Willful misclassification of an employee as a nonemployee by a person engaged in the painting or drywall finishing of buildings or other structures with intent to evade the laws related to income tax withholding, worker's compensation, unemployment insurance, or employment discrimination and providing a penalty

What it does

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, any employer engaged in the construction of roads, bridges, highways, sewers, water mains, utilities, public buildings, factories, housing, or similar construction projects who misclassifies an employee as a nonemployee willfully and with intent to evade any requirement of the laws relating to income tax withholding, worker's compensation, unemployment insurance, or employment discrimination is subject to a $25,000 fine for each violation. This bill applies that fine to any person engaged in the painting or drywall finishing of buildings or other structures who willfully and with intent to evade any of those laws misclassifies an employee as a nonemployee.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to result if the bill is enacted.

Who's behind it

2 representatives are its authors⁠. All 2 are Democrats.

2 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From DOR
• Fiscal Estimate From DWD
• Fiscal Estimate From DWD (Updated)