Labor Commissioner: unsatisfied judgments: nonpayment of wages.

Assembly Member Ortega's wage enforcement legislation expands California's approach to addressing unpaid wage judgments by requiring state agencies to deny or withhold licenses and permits from employers who fail to satisfy court-ordered wage payments. The measure replaces existing provisions that applied only to long-term care facilities with broader requirements covering all employers who need state licenses or permits to operate.

Under the new framework, the Labor Commissioner must notify relevant state licensing agencies when employers are found conducting business despite having unsatisfied wage judgments. Those agencies must then deny new licenses or permits and refuse to renew existing ones for non-compliant employers. The bill creates an exception for hospitals, allowing the State Public Health Officer to exempt them if license denial or revocation would pose risks to public health and safety or raise constitutional concerns.

This licensing enforcement mechanism adds to existing requirements that employers with unpaid wage judgments obtain surety bonds before continuing operations in California. The measure establishes formal channels for communication between the Labor Commissioner and state licensing bodies to coordinate enforcement actions when employers fail to meet wage payment obligations.