Don’t STEAL Act

H.R. 5048, the Don’t STEAL Act, would overhaul the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by creating a new “Right to Full Compensation” and by imposing significantly higher criminal and civil penalties for wage theft. The bill requires employers to pay employees at least the higher of their contract/collective bargaining rate or the applicable federal or state wage rate, for workers engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce (and related enterprise employees). It repeals an existing FLSA provision (Section 10) and expands the prohibited acts to include the new Section 8. The legislation also amplifies consequences for wage theft: increased criminal penalties for willful violations (with fines and possible prison time depending on the amount involved), expanded civil penalties, and a dedicated funding mechanism that channels fines collected into wage-hour enforcement. The provisions become effective 90 days after enactment. In short, the bill aims to strengthen wage protections by guaranteeing a higher floor for pay, expanding penalties for enforcement against wage theft, and directing enforcement resources to Wage and Hour Division activities.