California Bill Would Strengthen Enforcement Against Employers with Unpaid Wage Judgments (Assembly Bill 485)
A bill introduced in the California Assembly in February 2025 aims to strengthen enforcement of unpaid wage judgments against employers. Assembly Bill 485 (AB 485), introduced by Assemblymember Liz Ortega, would specifically target employers who operate under state-issued licenses or permits.
Current Enforcement Mechanisms
Under existing law, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE)—led by the California Labor Commissioner—is responsible for investigating worker wage complaints and enforcing labor standards.
Employers who have unsatisfied final judgments for wage violations are already subject to various enforcement mechanisms. Specifically, the DLSE can bar them from continuing to do business in California unless they obtain and file a surety bond with the Labor Commissioner against which workers can collect.
In the long-term care sector, both the California Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Department of Social Services (DSS) are authorized to deny or refuse to renew a license if an employer has an outstanding wage judgment. The Labor Commissioner is required to notify these agencies upon identifying such unpaid judgments within the industry.
What AB 485 Would Change
AB 485 proposes an expansion of these enforcement tools:
- Expanded Scope: The bill would extend license denial and renewal restrictions to all industries regulated by state agencies—not just the long-term care industry. Any employer holding a state-issued license or permit could be affected.
- Mandatory Agency Action: If an employer in a licensed or permitted industry has an unsatisfied final judgment for unpaid wages, the relevant state licensing agency must deny the issuance or renewal of the license or permit.
- Labor Commissioner Notification Requirement: The Labor Commissioner would be required to notify the appropriate licensing or permitting agency when such violations are discovered, triggering agency enforcement actions.
Implications for California Workers
Workers in California whose employers have failed to pay them face serious obstacles in recovering their hard-earned wages. According to one UCLA Labor Center study, only 17% of California workers who prevailed at the DLSE were able to collect any portion of their wage judgments. If enacted, this bill would empower the Labor Commissioner and state agencies alike to ensure that more workers collect and more employers suffer the consequences when they steal wages.
I was not granted wage increases that were verbally agreed to before my start date of 11/12/24, I should of received an hourly wage increase from $35.00 to $37.50 on 02/13/25 & on 05/13/25 I should of had an hourly wage increase from $37.50 to $40.00, I was not granted a wage increase on 02/13/25 until I had to ask for a raise in late March, so I did not receive an hourly wage increase at 3 months in which I was not paid $37.50 per hour in which my overtime hours that I had worked should of been paid at 1.5 times $37.50 & then on 05/13/25 my 6 month probation period expired & hourly wage should of been increased to $40.00 with full time employment & full benefits but I was unlawfully laid off then on 05/30/25 I was unlawfully terminated on false allegations without any write ups, no warnings nor was I given a reason as to why they did that to me, I’ve lost income, lost my job along with being discriminated for my age, national origin, my true character has been defamed along with many more violations of California’s employment and labor codes, thank you so very much, Daniel ROCHIN Jr