SB5,9,12 3(b) The department shall enforce this chapter and ss. 66.0903, 103.02, 103.40,
4103.49, 103.82, 104.12, and 229.8275. In pursuance of this duty, the department may
5sue the employer on behalf of the employee to collect any wage claim or wage
6deficiency and ss. 109.03 (6) and 109.11 (2) and (3) shall apply to such actions. Except
7for actions under s. 109.10, the department may refer such an action to the district
8attorney of the county in which the violation occurs occurred for prosecution and
9collection and the district attorney shall commence an action in the circuit court
10having appropriate jurisdiction. Any number of wage claims or wage deficiencies
11against the same employer may be joined in a single proceeding, but the court may
12order separate trials or hearings.
SB5,9,17 13(c) In actions that are referred to a district attorney under this subsection par.
14(b)
, any taxable costs recovered by the district attorney shall be paid into the general
15fund of the county in which the violation occurs and used by that county to meet its
16financial responsibility under s. 978.13 (2) (b) for the operation of the office of the
17district attorney who prosecuted the action.
SB5,10 18Section 10. 109.09 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,9,2319 109.09 (2) (a) The department of workforce development, under its authority
20under sub. (1) (b) to maintain actions for the benefit of employees, or an employee
21who brings an action under s. 109.03 (5) shall have a lien upon all property of the
22employer, real or personal, located in this state for the full amount of any wage claim
23or wage deficiency.
SB5,11 24Section 11. 109.09 (2) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,10,5
1109.09 (2) (b) 3. The department of workforce development or employee must
2file the notice under subd. 1. or 2. within 2 4 years after the date on which the wages
3were due. The notice shall specify the nature of the claim and the amount claimed,
4describe the property upon which the claim is made, and state that the person filing
5the notice claims a lien on that property.
SB5,12 6Section 12. 109.09 (2) (c) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,10,167 109.09 (2) (c) 2. Except as provided in this subdivision, a lien under par. (a) does
8not take precedence over a lien of a commercial lending institution against the
9employer that originates before the lien under par. (a) takes effect. Subject to subd.
103., a lien under par. (a) takes precedence over a lien of a commercial lending
11institution against the employer that originates before the lien under par. (a) takes
12effect only as to the first $3,000 of unpaid wages covered under the lien that are
13earned by an employee within the 6 months preceding the date on which the
14employee files the wage claim under sub. (1) (a) or brings the action under s. 109.03
15(5) or the date on which the department receives the wage claim under s. 109.10 (4)
16(a), whichever is applicable.
SB5,13 17Section 13. 109.11 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,10,18 18109.11 (title) Penalties and surcharge.
SB5,14 19Section 14. 109.11 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,10,2520 109.11 (1) (a) In adjusting a controversy between an employer and an employee
21as to an alleged wage claim filed with the department under s. 109.09 (1) (a), the
22department may compromise and settle that wage claim for such sum as may be
23agreed upon between the department, the employee, and the employer plus interest
24on that sum at the rate of 2 percent per month for each month that the wages were
25due and unpaid and the surcharge specified in sub. (4)
.
SB5,15
1Section 15. 109.11 (1) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 109.11 (1) (b) 1. and
2amended to read:
SB5,11,123 109.11 (1) (b) 1. If the department finds that a wage claim is valid, the
4department may instruct the employer against whom the wage claim is filed to audit
5his or her payroll records to determine whether the employer may be liable for any
6other wage claims that are of the same type as the wage claim that prompted the
7audit instruction. If after the requested completion date of the audit the department
8receives a wage claim against the employer that is of the same type as the wage claim
9that prompted the audit instruction and if the department determines that the
10subsequent wage claim is valid, the department may audit the employer's payroll
11records to determine whether the employer may be liable for any other wage claims
12that are of the same type as the wage claim that prompted the audit instruction.
SB5,12,2 132. For any valid wage claim that is filed against an employer after the
14department has instructed the employer to audit his or her payroll records under this
15paragraph
subd. 1. and that is of the same type as the wage claim that prompted the
16audit instruction and for any valid wage claim that is discovered as a result of the
17department's audit under this paragraph subd. 1. and that is of the same type as the
18wage claim that prompted the audit instruction, the department shall require the
19employer to pay, in addition to the amount of wages due and unpaid, increased wages
20of not more than 50% percent of the amount of wages due and unpaid, interest on the
21amount of wages due and unpaid at the rate of 2 percent per month for each month
22that the wages were due and unpaid, and the surcharge specified in sub. (4)
, unless
23the employer shows the department that payment of the increased wages , interest,
24or surcharge
would cause extreme hardship. The department shall require an

1employer to make that payment without regard to whether the employer's failure to
2pay the wages due and unpaid was intentional or unintentional.
SB5,16 3Section 16. 109.11 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,12,104 109.11 (1) (c) If an employer does not agree to compromise and settle a wage
5claim under this subsection, the department may refer the wage claim to a district
6attorney under s. 109.09 (1) (b) or to the department of justice under s. 109.10 (3) for
7commencement of an action in circuit court to collect the amount of wages due and
8unpaid plus interest on that amount at the rate of 2 percent per month for each month
9that the wages were due and unpaid,
increased wages as specified in sub. (2) (b), and
10the surcharge specified in sub. (4)
.
SB5,17 11Section 17. 109.11 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,12,2312 109.11 (2) (a) In a wage claim action that is commenced by an employee before
13the department has completed its investigation under s. 109.09 (1) (a) and its
14attempts to compromise and settle the wage claim under sub. (1), a circuit court may
15order the employer to pay to the employee, in addition to the amount of wages due
16and unpaid and in addition to or in lieu of the criminal penalties specified in sub. (3),
17increased wages of not more than 50% 100 percent of the amount of wages due and
18unpaid, interest on the amount of wages due and unpaid at the rate of 2 percent per
19month for each month that the wages were due and unpaid, the surcharge specified
20in sub. (4), and, notwithstanding s. 814.04, reasonable costs and attorney fees. A
21circuit court may order an employer to make that payment without regard to
22whether the employer's failure to pay the wages due and unpaid was intentional or
23unintentional
.
SB5,18 24Section 18. 109.11 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,13,12
1109.11 (2) (b) In a wage claim action that is commenced after the department
2has completed its investigation under s. 109.09 (1) (a) and its attempts to settle and
3compromise the wage claim under sub. (1), a circuit court may order the employer
4to pay to the employee, in addition to the amount of wages due and unpaid to an
5employee and in addition to or in lieu of the criminal penalties specified in sub. (3),
6increased wages of not more than 100% 200 percent of the amount of those wages due
7and unpaid, interest on the amount of wages due and unpaid at the rate of 2 percent
8per month for each month that the wages were due and unpaid, the surcharge
9specified in sub. (4), and, notwithstanding s. 814.04, reasonable costs and attorney
10fees. A circuit court may order an employer to make that payment without regard
11to whether the employer's failure to pay the wages due and unpaid was intentional
12or unintentional
.
SB5,19 13Section 19. 109.11 (4) of the statutes is created to read:
SB5,14,214 109.11 (4) Surcharge. In addition to the amounts payable under sub. (1) (a)
15or (b) or (2) (a) or (b), the department shall require, or a circuit court shall order, an
16employer who fails to pay wages that are due and payable to an employee to pay to
17the department or circuit court a surcharge of $500 for a first violation, $750 for a
182nd violation, and $1,000 for a 3rd or subsequent violation. If the surcharge is
19required by the department, the department shall collect the surcharge, deposit the
20surcharge in the general fund, and credit the surcharge to the appropriation account
21under s. 20.445 (1) (gr). If the surcharge is ordered by the circuit court, the clerk of
22circuit court shall collect the surcharge and transmit the surcharge to the county
23treasurer under s. 59.40 (2) (m), the county treasurer shall pay the surcharge to the
24secretary of administration under s. 59.25 (3) (f) 2., and the secretary of

1administration shall deposit the surcharge in the general fund and credit the
2surcharge to the appropriation account under s. 20.445 (1) (gr).
SB5,20 3Section 20. 111.322 (2m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,14,74 111.322 (2m) (a) The individual files a complaint or attempts to enforce any
5right under s. 103.02, 103.10, 103.13, 103.28, 103.32, 103.34, 103.40, 103.455,
6103.50, 104.12, 109.03, 109.07, 109.075, 109.09, 146.997, or 995.55, or ss. 101.58 to
7101.599 or 103.64 to 103.82.
SB5,21 8Section 21. 111.322 (2m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,14,129 111.322 (2m) (b) The individual testifies or assists in any action or proceeding
10held under or to enforce any right under s. 103.02, 103.10, 103.13, 103.28, 103.32,
11103.34, 103.40, 103.455, 103.50, 104.12, 109.03, 109.07, 109.075, 109.09, 146.997, or
12995.55, or ss. 101.58 to 101.599 or 103.64 to 103.82.
SB5,22 13Section 22. 814.75 (28) of the statutes is created to read:
SB5,14,1414 814.75 (28) The wage claim surcharge under s. 109.11 (4).
SB5,23 15Section 23. 893.44 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,14,1916 893.44 (1) Any action to recover unpaid salary, wages or other compensation
17for personal services, except actions to recover fees for professional services and
18except as provided in sub. (2), shall be commenced within 2 4 years after the cause
19of action accrues or be barred.
SB5,24 20Section 24. 893.44 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB5,14,2321 893.44 (2) An action to recover wages under s. 109.09 shall be commenced
22within 2 4 years after the claim is filed with the department of workforce
23development or be barred.
SB5,25 24Section 25 . Initial applicability.
SB5,15,5
1(1) Wage claim statute of limitations, interest, and surcharges. The
2treatment of sections 109.09 (1) (with respect to the receipt and investigation of a
3wage claim) and (2) (b) 3., 109.11 (1) (a), (b), and (c), (2) (a) and (b), and (4), and 893.44
4(1) and (2) of the statutes first applies to wages earned on the effective date of this
5subsection.
SB5,15,86 (2) Filing of wage claims. The treatment of sections 109.03 (5) and 109.09 (1)
7(with respect to the filing of a wage claim) of the statutes first applies to a wage claim
8action commenced or a wage claim filed on the effective date of this subsection.
SB5,15,119 (3) Written disclosure statements. The treatment of sections 103.40 and
10109.01 (3m) of the statutes first applies to an employee hired on, or a change in a term
11of employment effective 7 days after, the effective date of this subsection.
SB5,15,1412 (4) Occupational or professional licensing. The treatment of section 103.35
13(3) of the statutes first applies to an application for issuance or renewal of a
14professional or occupational license filed on the effective date of this subsection.
SB5,26 15Section 26. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication,
16except as follows:
SB5,15,1917 (1) Written disclosure statements. The treatment of sections 103.40, 109.01
18(3m), and 111.322 (2m) (a) and (b) of the statutes and Section 25 (3) of this act take
19effect on the first day of the 3rd month beginning after publication.
SB5,15,2320 (2) Occupational or professional licensing. The renumbering and
21amendment of section 103.35 of the statutes, the creation of section 103.35 (1) and
22(3) of the statutes, and Section 25 (4) of this act take effect on the first day of the 6th
23month beginning after publication.
SB5,15,2424 (End)
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