# 119-s-5386: Don’t STEAL Act

119-s-5386, Don’t STEAL Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-14).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5386
- As of: 2026-10-14
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5386
- Congress: 119
- Title: Don’t STEAL Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-14
- Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-14

## Summary

**This bill would guarantee a worker's _right to full compensation_ and strengthen penalties for wage theft to make employers pay what they owe.** - Workers: It would ensure covered employees get whichever is higher: the wage set by a contract, collective bargaining agreement, or employment agreement, or the wage required by federal or state law. Covered employees are those engaged in commerce or in producing goods for commerce. - Employers: It would add criminal penalties for willful violations. Unpaid wages over $1,000 can carry up to 5 years in prison. Violations of $1,000 or less can carry up to 1 year. Fines follow Title 18 rules and consider the number of employees affected and prior convictions. - Enforcement and agencies: It would expand civil-penalty references, repeal Section 10 of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and require fines collected under the new criminal provision to be used by the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division to pay enforcement costs. - Effective timing: The new penalties and rules would apply to violations that occur 90 days after enactment.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Higher pay from contract or law: benefit, medium. This bill would require employers to pay covered employees at least the higher of two rates. One is the pay stated in any contract, collective bargaining agreement, or other employment agreement as defined by the Secretary. The other is the wage required by applicable Federal or State law. The rule…
- Stronger penalties for wage theft: mixed, medium. This bill would make breaking the new wage rule a prohibited act under the FLSA upon enactment. It would extend existing civil-penalty provisions to cover the new wage-protection section for violations occurring 90 days after enactment. It would create criminal penalties for willful wage theft: fin…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4203: Voter Empowerment Act of 2026
- 119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026
- 119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act
- 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-5386 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5386)

## Related
- [119-s-4203: Voter Empowerment Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4203)
- [119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2120)
- [119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5071)
- [119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5022)
- [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5386 (as of 2026-10-14).