AB 1506 Reporting Guidelines for Newspaper Publishers and Distributors
As a result of Assembly Bill 1506 (stats. of 2021), on or before March 1, 2022, March 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, every newspaper publisher or distributor that hires or directly contracts with newspaper carriers shall submit to the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, in a manner prescribed by the agency and in conformity with existing law, information related to their workforce for the current year.
The Labor and Workforce Development Agency has delegated the responsibility to collect this information to the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).
The information should be restricted to only the information required by California Labor Code §2783(h)(3). This includes the following:
- The number of carriers for which the publisher or distributor paid payroll taxes in the previous year and the number of carriers for which the publisher or distributor did not pay payroll taxes in the previous year.
- The average wage rate paid to carriers classified as independent contractors and as employees.
- The carrier wage claims filed, if any, with the Labor Commissioner or in a court of law.
Information that is submitted will only be disclosed in accordance with subdivision (k) of Section 6254 of the Government Code, relating to trade secrets or other proprietary business information.
Download the excel sheet at the link below, fill out the required fields and email the completed form to AB1506@dir.ca.gov. Newspaper publishers and distributors should notify companies they subcontract with to perform newspaper distribution of this reporting requirement.
Please download here: AB 1506 Reporting Form (Excel - 12 KB)
“Newspaper” means a newspaper of general circulation, as defined in Section 6000 or 6008 of the Government Code, and any other publication circulated to the community in general as an extension of or substitute for that newspaper’s own publication, whether that publication be designated a “shoppers’ guide,” as a zoned edition, or otherwise. “Newspaper” may also be a publication that is published in print and that may be posted in a digital format, and distributed periodically at daily, weekly, or other short intervals, for the dissemination of news of a general or local character and of a general or local interest.
“Publisher” means the natural or corporate person that manages the newspaper’s business operations, including circulation.
“Newspaper distributor” means a person or entity that contracts with a publisher to distribute newspapers to the community.
“Newspaper carrier” means a person who effects physical delivery of the newspaper to the customer or reader, who is not working as an app-based driver, as defined in Chapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 7448) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code, during the time when the newspaper carrier is performing the newspaper delivery services.
If you have any questions, then you may contact DIR at AB1506@dir.ca.gov.
January 2024