USC Subchapter V

USC Subchapter V
in effect

29 U.S.C. § 1851 Criminal sanctions

(a) Violations of chapter or regulationsAny person who willfully and knowingly violates this chapter or any regulation under this chapter shall be fined not more than $1,000 or sentenced to prison for a term not to exceed one year, or both. Upon conviction for any subsequent violation of this chapter or any regulation under this chapter, the defendant shall be fined not more than $10,000 or sentenced to prison for a term not to exceed three years, or both. (b) Violations of section 1324a(a) of title 8If a farm labor contractor who commits a violation of paragraph (1) or (2) of section 1324a(a) of title 8 has been refused issuance or renewal of, or has failed to obtain, a certificate of registration or is a farm labor contractor whose certificate has been suspended or revoked, the contractor shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $10,000 or sentenced to prison for a term not to exceed three years, or both.

29 U.S.C. § 1852 Judicial enforcement

(a) Injunctive reliefThe Secretary may petition any appropriate district court of the United States for temporary or permanent injunctive relief if the Secretary determines that this chapter, or any regulation under this chapter, has been violated. (b) Control of civil litigationExcept as provided in section 518(a) of title 28, relating to litigation before the Supreme Court, the Solicitor of Labor may appear for and represent the Secretary in any civil litigation brought under this chapter, but all such litigation shall be subject to the direction and control of the Attorney General.

29 U.S.C. § 1853 Administrative sanctions

(a) Civil money penalties for violations; criteria for assessment(1) Subject to paragraph (2), any person who commits a violation of this chapter or any regulation under this chapter, may be assessed a civil money penalty of not more than $1,000 for each violation. (2) In determining the amount of any penalty to be assessed under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall take into account (A) the previous record of the person in terms of compliance with this chapter and with comparable requirements of the Farm Labor Contractor Registration Act of 1963 [7 U.S.C. 2041 et seq.], and with regulations promulgated under this chapter and such Act, and (B) the gravity of the violation. (b) Administrative review(1) The person assessed shall be afforded an opportunity for agency hearing, upon request made within thirty days after the date of issuance of the notice of assessment. In such hearing, all issues shall be determined on the record pursuant to section 554 of title 5. If no hearing is requested as herein provided, the assessment shall constitute a final and unappealable order. (2) If a hearing is requested, the initial agency decision shall be made by an administrative law judge, and such decision shall become the final order unless the Secretary modifies or vacates the decision. Notice of intent to modify or vacate the decision of the administrative law judge shall be issued to the parties within thirty days after the decision of the administrative law judge. A final order which takes effect under this paragraph shall be subject to review only as provided under subsection (c). (c) Judicial reviewAny person against whom an order imposing a civil money penalty has been entered after an agency hearing under this section may obtain review by the United States district court for any district in which he is located or the United States District Court for the District of Columbia by filing a notice of appeal in such court within thirty days from the date of such order, and simultaneously sending a copy of such notice by registered mail to the Secretary. The Secretary shall promptly certify and file in such court the record upon which the penalty was imposed. The findings of the Secretary shall be set aside only if found to be unsupported by substantial evidence as provided by section 706(2)(E) of title 5. Any final decision, order, or judgment of such District Court concerning such review shall be subject to appeal as provided in chapter 83 of title 28. (d) Failure to pay assessment; maintenance of actionIf any person fails to pay an assessment after it has become a final and unappealable order, or after the court has entered final judgment in favor of the agency, the Secretary shall refer the matter to the Attorney General, who shall recover the amount assessed by action in the appropriate United States district court. In such action the validity and appropriateness of the final order imposing the penalty shall not be subject to review. (e) Payment of penalties into Treasury of United StatesAll penalties collected under authority of this section shall be paid into the Treasury of the United States.

29 U.S.C. § 1854 Private right of action

(a) Maintenance of civil action in district court by aggrieved personAny person aggrieved by a violation of this chapter or any regulation under this chapter by a farm labor contractor, agricultural employer, agricultural association, or other person may file suit in any district court of the United States having jurisdiction of the parties, without respect to the amount in controversy and without regard to the citizenship of the parties and without regard to exhaustion of any alternative administrative remedies provided herein. (b) Appointment of attorney and commencement of actionUpon application by a complainant and in such circumstances as the court may deem just, the court may appoint an attorney for such complainant and may authorize the commencement of the action. (c) Award of damages or other equitable relief; amount; criteria; appeal(1) If the court finds that the respondent has intentionally violated any provision of this chapter or any regulation under this chapter, it may award damages up to and including an amount equal to the amount of actual damages, or statutory damages of up to $500 per plaintiff per violation, or other equitable relief, except that (A) multiple infractions of a single provision of this chapter or of regulations under this chapter shall constitute only one violation for purposes of determining the amount of statutory damages due a plaintiff; and (B) if such complaint is certified as a class action, the court shall award no more than the lesser of up to $500 per plaintiff per violation, or up to $500,000 or other equitable relief. (2) In determining the amount of damages to be awarded under paragraph (1), the court is authorized to consider whether an attempt was made to resolve the issues in dispute before the resort to litigation. (3) Any civil action brought under this section shall be subject to appeal as provided in chapter 83 of title 28. (d) Workers’ compensation benefits; exclusive remedy(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, where a State workers’ compensation law is applicable and coverage is provided for a migrant or seasonal agricultural worker, the workers’ compensation benefits shall be the exclusive remedy for loss of such worker under this chapter in the case of bodily injury or death in accordance with such State’s workers’ compensation law. (2) The exclusive remedy prescribed by paragraph (1) precludes the recovery under subsection (c) of actual damages for loss from an injury or death but does not preclude recovery under subsection (c) for statutory damages or equitable relief, except that such relief shall not include back or front pay or in any manner, directly or indirectly, expand or otherwise alter or affect (A) a recovery under a State workers’ compensation law or (B) rights conferred under a State workers’ compensation law. (e) Expansion of statutory damagesIf the court finds in an action which is brought by or for a worker under subsection (a) in which a claim for actual damages is precluded because the worker’s injury is covered by a State workers’ compensation law as provided by subsection (d) that—(1)(A) the defendant in the action violated section 1841(b) of this title by knowingly requiring or permitting a driver to drive a vehicle for the transportation of migrant or seasonal agricultural workers while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance (as defined in section 802 of title 21) and the defendant had actual knowledge of the driver’s condition, and (B) such violation resulted in injury to or death of the migrant or seasonal worker by or for whom the action was brought and such injury or death arose out of and in the course of employment as determined under the State workers’ compensation law, (2)(A) the defendant violated a safety standard prescribed by the Secretary under section 1841(b) of this title which the defendant was determined in a previous judicial or administrative proceeding to have violated, and (B) such safety violation resulted in an injury or death described in paragraph (1)(B), (3)(A)(i) the defendant willfully disabled or removed a safety device prescribed by the Secretary under section 1841(b) of this title, or (ii) the defendant in conscious disregard of the requirements of section 1841(b) of this title failed to provide a safety device required under such section, and (B) such disablement, removal, or failure to provide a safety device resulted in an injury or death described in paragraph (1)(B), or (4)(A) the defendant violated a safety standard prescribed by the Secretary under section 1841(b) of this title, (B) such safety violation resulted in an injury or death described in paragraph (1)(B), and (C) the defendant at the time of the violation of section 1841(b) of this title also was—(i) an unregistered farm labor contractor in violation of section 1811(a) of this title, or (ii) a person who utilized the services of a farm labor contractor of the type specified in clause (i) without taking reasonable steps to determine that the farm labor contractor possessed a valid certificate of registration authorizing the performance of the farm labor contracting activities which the contractor was requested or permitted to perform with the knowledge of such person, the court shall award not more than $10,000 per plaintiff per violation with respect to whom the court made the finding described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4), except that multiple infractions of a single provision of this chapter shall constitute only one violation for purposes of determining the amount of statutory damages due to a plaintiff under this subsection and in the case of a class action, the court shall award not more than the lesser of up to $10,000 per plaintiff or up to $500,000 for all plaintiffs in such class action. (f) Tolling of statute of limitationsIf it is determined under a State workers’ compensation law that the workers’ compensation law is not applicable to a claim for bodily injury or death of a migrant or seasonal agricultural worker, the statute of limitations for bringing an action for actual damages for such injury or death under subsection (a) shall be tolled for the period during which the claim for such injury or death under such State workers’ compensation law was pending. The statute of limitations for an action for other actual damages, statutory damages, or equitable relief arising out of the same transaction or occurrence as the injury or death of the migrant or seasonal agricultural worker shall be tolled for the period during which the claim for such injury or death was pending under the State workers’ compensation law.

29 U.S.C. § 1855 Discrimination prohibited

(a) Prohibited activitiesNo person shall intimidate, threaten, restrain, coerce, blacklist, discharge, or in any manner discriminate against any migrant or seasonal agricultural worker because such worker has, with just cause, filed any complaint or instituted, or caused to be instituted, any proceeding under or related to this chapter, or has testified or is about to testify in any such proceedings, or because of the exercise, with just cause, by such worker on behalf of himself or others of any right or protection afforded by this chapter. (b) Proceedings for redress of violationsA migrant or seasonal agricultural worker who believes, with just cause, that he has been discriminated against by any person in violation of this section may, within 180 days after such violation occurs, file a complaint with the Secretary alleging such discrimination. Upon receipt of such complaint, the Secretary shall cause such investigation to be made as he deems appropriate. If upon such investigation, the Secretary determines that the provisions of this section have been violated, the Secretary shall bring an action in any appropriate United States district court against such person. In any such action the United States district courts shall have jurisdiction, for cause shown, to restrain violation of subsection (a) and order all appropriate relief, including rehiring or reinstatement of the worker, with back pay, or damages.

29 U.S.C. § 1856 Waiver of rights

Agreements by employees purporting to waive or to modify their rights under this chapter shall be void as contrary to public policy, except that a waiver or modification of rights in favor of the Secretary shall be valid for purposes of enforcement of this chapter.

29 U.S.C. § 1861 Rules and regulations

The Secretary may issue such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out this chapter, consistent with the requirements of chapter 5 of title 5.

29 U.S.C. § 1862 Authority to obtain information

(a) Investigation and inspection authority concerning places, records, etc.To carry out this chapter the Secretary, either pursuant to a complaint or otherwise, shall, as may be appropriate, investigate, and in connection therewith, enter and inspect such places (including housing and vehicles) and such records (and make transcriptions thereof), question such persons and gather such information to determine compliance with this chapter, or regulations prescribed under this chapter. (b) Attendance and testimony of witnesses, and production of evidence; subpena authorityThe Secretary may issue subpenas requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses or the production of any evidence in connection with such investigations. The Secretary may administer oaths, examine witnesses, and receive evidence. For the purpose of any hearing or investigation provided for in this chapter, the authority contained in sections 49 and 50 of title 15, relating to the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers, and documents, shall be available to the Secretary. The Secretary shall conduct investigations in a manner which protects the confidentiality of any complainant or other party who provides information to the Secretary in good faith. (c) Prohibited activitiesIt shall be a violation of this chapter for any person to unlawfully resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with any official of the Department of Labor assigned to perform an investigation, inspection, or law enforcement function pursuant to this chapter during the performance of such duties.

29 U.S.C. § 1863 Agreements with Federal and State agencies

(a) Scope of agreementsThe Secretary may enter into agreements with Federal and State agencies (1) to use their facilities and services, (2) to delegate, subject to subsection (b), to Federal and State agencies such authority, other than rulemaking, as may be useful in carrying out this chapter, and (3) to allocate or transfer funds to, or otherwise pay or reimburse, such agencies for expenses incurred pursuant to agreements under clause (1) or (2) of this section. (b) Delegation of authority pursuant to written State planAny delegation to a State agency pursuant to subsection (a)(2) shall be made only pursuant to a written State plan which—(1) shall include a description of the functions to be performed, the methods of performing such functions, and the resources to be devoted to the performance of such functions; and (2) provides assurances satisfactory to the Secretary that the State agency will comply with its description under paragraph (1) and that the State agency’s performance of functions so delegated will be at least comparable to the performance of such functions by the Department of Labor.

29 U.S.C. § 1871 State laws and regulations

This chapter is intended to supplement State law, and compliance with this chapter shall not excuse any person from compliance with appropriate State law and regulation.

29 U.S.C. § 1872 Transition provision

The Secretary may deny a certificate of registration to any farm labor contractor, as defined in this chapter, who has a judgment outstanding against him under the Farm Labor Contractor Registration Act of 1963 (7 U.S.C. 2041 et seq.), or is subject to a final order of the Secretary under that Act assessing a civil money penalty which has not been paid. Any findings under the Farm Labor Contractor Registration Act of 1963 may also be applicable to determinations of willful and knowing violations under this chapter.

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