2011 California Code
Labor Code
DIVISION 2. EMPLOYMENT REGULATION AND SUPERVISION [200 - 2699.5]
ARTICLE 2. Wages
Section 1777.7

(a) (1) A contractor or subcontractor that is determined by the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards to have knowingly violated Section 1777.5 shall forfeit as a civil penalty an amount not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) for each full calendar day of noncompliance. The amount of this penalty may be reduced by the Chief if the amount of the penalty would be disproportionate to the severity of the violation. A contractor or subcontractor that knowingly commits a second or subsequent violation of Section 1777.5 within a three-year period, where the noncompliance results in apprenticeship training not being provided as required by this chapter, shall forfeit as a civil penalty the sum of not more than three hundred dollars ($300) for each full calendar day of noncompliance. Notwithstanding Section 1727, upon receipt of a determination that a civil penalty has been imposed by the Chief, the awarding body shall withhold the amount of the civil penalty from contract progress payments then due or to become due.

(2) In lieu of the penalty provided for in this subdivision, the Chief may, for a first-time violation and with the concurrence of an apprenticeship program described in subdivision (d), order the contractor or subcontractor to provide apprentice employment equivalent to the work hours that would have been provided for apprentices during the period of noncompliance.

(b) In the event a contractor or subcontractor is determined by the Chief to have knowingly committed a serious violation of any provision of Section 1777.5, the Chief may also deny to the contractor or subcontractor, and to its responsible officers, the right to bid on or be awarded or perform work as a subcontractor on any public works contract for a period of up to one year for the first violation and for a period of up to three years for a second or subsequent violation. Each period of debarment shall run from the date the determination of noncompliance by the Chief becomes a final order of the Administrator of Apprenticeship.

(c) (1) An affected contractor, subcontractor, or responsible officer may obtain a review of the determination of the Chief imposing the debarment or civil penalty by transmitting a written request to the office of the Administrator within 30 days after service of the determination of debarment or civil penalty. A copy of this report shall also be served on the Chief. If the Administrator does not receive a timely request for review of the determination of debarment or civil penalty made by the Chief, the order shall become the final order of the Administrator.

(2) Within 20 days of the timely receipt of a request for review, the Chief shall provide the contractor, subcontractor, or responsible officer the opportunity to review any evidence the Chief may offer at the hearing. The Chief shall also promptly disclose any nonprivileged documents obtained after the 20-day time limit at a time set forth for exchange of evidence by the Administrator.

(3) Within 90 days of the timely receipt of a request for review, a hearing shall be commenced before the Administrator or an impartial hearing officer designated by the Administrator and possessing the qualifications of an administrative law judge pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 11502 of the Government Code. The affected contractor, subcontractor, or responsible officer shall have the burden of providing evidence of compliance with Section 1777.5.

(4) Within 45 days of the conclusion of the hearing, the Administrator shall issue a written decision affirming, modifying, or dismissing the determination of debarment or civil penalty. The decision shall contain a statement of the factual and legal basis for the decision and an order. This decision shall be served on all parties and the awarding body pursuant to Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure by first-class mail at the last known address of the party that the party has filed with the Administrator. Within 15 days of issuance of the decision, the Administrator may reconsider or modify the decision to correct an error, except that a clerical error may be corrected at any time.

(5) An affected contractor, subcontractor, or responsible officer who has timely requested review and obtained a decision under paragraph (4) may obtain review of the decision of the Administrator by filing a petition for a writ of mandate to the appropriate superior court pursuant to Section 1094.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure within 45 days after service of the final decision. If no timely petition for a writ of mandate is filed, the decision shall become the final order of the Administrator. The decision of the Administrator shall be affirmed unless the petitioner shows that the Administrator abused his or her discretion. If the petitioner claims that the findings are not supported by the evidence, abuse of discretion is established if the court determines that the findings are not supported by substantial evidence in light of the entire record.

(6) The Chief may certify a copy of the final order of the Administrator and file it with the clerk of the superior court in any county in which the affected contractor or subcontractor has property or has or had a place of business. The clerk, immediately upon the filing, shall enter judgment for the state against the person assessed in the amount shown on the certified order. A judgment entered pursuant to this section shall bear the same rate of interest and shall have the same effect as other judgments and be given the same preference allowed by the law on other judgments rendered for claims for taxes. The clerk shall not charge for the service performed by him or her pursuant to this section. An awarding body that has withheld funds in response to a determination by the Chief imposing a penalty under this section shall, upon receipt of a certified copy of a final order of the Administrator, promptly transmit the withheld funds, up to the amount of the certified order, to the Administrator.

(d) If a subcontractor is found to have violated Section 1777.5, the prime contractor of the project is not liable for any penalties under subdivision (a), unless the prime contractor had knowledge of the subcontractor s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 1777.5 or unless the prime contractor fails to comply with any of the following requirements:

(1) The contract executed between the contractor and the subcontractor or the performance of work on the public works project shall include a copy of the provisions of Sections 1771, 1775, 1776, 1777.5, 1813, and 1815.

(2) The contractor shall continually monitor a subcontractor s use of apprentices required to be employed on the public works project pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 1777.5, including, but not limited to, periodic review of the certified payroll of the subcontractor.

(3) Upon becoming aware of a failure of the subcontractor to employ the required number of apprentices, the contractor shall take corrective action, including, but not limited to, retaining funds due the subcontractor for work performed on the public works project until the failure is corrected.

(4) Prior to making the final payment to the subcontractor for work performed on the public works project, the contractor shall obtain a declaration signed under penalty of perjury from the subcontractor that the subcontractor has employed the required number of apprentices on the public works project.

(e) Any funds withheld by the awarding body pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the General Fund if the awarding body is a state entity, or in the equivalent fund of an awarding body if the awarding body is an entity other than the state.

(f) The Chief shall consider, in setting the amount of a monetary penalty, in determining whether a violation is serious, and in determining whether and for how long a party should be debarred for violating this section, all of the following circumstances:

(1) Whether the violation was intentional.

(2) Whether the party has committed other violations of Section 1777.5.

(3) Whether, upon notice of the violation, the party took steps to voluntarily remedy the violation.

(4) Whether, and to what extent, the violation resulted in lost training opportunities for apprentices.

(5) Whether, and to what extent, the violation otherwise harmed apprentices or apprenticeship programs.

If a party seeks review of a decision by the Chief to impose a monetary penalty or period of debarment, the Administrator shall decide de novo the appropriate penalty, by considering the same factors set forth above.

(g) The interpretation of Section 1777.5 and this section shall be in accordance with the regulations of the California Apprenticeship Council. The Administrator may adopt regulations to establish guidelines for the imposition of monetary penalties and periods of debarment and may designate precedential decisions under Section 11425.60 of the Government Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 875, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2001.)