to, a right of contribution and indemnity against each other for liability created by acts of the other.

(3) Nothing in this section shall prevent, prohibit, or limit the liability of garment manufacturers or contractors for damages and penalties owed to an employee due to violations of this section.

(b) In addition to the liability imposed pursuant to subdivision (a), garment manufacturers and contractors shall be liable for the full amount of damages and penalties, including interest, due to any and all employees, for a violation of this code. Damages shall include liquidated damages in an amount equal to the wages unlawfully withheld, as set forth in Section 1194.2, and liquidated damages in an amount equal to unpaid overtime compensation due. If two or more persons are performing work at the same worksite, during the same payroll period, the liability of each person shall be limited to their proportionate share, as determined by the Labor Commissioner, pursuant to paragraph (3) or (4) of subdivision (d).

(c) Employees may enforce this section solely by filing a claim with the Labor Commissioner against the contractor, the garment manufacturer, and the brand guarantor, if known, to recover unpaid wages and associated penalties. Garment manufacturers and brand guarantors whose identity or existence is unknown at the time the claim is filed may be added to the claim pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (d).

(d) Claims filed with the Labor Commissioner pursuant to subdivision (c) shall be subject to the following procedure:

(1) Within 10 business days of receiving a claim pursuant to subdivision (c), the Labor Commissioner shall give written notice to the employee, the contractor, and the identified manufacturer and brand guarantors of the nature of the claim and the date of the meet-and-confer conference on the claim. Within 10 business days of receiving the claim, the Labor Commissioner shall issue a subpoena duces tecum requiring the contractor and any identified manufacturer and brand guarantor to submit to the Labor Commissioner those books and records as may be necessary to investigate the claim and determine the identity of any potential manufacturers and brand guarantors for the payment of the wage claim, including, but not limited to, invoices for work performed by any and all persons during the period included in the claim. Compliance with a request for books and records, within 10 days of the mailing of the notice, shall be a condition of continued registration pursuant to Section 2675. At the request of any party, the Labor Commissioner shall provide to that party copies of all books and records received by the Labor Commissioner in conducting its investigation.

(2) Within 30 days of receiving a claim pursuant to subdivision (c), the Labor Commissioner shall send a notice of the claim and of the meet-and-confer conference to any other person who may be a manufacturer or brand guarantor with respect to the claim.

(3) Within 60 days of receiving a claim pursuant to subdivision (c), the Labor Commissioner shall hold a meet-and-confer conference with the employee, the contractor, and all identified manufacturers and brand guarantors to attempt to resolve the claim. Prior to the meet-and-confer conference, the Labor Commissioner shall conduct and complete an investigation of the claim, shall make an assessment of the amount of wages, damages, penalties, expenses, and other compensation owed, and shall conduct an investigation and determine liability pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b). At that same time, the Labor Commissioner shall also investigate and determine the proportionate liability pursuant to subdivision (b). The investigation shall include, but not be limited to, interviewing the employee and their witnesses and making an assessment of the amounts due, if any, to the employee. If an employee provides the Labor Commissioner with labels, or the equivalent thereto, from a brand guarantor or garment manufacturer, or other information that the commissioner finds credible relating to the identity of any brand guarantor or garment manufacturer for whom the employee performed garment manufacturing operations, there shall be a presumption that the brand guarantor or garment manufacturer is liable with the contractor for any amounts found to be due to the employee, as set forth in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). An employee’s claim of hours worked, and wages, damages, penalties, expenses, and other compensation due, including the claim of liability of a brand guarantor or garment manufacturer upon provision by the employee of labels or other credible information about work performed for any person, shall be presumed valid and shall be the Labor Commissioner’s assessment, unless the brand guarantor, garment manufacturer, or contractor provides specific, compelling, and reliable written evidence to the contrary. That evidence from the brand guarantor, garment manufacturer, or contractor shall include accurate, complete, and contemporaneous records pursuant to Sections 226, 1174, and 2673, and the industrial commission wage order, including, but not limited to, itemized wage deduction statements, bona fide complete and accurate payroll records, evidence of the precise hours worked by the employee for each pay period during the period of the claim, and evidence, including a purchase order or invoice identifying the person or persons for whom garment manufacturing operations were performed. In the absence of the provision of that evidence, or the failure to timely respond to a subpoena pursuant to paragraph (1), a written declaration from a brand guarantor, garment manufacturer, or contractor is not sufficient to rebut the presumption of validity of the worker’s claim and liability of the respective parties. If the Labor Commissioner finds falsification by the garment manufacturer or contractor of payroll records submitted for any pay period of the claim, any other payroll records submitted by the garment manufacturer or contractor shall be presumed false and disregarded.

The Labor Commissioner shall present their assessment of the amount of wages, and each contractor’s or each garment manufacturer’s proportionate shares of damages and penalties, owed to the parties at the meet-and-confer conference and shall make a demand for payment of the amount of the assessment. If no resolution is reached, the Labor Commissioner shall, at the meet-and-confer conference, set the matter for hearing pursuant to paragraph (4).

(4) The hearing shall commence within 30 days of, and shall be completed within 45 days of, the date of the meet-and-confer conference. The hearing may be bifurcated, addressing first the question of wages and other compensation owed, as well as liability of the garment manufacturers, brand guarantors, and contractors, and, immediately thereafter, the proportionate responsibility of the damages and penalties for which each contractor or garment manufacturer is liable, pursuant to subdivision (c). The Labor Commissioner shall present their findings and assessments at the hearing. Any party may present evidence at the hearing to support or rebut the proposed findings and assessments. If an employee has provided the Labor Commissioner with labels, or the equivalent thereto, from a brand guarantor or garment manufacturer, or provides other information or testimony that the Labor Commissioner finds credible relating to the identity of any brand guarantor or garment manufacturer, for whom the employee performed garment manufacturing operations, there shall be a presumption that the brand guarantor or garment manufacturer is liable with the contractor for any amounts found to be due to the employee, as set forth in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). A written declaration or testimony from a brand guarantor, garment manufacturer, or contractor is not sufficient to rebut the presumption of liability of the respective parties. If the Labor Commissioner finds falsification by the garment manufacturer or contractor of payroll records submitted for any pay period of the claim, any other payroll records submitted by the garment manufacturer or contractor shall be presumed false and disregarded. Except as provided in this paragraph, the hearing shall be held in accordance with the procedure set forth in subdivisions (b) to (h), inclusive, of Section 98. It is the intent of the Legislature that these hearings be conducted in an informal setting preserving the rights of the parties.

(5) Within 15 days of the completion of the hearing, the Labor Commissioner shall issue an order, decision, or award with respect to the claim and shall file the order, decision, or award in accordance with Section 98.1.

(e) If either the contractor, garment manufacturer, or brand guarantor refuses to pay the assessment, and the employee prevails at the hearing, the party that refuses to pay shall pay the employee’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. If the employee rejects the assessment of the Labor Commissioner and prevails at the hearing, the contractor shall pay the employee’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. The garment manufacturer and brand guarantor shall be jointly and severally liable with the contractor for the attorney’s fees and costs awarded to an employee.

(f) Any party shall have the right to judicial review of the order, decision, or award of the Labor Commissioner made pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (d) as provided in Section 98.2. As a condition precedent to filing an appeal, the contractor, garment manufacturer, or brand guarantor, whichever appeals, shall post a bond with the Labor Commissioner in an amount equal to one and one-half times the amount of the award. No bond shall be required of an employee filing an appeal pursuant to Section 98.2. At the employee’s request, the Labor Commissioner shall represent the employee in the judicial review as provided in Section 98.4.

(g) If the contractor, garment manufacturer, or brand guarantor appeals the order, decision, or award of the Labor Commissioner and the employee prevails on appeal, the court shall order the contractor, garment manufacturer, or brand guarantor, as the case may be, to pay the reasonable attorney’s fees and costs of the employee incurred in pursuing their claim. If the employee appeals the order, decision, or award of the Labor Commissioner and the contractor, garment manufacturer, or brand guarantor prevails on appeal, the court may order the employee to pay the reasonable attorney’s fees and costs of the contractor, garment manufacturer, or brand guarantor only if the court determines that the employee acted in bad faith in bringing the claim.

(h) The rights and remedies provided by this section do not preclude an employee from pursuing any other rights and remedies under any other provision of state or federal law. If a finding and assessment is not issued as specified and within the time limits in paragraph (3) of subdivision (d), the employee may bring a civil action for the recovery of unpaid wages pursuant to any other rights and remedies under any other provision of the laws of this state unless, prior to the employee bringing the civil action, the garment manufacturer or brand guarantor files a petition for writ of mandate within 10 days of the date the assessment should have been issued. If findings and assessments are not made, or a hearing is not commenced or an order, decision, or award is not issued within the time limits specified in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subdivision (d), any party may file a petition for writ of mandate to compel the Labor Commissioner to issue findings and assessments, commence the hearing, or issue the order, decision, or award. All time requirements specified in this section shall be mandatory and shall be enforceable by a writ of mandate.

(i) The Labor Commissioner may enforce the joint and several liability of a garment manufacturer or brand guarantor described in this section in the same manner as a proceeding against the contractor. The Labor Commissioner may, with or without a complaint being filed by an employee, conduct an investigation as to whether all the employees of persons engaged in garment manufacturing are being paid all minimum, regular, overtime, and other premium wages, reimbursement for expenses, any other compensation, damages, and penalties due and, with or without the consent of the employees affected, commence a civil action to enforce joint and several liability described in this section. Prior to commencing such a civil action and pursuant to rules of practice and procedure adopted by the Labor Commissioner, the commissioner shall provide notice of the investigation to the garment manufacturer or brand guarantor and the employee, issue findings and an assessment of the amount of wages due, hold a meet-and-confer conference with the parties to attempt to resolve the matter, and provide for a hearing.

(j) Except as expressly provided in this section, this section shall not be deemed to create any new right to bring a civil action of any kind for unpaid minimum, regular, overtime, and other premium wages, reimbursement for expenses, any other compensation, damages, penalties, attorney’s fees, or costs against a brand guarantor, garment manufacturer, or contractor.

(k) The payment of the wages provided in this section shall not be used as a basis for finding that the brand guarantor or registered garment manufacturer making the payment is a joint employer, coemployer, or single employer of any employees of a contractor that is also a registered garment manufacturer.

(l) The Labor Commissioner may, in their discretion, revoke, deny, or suspend the registration under this part of any registrant that fails to pay, on a timely basis, any wages awarded pursuant to this section, after the award has become final. This subdivision is declaratory of existing law.

(m) The Labor Commissioner may also enforce this section by issuing stop orders or citations. The procedures for issuing, contesting, and enforcing judgments for citations issued by the Labor Commissioner under this section shall be the same as those set forth in subdivisions (b) to (k), inclusive, of Section 1197.1.

(n) Any statutory damages or penalties recovered or assessed in an action brought under this section shall be payable to the employee.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 569, Sec. 39. (AB 156) Effective September 27, 2022.)