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Committee Leaders Applaud House Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Increase Efficiency Under Davis-Bacon Act

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 10, 2013
The House of Representatives today approved the Streamlining Claims Processing for Federal Contractor Employees Act (H.R. 2747). Introduced by Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Ranking Member Joe Courtney (D-CT), the bill moves responsibility for wage claims adjustments for federally-contracted workers from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to the Department of Labor.

“I am pleased the House has passed this bipartisan, commonsense proposal that will decrease redundancies and promote greater efficiency within the federal government. This legislation will help ensure workers employed by federal contractors receive the pay they’ve earned in a more timely manner,” said Rep.Walberg. “I urge my Senate colleagues to support the bill and send it to the president as soon as possible.”

“Ensuring that federally-contracted workers receive compensation in accordance with the law is an issue of fundamental fairness. By moving the claims process to the Department of Labor, we can streamline the process and help workers get the pay they have rightfully earned in a timely manner,” said Rep. Courtney. “I applaud Chairman Walberg’s leadership on this important issue and look forward to continuing to work with him to find commonsense ways to improve protections for our nation’s workers.”

Under the Davis-Bacon Act, federally-contracted workers must be paid the “local prevailing wage” on government projects. The Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (CWHSSA) requires federal contractors to pay workers one and one half times their basic rate of pay for hours worked in excess of 40 hours. While the Department of Labor enforces these laws, GAO has long been responsible for processing claims of workers who did not receive the appropriate wage. Since it no longer provides this service in other areas of the federal government, GAO has requested this authority be moved to the appropriate enforcement agency.

The Streamlining Claims Processing for Federal Contracted Employees Act will transfer this responsibility to the Department of Labor, which oversees other aspects of the Davis-Bacon Act and the CWHSSA. Identical legislation was approved by the House with overwhelming bipartisan support during the 112th Congress.

To read full bill text of H.R. 2747, click here. To watch Chairman Walberg’s remarks on the House floor, click here.

 

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