Dec 5 HLabor Cmte Agenda: wage/ benefit violation penalties, public employee benefits, fair employment, wage garnishment, Noncompete clauses

Catch-up post.

Concerns:

1. As healthcare employers merge, and CON restricts startups, healthcare workers have fewer choices of places to work. Having "captive" employees means that employers can get away with more abusive practices.
   Can more law, however specific, end these abuses without addressing their root causes?
   I'm thinking not.
   In fact, experience tells us that corporate health is really good at finding loopholes and workarounds.
   In addition, more law will bring its own unintended consequences.
2. The state runs licensing, regulations, and disability insurance for public employees.
   As licensing and regulations increase, and society becomes more difficult to govern, job postings for fire, police, and EMS are going unfilled.
   Like private businesses which increase benefits to attract employees, communities try to do the same thing through state law.
   Unfortunately, whatever the facts of job risk, this creates a two-tier healthcare divide. 
   In turn, the growing divide within communities increases resentment and job risk.

Yet, here we are with this agenda.

Thursday, December 5, 2024      9:00 AM

AGENDA:

HB 4402 (Rep. Weiss) Criminal procedure; sentencing guidelines; sentencing guideline for wage and fringe benefit payment violations; enact.

HB 4403 (Rep. Snyder) Labor; fair employment practices; penalty for wage and fringe benefit payment violations with the intent to defraud; increase.

HB 4404 (Rep. Tsernoglou) Labor; hours and wages; employer violations regarding the payment of wages and fringe benefits; increase sanctions for.

HB 4729 (Rep. Snyder) Worker's compensation; disabilities; presumption of causation of heart and respiratory diseases; extend to certain members of police, fire, and public safety departments.

HB 6058 (Rep. Xiong) Public employees and officers; compensation and benefits; public employer contribution to medical benefit plan; modify.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

This agenda was revised on Dec 4 at 1:25 PM.

Added bills are highlighted in bold font.

HB 4390 (Rep. Haadsma) Labor; hours and wages; penalties and remedies for misclassification of independent contractors; provide for.

HB 4399 (Rep. Mentzer) Labor; fair employment practices; certain noncompete agreements; prohibit employers from requiring employees to enter into unless certain conditions are met.

HB 4402 (Rep. Weiss) Criminal procedure; sentencing guidelines; sentencing guideline for wage and fringe benefit payment violations; enact.
HB 4403 (Rep. Snyder) Labor; fair employment practices; penalty for wage and fringe benefit payment violations with the intent to defraud; increase.
HB 4404 (Rep. Tsernoglou) Labor; hours and wages; employer violations regarding the payment of wages and fringe benefits; increase sanctions for.

HB 4405 (Rep. Churches) Labor; fair employment practices; deductions from wages without written consent of employee; revise notice period for certain deductions related to garnishment.

HB 4406 (Rep. Farhat) Labor; fair employment practices; wage information of similarly situated employees; require an employer to disclose to an employee under certain circumstances.

HB 4729 (Rep. Snyder) Worker's compensation; disabilities; presumption of causation of heart and respiratory diseases; extend to certain members of police, fire, and public safety departments.
HB 6058 (Rep. Xiong) Public employees and officers; compensation and benefits; public employer contribution to medical benefit plan; modify.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE

A second revision came out the same day at 4:37 PM, removing the first of the added bills.

All of the concerns still apply. 

In addition, HB 4399 tackles noncompete clauses, currently in federal litigation with the FTC.

AGENDA:

HB 4399 (Rep. Mentzer) Labor; fair employment practices; certain noncompete agreements; prohibit employers from requiring employees to enter into unless certain conditions are met.

HB 4402 (Rep. Weiss) Criminal procedure; sentencing guidelines; sentencing guideline for wage and fringe benefit payment violations; enact.

HB 4403 (Rep. Snyder) Labor; fair employment practices; penalty for wage and fringe benefit payment violations with the intent to defraud; increase.

HB 4404 (Rep. Tsernoglou) Labor; hours and wages; employer violations regarding the payment of wages and fringe benefits; increase sanctions for.

HB 4405 (Rep. Churches) Labor; fair employment practices; deductions from wages without written consent of employee; revise notice period for certain deductions related to garnishment.

HB 4406 (Rep. Farhat) Labor; fair employment practices; wage information of similarly situated employees; require an employer to disclose to an employee under certain circumstances.

HB 4729 (Rep. Snyder) Worker's compensation; disabilities; presumption of causation of heart and respiratory diseases; extend to certain members of police, fire, and public safety departments.

HB 6058 (Rep. Xiong) Public employees and officers; compensation and benefits; public employer contribution to medical benefit plan; modify.

OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE