Labor Trafficking and Wage Theft Bill Proposed and Sponsored by Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office Signed Into Law

Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez announced today that Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1583 into law, an anti-labor trafficking and wage theft bill drafted by her office and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles County District Attorneys’ Office. The new law was authored by Assemblymember Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa) and passed the state legislature unanimously. It will take effect January 1, 2027.

AB 1583 adds Section 786.6 to the California Penal Code, giving California prosecutors clarity as to which county has jurisdiction over wage theft and labor trafficking crimes. While traditional theft crimes involving stolen property are governed by a specific jurisdictional penal code section, wage theft and labor trafficking crimes do not involve the theft of tangible property, and some cases therefore did not fit neatly into existing jurisdictional law. The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office, with the help and co-sponsorship of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, brought this important legislation to Assemblymember Rogers, who enthusiastically supported it.

Sonoma County District Attorney Rodriguez noted, "This was a necessary fix to protect workers across the state. Deputy District Attorney Katy Yount, through her work in our Consumer Protection Unit, identified this gap in the law and worked with Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Tamar Tokat to push this legislation forward. I thank Assemblymember Chris Rogers for authoring the bill and carrying it through the Legislature, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for its collaboration and co-sponsorship, and Governor Newsom for recognizing the importance of AB 1583."

Penal Code Section 786.6 provides that jurisdiction over wage theft and labor trafficking includes the victim’s county of residence, the county in which the victim entered into the employment agreement, the county in which any portion of the work was performed, or the county in which the defendant’s business was located. Section 786.6 further allows a District Attorney’s office to aggregate wage theft or labor trafficking crimes that occur in multiple jurisdictions.

Employers who exploit their workers should expect aggressive enforcement of California's wage theft laws. If you believe you are the victim of wage theft, or for more information on the rules and examples of wage theft, please call our wage theft hotline at 1-833-889-2437 (1-833-88-WAGES). For more information, visit the Department of Industrial Relations at https://www.dir.ca.gov/ or the Sonoma County District Attorney's Environmental and Consumer Law Division https://da.sonomacounty.ca.gov/divisions/environmental-and-consumer-law-division.

Contact Information