SB 809: Employees and independent contractors: construction trucking.

The bill aims to add new provisions to the labor code, specifically regarding employment. It clarifies that mere ownership of a vehicle does not automatically make a person an independent contractor. Instead, the bill states that a person providing labor or services for remuneration is considered an employee unless they can demonstrate freedom from control and direction, work outside the usual course of the hiring entity's business, and are customarily engaged in an independently established trade or occupation. The bill also establishes a new amnesty program for construction trucking employers, allowing them to avoid liability for misclassifying construction drivers as independent contractors if they enter into a settlement agreement prior to January 1, 2029. The settlement agreement would require the employer to classify the drivers as employees and pay any owed wages, benefits, and t…