
From the Independent Contractor Compliance and Worker Misclassification Legal Blog —
Most bills in Congress dealing with independent contractor misclassification are introduced with a great deal of fanfare. But not so with the Payroll Fraud Prevention Act of 2014, which was introduced on May 8, 2014 and released to the public earlier today.
The bill was sponsored by Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT) and co-sponsored by two California and two New York Representatives. Congressman Courtney released a statement on his website that the 2014 bill is companion legislation to a Senate bill sponsored by Senator Robert Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Tom Harkin (D-IA). In his press release, Representative Courtney stated: “American workers should never be denied the fair labor standards and benefits that they are rightfully owed. However, some workers are misclassified by employers, denying them these rights.” He added: “This bill would help ensure that workers are properly classified so that they receive adequate protections and employers fulfill their legal responsibilities.”