It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 28-14-19 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-14 entitled "Payment of Wages" is hereby amended to read as follows:

{ADD 28-14-19. Enforcement powers and duties of director of labor. -- ADD} (a) It shall be the duty of the director to insure compliance with the provisions of this chapter, to investigate as to any violations of this chapter, and to institute or cause to be instituted actions for the collection of wages; also to institute action for penalties provided hereunder. The director or his authorized representatives are empowered to hold hearings and he shall co-operate with any employee in the enforcement of a claim against his employer in any case whenever, in his opinion, the claim is just and valid.

(b) The director is authorized to supervise the payment of amounts due to employees and the employer may be required to make these payments to the director to be held in a special account in trust for the employees, and paid on order of the director directly to the employee or the employees affected. The employer shall also pay the director an administrative fee equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of any payment {ADD made directly to the employee or employees or ADD} made to the director pursuant to this section. The fee shall be deposited in the general fund.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.