Twenty-three states - make that twenty-seven - have signed Wage Theft and/or Worker Misclassification bills into law as the focus in a number of legislatures has swung to the issue that is costing workers and taxing agencies billions of dollars in lost revenue.

Two bills, The Fair Playing Field Act, introduced by Senator Kerry and a number of cosponsors last week, together with The Employee Misclassification Prevention Act will, when passed, crack down on those employers who do not pay overtime or who pay subminimum wages or misclassify workers as independent contractors when they are not. 

The following states are ahead of Congress again and are part of the overall movement to address this widespread worker crime:

1. California
2. Colorado
3. Connecticut
4. Delaware
5. Florida
6. Illinois
7. Iowa
8. Kansas
9. Kentucky
10. Maine
11. Maryland
12. Massachusetts
13. Minnesota
14. Missouri
15. Nebraska
16. Nevada
17. New Hampshire
18. New Jersey
19. New Mexico
20. New York
21. Ohio
22. Pennsylvania
23. Utah
24. Vermont
25. Washington
26. West Virginia
27. Wisconsin

Other states are considering similar laws and will likely enact them after the midterm elections in November or next year when the state legislatures are back in session.

The big question is how will they be enforced?

Updated 03/14/2013