Sen. Gillibrand Introduces Senate Companion to Magaziner's Don't STEAL Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) announced today that U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate to Magaziner's Don't Stand for Taking Employed Americans’ Livings (Don't STEAL) Act, marking a step forward for his effort to make wage theft a federal crime nationwide.

“It is outrageous that in the United States of America, someone can face jail time for stealing a television but get only a slap on the wrist for stealing wages from a worker’s paycheck,” said Magaziner. “I am grateful to Senator Gillibrand for leading the fight in the Senate to make wage theft a federal crime and hold accountable bad actors who cheat working people out of their hard-earned pay. I look forward to working with her to pass the Don’t STEAL Act in both chambers and get it signed into law.”

"Working Americans deserve to take home every penny that they have earned, and employers who cheat their employees out of hard-earned wages must be held accountable," said Senator Gillibrand. "Ahead of Labor Day, I am proud to announce this bill to bring the punishment for wage theft in line with other forms of criminal theft. This is commonsense legislation to help protect workers, and I am determined to get it passed.”

Wage theft occurs when employers deny workers the full pay or benefits they have rightfully earned. It can include paying less than the promised or legally required wage, failing to pay for all hours worked, denying overtime pay, or withholding or stealing tips. Wage theft affects workers across all industries, but it is especially common in  sectors such as construction, retail, restaurants, and home care.

Wage theft costs American workers billions of dollars every year, far more than the value of all robberies, burglaries, and motor vehicle thefts combined. Yet under current federal law, wage theft violations by companies and employers get little more than a slap on the wrist, failing to deter bad actors from cheating their workers. 

The Don't STEAL Act strengthens penalties for wage theft, bringing them in line with other forms of criminal theft under federal law.

• Under this legislation, employers who willfully fail to pay wages, deny overtime, or steal tips will face misdemeanor or felony charges depending on the severity of the violation. Currently, wage theft is treated at most as a misdemeanor.
• The Don't STEAL Act brings penalties for wage theft in line with other common forms of theft under federal law. Today, employers who commit willful wage theft can be fined no more than $10,000. This bill eliminates that cap and requires fines to be proportional to the amount of wages stolen.

Magaziner first introduced the Don't STEAL Act in August 2024. He reintroduced the bill in August 2025.

The House version of the Don't STEAL Act is endorsed by: AFL-CIO; Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU); Center for American Progress; International Association of Iron Workers; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT); International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC); International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT); Laborers International Union of North American (LiUNA); North America's Building Trades Union (NABTU); Public Citizen; Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transportation Workers International Association (SMART); United Association Union of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders, and Service Techs (UA); United Auto Workers (UAW); United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).

Rhode Island endorsements include: International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) - Dist. Council 11, Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 271, Rhode Island AFL-CIO, United Association of Plumbers and Pipe Fitting, Local 51, North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, Carpenters Local Union 330, International Association of Bridge Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers Local 37, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 251, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 99, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, Build RI, United Nurses & Allied Professionals, UAW Region 9A, United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 328.