HOUSE BILL No. 5821

 

February 16, 2010, Introduced by Reps. Scripps, Robert Jones, Lahti, Neumann, Roy Schmidt, Kowall, Byrum, Valentine, Kandrevas, Calley, Geiss, Mayes, Warren, Rogers, Marleau and Nathan and referred to the Committee on Banking and Financial Services.

 

     A bill to amend 1978 PA 390, entitled

 

"An act to regulate the time and manner of payment of wages and

fringe benefits to employees; to prescribe rights and

responsibilities of employers and employees, and the powers and

duties of the department of labor; to require keeping of records;

to provide for settlement of disputes regarding wages and fringe

benefits; to prohibit certain practices by employers; to prescribe

penalties and remedies; and to repeal certain acts and parts of

acts,"

 

by amending section 6 (MCL 408.476), as amended by 2004 PA 534.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 6. (1) An employer or agent of an employer may pay wages

 

to an employee by any of the following methods:

 

     (a) Payment in United States currency.

 

     (b) Payment by a negotiable check or draft payable on

 

presentation at a financial institution or other established place

 

of business without discount in United States currency.


 

     (c) Direct deposit or electronic transfer to the employee's

 

account at a financial institution.

 

     (d) Issuance of Issuing a payroll debit card to the employee

 

that allows the employee to make at least 1 withdrawal or transfer

 

per pay period without charge for any amount the employee elects up

 

to the balance accessible through the card. As used in this

 

section, "payroll debit card" means a stored-value debit card that

 

provides an employee access to his or her wages, for withdrawal or

 

transfer by the employee, through a network of automatic teller

 

machines. The term includes cards commonly known as payroll debit

 

cards, payroll cards, and paycards.

 

     (2) Except as provided in section 283a of the management and

 

budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1283a, or in subsection (4), an

 

employer or agent of an employer shall not deposit an employee's

 

wages in a bank, credit union, or savings and loan association

 

without the full, free, and written consent of the employee,

 

obtained without intimidation, coercion, or fear of discharge or

 

reprisal for refusal to permit the deposit.

 

     (3) An Except as provided in subsection (4), an employer or

 

agent of an employer shall not issue a payroll debit card to an

 

employee under subsection (1)(d) without the full, free, and

 

written consent of the employee, obtained without intimidation,

 

coercion, or fear of discharge or reprisal for refusal to accept

 

the payroll debit card. However, an employer paying wages by

 

payroll debit card to 1 or more of its employees as of January 1,

 

2005 may pay wages to any of its employees by payroll debit card

 

without obtaining the consent described in this subsection.


 

     (4) An employer or agent of an employer may require employees

 

to receive wages by either direct deposit or a payroll debit card

 

if the employer has done all of the following:

 

     (a) Given the employee a written form that allows the employee

 

the option to receive wages either by direct deposit to the

 

employee's account at a financial institution or through a payroll

 

debit card.

 

     (b) Included a statement on the written form indicating that

 

failure to return the form within 3 days with the account

 

information necessary to implement direct deposit will be presumed

 

to indicate consent to receiving wages through a payroll debit

 

card.

 

     (5) (4) An employer shall not require an employee to pay any

 

fees or costs incurred by the employer in connection with paying

 

wages or establishing a process for paying wages under by a method

 

described in subsection (1)(c) or (d).