Singleton Bill to Expand Transparency, Accountability of Taxpayer Dollars in Work for Public Bodies
TRENTON – Aimed at ensuring all employers and contractors engaged in work for public bodies adhere to New Jersey’s labor laws, the New Jersey Senate passed legislation sponsored by Senators Troy Singleton and Parker Space that would broaden the ability for the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development to investigate the worksites of employers or contractors engaged in work for a public body, thereby increasing oversight and accountability of taxpayer dollars.
“Employers and contractors that are engaged in work for the government ought to be transparent and held to the highest standards. If there is suspicion of wrongdoing, the state should be able to ensure those standards are being followed, said Senator Singleton (D-Burlington). “By expanding the ability for the state to investigate any type of work done for a public body, we can further prevent the mistreatment of workers and ensure our tax dollars are going towards companies that don’t undermine our state’s laws.”
The bill, S-1403, would expand current law to enable the Commissioner to investigate and ascertain the wages of workers as well as to enter and investigate the place of business or employment for any work done for a public body.
The bill would also enable the Commissioner to require any employer or contractor engaged in any work for a public body to file with the Commissioner and the public entity with which the employer or contractor is engaged in work any records of all books, registers, payrolls, and other records that in any way relate to or have a bearing upon the question of wages, hours, and other conditions of employment.
If an employer or contractor fails to turn over requested records within 10 days, the Commissioner could direct within 15 days the fiscal or financial officer charged with the custody and disbursements of the funds of the public body which contracted the work to withhold payment to the employer of up to 25 percent of the amount, not to exceed $100,000, to be paid to the employer or contractor under the terms of the contract made with the public body. The amount would be immediately released upon receipt by the public body from the Commissioner that the request for records has been satisfied.
The Senate passed the legislation in a 34-2 vote.