Panel advances bill to require contractors to disclose recent wage-and-hour violations in public-works bids

Assemblymember Berman described AB 1838 as a transparency measure that would allow local awarding agencies to better assess whether a contractor is a "responsible bidder" by requiring disclosure of wage-and-hour violations within the previous five years and documentation showing how violations were addressed.

Labor union sponsors and building trades representatives said the change would protect taxpayer dollars and promote fair labor practices. Matt Kremens of the California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers said awarding agencies often lack critical information about contractor compliance and that the bill would improve decision-making.

Opponents, including the Western Electrical Contractors Association and the Associated General Contractors, cautioned that many settlements and grievance outcomes are private or handled via arbitration and therefore may not appear in public records. They urged the committee to define what constitutes "complete documentation" and to ensure disclosure rules do not unfairly penalize contractors or create a patchwork of inconsistent obligations across jurisdictions.

Committee members asked authors and witnesses how to reconcile private grievance outcomes with public enforcement records. The author and supporters said they would work with stakeholders to clarify definitions and minimize unintended consequences. The committee passed AB 1838 and referred it to the next committee.