J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                     1213

CHAPTER 686
(House Bill 784)

AN ACT to add new Section 94 to Article 100 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1965 Supplement), title "Work, Labor and
Employment," to follow immediately after Section 93 thereof and
to be under the new subtitle "Maryland Wage Payment and Col-
lection Law," relating generally to wage payment and collection,
imposing requirements as to the regularity, frequency and medium
of wage payments and permissible deductions therefrom; provid-
ing for penalties, and conferring enforcement duties and powers
on the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 94 be and it is hereby added to Article 100 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Supplement), title "Work, Labor
and Employment," to follow immediately after Section 93 thereof,
and to be under the new subtitle "Maryland Wage Payment and
Collection Law," and to read as follows:

Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law.

94.

(a)    All employers engaged in the operation of any business estab-
lishment shall establish regular pay periods and shall pay salaried
employees, EXCEPT EXECUTIVE, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES, and employees paid on an hourly
rate at least once every two weeks or twice in each month. Upon
termination of employment an employee shall be paid all wages or
salaries due him for work performed prior thereto; such payment
shall be made to said employee, or to his authorized agent, on or
before the date on which he would have been paid for such work had
his employment not been terminated.

(b)    Payment of wages or salaries shall be in lawful money of
the United States or check payable at face value upon demand in
lawful money of the United States.

(c)    No employer shall withhold any part of the wages or salaries
of any employee except for payroll, wage or withholding taxes or in
accordance with law, without the written and signed authorization
of the employee. An employer, upon request of his employee, shall
furnish the latter a written statement of the gross wages earned by
the employee during any pay period and the amount and purpose
of any deductions therefrom.

(d)    An employer who violates this Section shall be fined not less
than fifty dollars nor more than three hundred dollars.

(e)    The Commissioner of Labor and Industry may require a writ-
ten complaint of the violation of this Section and, with the written
and signed consent of an employee, may institute proceedings on
behalf of an employee to enforce compliance with this Section, and
to collect any moneys unlawfully withheld from such employee which
shall be paid to the employee entitled thereto.