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S. 4174: Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act

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S. 4174: Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act

117th Congress · introduced 2022-05-10 · Labor and Employment · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2022-05-10 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act

Plain summary

Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act This bill requires employers to make initial and modified disclosures to employees of the terms of their employment, provide such employees with regular paystubs, and make a final payment to an employee for uncompensated work hours within 14 days of the employee's termination. Employers must also allow employees access to wage records. An employer must compensate an employee at the rate specified in an employment contract, including a collective bargaining agreement, that specifies a rate of pay higher than the minimum wage rate. The bill makes all of such unpaid wages recoverable through civil enforcement. The bill establishes new and increased civil and criminal penalties for violations of overtime or minimum wage requirements, including referral to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution of employers who engage in wage theft, falsification of wage records, or retaliation against employees. The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor must provide grants to specified organizations, including nonprofits and educational institutions, to enhance the enforcement of wage and hour laws. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on successful grant programs.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] · 28 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Brian Schatz (D-HI), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tina Smith (D-MN), John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] reported raising $3.6 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong117-s4174 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117