CA AB1362

Expands California's foreign labor contractor registration requirements to include agricultural workers under the federal H-2A visa program, effective July 1, 2027, addressing a 2014 drafting error that left approximately 97% of temporary foreign workers unprotected

Requires farm labor contractors who perform foreign labor contracting activities to register with the Labor Commissioner as foreign labor contractors beginning July 1, 2027, with provisions to eliminate duplicative application requirements

Mandates foreign labor contractor registration applications include a listing of each federal visa program under which the contractor will operate, effective July 1, 2027

Requires the Department of Industrial Relations to submit a study to the Legislature by January 1, 2028, on extending registration requirements to foreign labor contractors recruiting workers under visa programs not currently covered (such as H-1B, L-1, O-1, and TN visas)

Authorizes the Labor Commissioner to enforce registration requirements through citations and civil actions, with penalties ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 per violation, plus potential criminal misdemeanor charges carrying fines up to $1,000 and/or six months imprisonment