# 119-hr-5048: Don’t STEAL Act

119-hr-5048, Don’t STEAL Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2] (D-RI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-14).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5048
- As of: 2026-10-14
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5048
- Congress: 119
- Title: Don’t STEAL Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-08-26
- Sponsor: Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2] (D-RI)
- Cosponsors: 28
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-14

## Summary

**Right to full compensation**: This bill would create a new legal right requiring employers to pay workers at least the higher of any contract, collective bargaining rate, or the wage required by federal or state law. It would also strengthen penalties for wage theft and direct collected fines to support Wage and Hour Division enforcement. - Families and workers: It would guarantee covered employees engaged in commerce or producing goods for commerce the higher of contract or legal wages. The rule would apply to violations occurring 90 days after enactment. - Employers and businesses: Willful wage-theft could carry criminal penalties in a two-tier scheme. Violations over $1,000 could bring fines, up to 5 years in prison, or both, while violations of $1,000 or less could bring fines, up to 1 year in prison, or both; civil penalties for unpaid wages are also expanded to cover the new right. - Enforcement and administration: Fines collected for these wage violations would be applied by the Wage and Hour Division to cover costs of enforcing the updated wage rules.

## Cosponsors (28)

- Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3] (D-PA), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (D-WI), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1] (D-NM), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] (D-PA), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] (D-NY), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] (D-CA), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3] (D-WA), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Norcross, Donald [D-NJ-1] (D-NJ), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large] (D-VT), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13] (D-OH), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17] (D-CA), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2] (D-HI), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14] (D-NY), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20] (D-FL), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] (D-NJ), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] (D-IL), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16] (D-NY), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1] (D-CT), 2026-04-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3] (D-AZ), 2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35] (D-TX), 2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL), 2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] (D-OR), 2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Workers paid the higher promised wage: benefit, medium. This bill would give covered workers a right to full pay. Employers would have to pay at least the higher of your promised rate (contract, union deal, or other agreement) or the federal or state legal wage. It would apply if you work in commerce or for a business engaged in commerce. Overtime rules…
- Criminal charges for willful wage theft: benefit, medium. This would add criminal penalties for willful wage theft. If unpaid wages or overtime are over $1,000, offenders could face fines or up to 5 years in prison. If $1,000 or less, offenders could face fines or up to 1 year. Courts would weigh how many workers were harmed, dollars kept, past conviction…
- Stronger civil wage enforcement and funding: benefit, medium. This would fold the new wage right into civil enforcement. The Labor Department could enforce it like minimum wage and overtime cases. Fines collected for certain wage violations would help fund Wage and Hour Division enforcement of tips, minimum wage, overtime, and the new wage right. These change…
- Repeals an older wage law section: mixed, low. This would repeal Section 10 of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The bill does not explain the practical effect here. Any impact would depend on what that section currently does. It does not specify when the repeal would take effect.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-15: Equality Act
- 119-hr-17: Paycheck Fairness Act
- 119-hr-1810: Safe Schools Improvement Act
- 119-hr-2736: Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-5048 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5048)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-15: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-15)
- [119-hr-17: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-17)
- [119-hr-1810: Safe Schools Improvement Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1810)
- [119-hr-2736: Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2736)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5048 (as of 2026-10-14).