BILL NUMBER: AB 1179INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Mansoor FEBRUARY 18, 2011 An act to amend Section 224 of the Labor Code, relating to employment. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1179, as introduced, Mansoor. Employee wages: deductions: union dues and assessments. Under existing law it is unlawful for an employer to withhold or deduct any amount from an employee's wages except when authorized to do so by federal or state law or when expressly authorized by the employee, or a collective bargaining or wage agreement. This bill would provide that nothing in these provisions or other law authorizes an employer to deduct from the wages, earnings, or compensation of an employee any union dues, fees, assessments, or other charges to be used by an organization for political activities, as defined. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 224 of the Labor Code is amended to read: 224. (a) The provisions of Sections 221, 222 , and 223 shall in no way make it unlawful for an employer to withhold or divert any portion of an employee's wages when the employer is required or empowered so to do by state or federal law or when a deduction is expressly authorized in writing by the employee to cover insurance premiums, hospital or medical dues, or other deductions not amounting to a rebate or deduction from the standard wage arrived at by collective bargaining or pursuant to wage agreement or statute, or when a deduction to cover health and welfare or pension plan contributions is expressly authorized by a collective bargaining or wage agreement. (b) Nothing in this section or any other provision of law shall be construed as authorizing an employer to withhold or divert any portion of an employee's wages to pay any tax, fee , or charge prohibited by Section 50026 of the Government Code, whether or not the employee authorizes such withholding or diversion. (c) (1) Nothing in this section or any other provision of law shall be construed as authorizing an employer to deduct from the wages, earnings, or compensation of an employee any union dues, fees, assessments, or other charges to be used by any organization for political activities. (2) For purposes of this subdivision, "political activities" means making contributions to, or independent expenditures in support or opposition to, any candidate, political party, or political committee, including contributions or expenditures in support or opposition to the qualification or passage of any ballot measure.