Liens: harvested crops.

Senator McNerney's agricultural labor protection measure expands lien rights for farm workers who harvest or transport crops, removing the current requirement that these rights apply only to employees of limited partnerships. The legislation maintains workers' ability to place liens on harvested crops or their sale proceeds for up to two weeks of unpaid wages, now extending this protection to employees of all business structures.

The bill preserves existing provisions that allow agricultural employers to avoid liens by providing a surety bond to the Labor Commissioner guaranteeing wage payments. Other unchanged elements include the 25% cap on lien claims against crop value, priority status of these liens over other claims, and protections for buyers purchasing crops in the ordinary course of business. The measure retains requirements that liens must relate to labor contemplated in the original contract between contractors and crop owners.