Section 1019 Of Chapter 3.1. Unfair Immigration-related Practices From California Labor Code >> Division 2. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 3.1.
1019
. (a) It is unlawful for an employer or any other person or
entity to engage in, or to direct another person or entity to engage
in, unfair immigration-related practices against any person for the
purpose of, or with the intent of, retaliating against any person for
exercising any right protected under this code or by any local
ordinance applicable to employees. Exercising a right protected by
this code or local ordinance includes the following:
(1) Filing a complaint or informing any person of an employer's or
other party's alleged violation of this code or local ordinance, so
long as the complaint or disclosure is made in good faith.
(2) Seeking information regarding whether an employer or other
party is in compliance with this code or local ordinance.
(3) Informing a person of his or her potential rights and remedies
under this code or local ordinance, and assisting him or her in
asserting those rights.
(b) (1) As used in this chapter, "unfair immigration-related
practice" means any of the following practices, when undertaken for
the retaliatory purposes prohibited by subdivision (a):
(A) Requesting more or different documents than are required under
Section 1324a(b) of Title 8 of the United States Code, or a refusal
to honor documents tendered pursuant to that section that on their
face reasonably appear to be genuine.
(B) Using the federal E-Verify system to check the employment
authorization status of a person at a time or in a manner not
required under Section 1324a(b) of Title 8 of the United States Code,
or not authorized under any memorandum of understanding governing
the use of the federal E-Verify system.
(C) Threatening to file or the filing of a false police report, or
a false report or complaint with any state or federal agency.
(D) Threatening to contact or contacting immigration authorities.
(2) "Unfair immigration-related practice" does not include conduct
undertaken at the express and specific direction or request of the
federal government.
(c) Engaging in an unfair immigration-related practice against a
person within 90 days of the person's exercise of rights protected
under this code or local ordinance applicable to employees shall
raise a rebuttable presumption of having done so in retaliation for
the exercise of those rights.
(d) (1) An employee or other person who is the subject of an
unfair immigration-related practice prohibited by this section, or a
representative of that employee or person, may bring a civil action
for equitable relief and any applicable damages or penalties.
(2) Upon a finding by a court of applicable jurisdiction of a
violation of this section, upon application by a party or on its own
motion, a court may do the following:
(A) For a first violation, order the appropriate government
agencies to suspend all licenses that are held by the violating party
for a period of up to 14 days. On receipt of the court's order and
notwithstanding any other law, the appropriate agencies shall suspend
the licenses according to the court's order.
(B) For a second violation, order the appropriate government
agencies to suspend all licenses that are held by the violating party
for a period of up to 30 days. On receipt of the court's order and
notwithstanding any other law, the appropriate agencies shall
immediately suspend the licenses.
(C) For a third or subsequent violation, order the appropriate
government agencies to suspend for a period of up to 90 days all
licenses that are held by the violating party. On receipt of the
court's order and notwithstanding any other law, the appropriate
agencies shall immediately suspend the licenses.
(3) In determining whether a suspension of all licenses is
appropriate under this subdivision, the court shall consider whether
the employer knowingly committed an unfair immigration-related
practice, the good faith efforts of the employer to resolve any
alleged unfair immigration-related practice after receiving notice of
the violations, as well as the harm other employees of the employer,
or employees of other employers on a multiemployer job site, will
suffer as a result of the suspension of all licenses.
(4) An employee or other person who is the subject of an unfair
immigration-related practice prohibited by this section, and who
prevails in an action authorized by this section, shall recover his
or her reasonable attorney's fees and costs, including any expert
witness costs.
(e) As used in this chapter:
(1) "License" means any agency permit, certificate, approval,
registration, or charter that is required by law and that is issued
by any agency for the purposes of operating a business in this state
and that is specific to the business location or locations where the
unfair immigration-related practice occurred. "License" does not
include a professional license.
(2) "Violation" means each incident when an unfair
immigration-related practice was committed, without reference to the
number of employees involved in the incident.