[US] Minnesota lawmakers seek standardised payroll reporting for state-funded projects

In the US, the Minnesota House is set to vote on a bill to establish a centralised electronic payroll reporting portal and database for contractors working on state-funded projects, KAXE reports.

Electronic payroll reporting is already required in Minnesota for projects fully or partially funded by tax dollars. The bill by Representative Dave Pinto is intended to improve reporting efficiency by consolidating different payroll reporting systems into a single state-administered system.

The bill’s proposed portal, accessible via the Internet, would reportedly give contractors and subcontractors a place to submit payroll reports, which would be stored in a database for public or state use.

“This bill does not create any new reporting mandate,” the bill’s co-author, Representative Cedrick Frazier, said during a May 5 meeting of the House Ways and Means Committee. “What this bill does is modernise the process.”

The portal and database are intended for projects owned by the state and the Metropolitan Council but local governments would also have the opportunity to opt into the system for projects not funded by the state.

Illinois, New Jersey and New York have adopted similar legislation.

Project owners such as school districts, local governments and state agencies currently have responsibility for managing payroll reports submitted during a project, and for years after its completion, Rep. Frazier said. They must also respond to data requests for those reports.

Rep. Pinto’s legislation would eliminate those administrative burdens and add consistency and compliance across each jurisdiction, Rep. Frazier said. He reportedly added that, more importantly, it would strengthen oversight.

“Certified payroll reporting is one of the most effective tools we have to protect public dollars by preventing wage theft, worker misclassification, tax fraud and insurance fraud on publicly funded projects,” he said.

Source: KAXE

(Quotes via original reporting)

In the US, the Minnesota House is set to vote on a bill to establish a centralised electronic payroll reporting portal and database for contractors working on state-funded projects, KAXE reports.

Electronic payroll reporting is already required in Minnesota for projects fully or partially funded by tax dollars. The bill by Representative Dave Pinto is intended to improve reporting efficiency by consolidating different payroll reporting systems into a single state-administered system.

The bill’s proposed portal, accessible via the Internet, would reportedly give contractors and subcontractors a place to submit payroll reports, which would be stored in a database for public or state use.

“This bill does not create any new reporting mandate,” the bill’s co-author, Representative Cedrick Frazier, said during a May 5 meeting of the House Ways and Means Committee. “What this bill does is modernise the process.”

The portal and database are intended for projects owned by the state and the Metropolitan Council but local governments would also have the opportunity to opt into the system for projects not funded by the state.

Illinois, New Jersey and New York have adopted similar legislation.

Project owners such as school districts, local governments and state agencies currently have responsibility for managing payroll reports submitted during a project, and for years after its completion, Rep. Frazier said. They must also respond to data requests for those reports.

Rep. Pinto’s legislation would eliminate those administrative burdens and add consistency and compliance across each jurisdiction, Rep. Frazier said. He reportedly added that, more importantly, it would strengthen oversight.

“Certified payroll reporting is one of the most effective tools we have to protect public dollars by preventing wage theft, worker misclassification, tax fraud and insurance fraud on publicly funded projects,” he said.

Source: KAXE

(Quotes via original reporting)