We have received text from H.R. 5048: Don’t Stand for Taking Employed Americans’ Livings Act. This bill was received on 2025-08-26, and currently has 21 cosponsors.
Here is a short summary of the bill:
This bill, titled the "Don’t Stand for Taking Employed Americans’ Livings Act" or “Don’t STEAL Act,” aims to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 with several key provisions designed to strengthen protections for workers regarding wage compensation and penalties for wage theft.
Key Provisions
Right to Full Compensation
The bill establishes a new section that mandates employers to compensate employees at least at a rate determined by:
- The applicable wage rate specified in any employment contract or collective bargaining agreement.
- The minimum wage required under federal or state law.
This requirement applies to employees engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, ensuring they receive fair wages as outlined in their contracts or applicable laws.
Repealing Existing Provisions
The bill repeals an existing section of the Fair Labor Standards Act, effectively updating the legal framework regarding employee compensation rights.
Prohibited Acts
The bill amends existing provisions for prohibited acts related to wage theft, broadening the scope to include violations of the new requirement for full compensation alongside previous sections of the law.
Penalties for Wage Theft
Criminal Penalties
This section introduces stricter criminal penalties for willful violations of wage-related provisions:
- For violations involving unpaid wages or unpaid overtime greater than $1,000, penalties could include fines and imprisonment for up to 5 years.
- For violations involving amounts equal to or less than $1,000, fines and imprisonment for up to 1 year may apply.
Factors such as the severity of the violation and the business size will be considered when determining the penalties for offenders.
Civil Penalties
The bill also proposes civil penalties for violations consistent with the criminal penalties, enhancing the enforcement mechanism for wage theft cases.
Funding for Enforcement
It designates that fines collected under these provisions will be used by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor to enhance enforcement activities. This fundraising mechanism is intended to support ongoing efforts to combat wage theft and ensure workers' rights are upheld.
Effective Date
The amendments put forth will apply to violations occurring 90 days after the enactment of the law, allowing for a transition period for employers to adjust to the new requirements.
Relevant Companies
- AMZN (Amazon.com, Inc.): As a major employer with vast operations engaged in commerce, changes to wage theft penalties could significantly impact Amazon's compliance practices and labor costs.
- WMT (Walmart Inc.): Given Walmart's large workforce and various service formats across the U.S., the bill may lead to increased scrutiny of their wage practices.
- UPS (United Parcel Service, Inc.): Being an employer in logistics and transportation, UPS could face heightened financial and legal implications due to stricter penalties for wage violations.
Representative Seth Magaziner Bill Proposals
Here are some bills which have recently been proposed by Representative Seth Magaziner:
- H.R.5048: To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for increased criminal and civil penalties for wage theft.
- H.R.4893: National Guard and Reserve Student Loan Fairness Act
- H.R.4763: PTO Act
- H.R.4699: BIKE Act of 2025
- H.R.4106: Prevent Illegal Gun Sales Act
- H.R.3776: Don’t Settle for Bribes Act of 2025
You can track bills proposed by Representative Seth Magaziner on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Magaziner.
Representative Seth Magaziner Net Worth
Quiver Quantitative estimates that Representative Seth Magaziner is worth $650.6K, as of August 28th, 2025. This is the 372nd highest net worth in Congress, per our live estimates.
Magaziner has approximately $34.6K invested in publicly traded assets which Quiver is able to track live.
You can track Representative Seth Magaziner's net worth on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Magaziner.
Representative Seth Magaziner Stock Trading
We have data on up to $50.0K of trades from Representative Seth Magaziner, which we parsed from STOCK Act filings.
You can track Representative Seth Magaziner's stock trading on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Magaziner.
This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information.
