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Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland Senate Bill 60 Expands Enforcement Powers and Penalties for Workplace Fraud, Prevailing Wage, and Living Wage Violations
Last action · April 13, 2026: Motion Laid Over (Senator Jennings) Adopted
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What This Bill Would Do
Senate Bill 60 prohibits making false statements resulting in unemployment insurance contribution underpayments or benefit payments exceeding $15,000 annually, expands the Attorney General's investigative and litigation powers over labor and wage laws, and mandates license suspensions or revocations for repeat labor law violators.
The measure alters liability and enforcement timelines for employers across construction and general state procurement, establishing for general contractors and creating mandatory licensing sanctions through the Department of Labor.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Employers
Employers face expanded civil penalties, joint and several liability provisions, debarment risks, and potential license suspension or revocation for labor and wage law violations.
Employees
Employees gain enhanced pathways for restitution, direct payouts from certain civil penalties, and expanded rights to file civil actions for wage recovery and misclassification.
General Contractors
General contractors are explicitly subjected to citations and joint and/or several liability for labor violations committed by subcontractors on construction projects.
Licensing Authorities
Units within the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing are required to suspend or revoke licenses upon receiving official notification of specified employer violations.
Key Facts
- Prohibits knowingly making or using a false record or statement resulting in unemployment insurance contribution underpayments or benefit payments exceeding $15,000 in a calendar year.
- Requires the Comptroller to deposit civil penalties or damages collected under the Maryland False Claims Act into the Unemployment Insurance Fund when affected.
- Establishes joint and several liability for general contractors on construction projects for labor violations committed by subcontractors, regardless of direct contractual relationships.
- Requires the Commissioner of Labor and Industry and the Attorney General to meet at least monthly to share complaint information, investigation statuses, and recovery details.
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- Authorizes the Attorney General to exercise investigative powers, including subpoenas, and bring civil actions if the Commissioner declines, fails to investigate within 6 months, or finds a matter without merit.
- Mandates that licensing authorities suspend or revoke the licenses of licensees found in violation of workplace fraud provisions who fail to comply with final orders or pay assessed penalties.
- Allows civil penalties collected under the Maryland False Claims Act for prevailing wage violations to be used to pay restitution to affected workers.
- Provides that an employer who fails to comply with labor compliance rules shall be assessed a civil penalty up to $1,000 per employee, with one-third payable directly to the affected individual.
- Increases potential administrative penalties up to $10,000 for a first-time knowing misclassification violation and up to $20,000 for an employer with three or more violations.
- Expands debarment criteria under State procurement law to include repeated or willful/knowing violations of specified labor and wage statutes verified by final administrative orders.
- Grants employees and the Commissioner expanded rights to sue in court for unpaid prevailing or living wages, seeking double or treble damages and attorney fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
What new prohibitions are established regarding unemployment insurance?
Can a general contractor be held liable for subcontractor labor violations?
What happens to a professional or business license if an employer violates workplace fraud laws?
When does the Attorney General get involved in workplace fraud or wage investigations?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
6 actions- Apr 13, 2026SenateFloorMotion Laid Over (Senator Jennings) Adopted
- Apr 13, 2026SenateFavorable with Amendments { 943726/1
- Apr 13, 2026SenateCommitteeFavorable with Amendments Report by Finance
- Jan 19, 2026SenateHearing 1/28 at 2:00 p.m.
- Jan 14, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading Finance
- Sep 16, 2025SenateIntroducedPre-filed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Cross-Agency Enforcement Integration
The bill institutionalizes mandatory monthly coordination meetings between the Commissioner of Labor and Industry and the Attorney General to bridge investigative gaps across multiple labor and procurement statutes.
Connected Entities
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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