The Department of Labor is updating Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations to support the original intent of the law and to update the interpretation to better align with modern construction practices and technology.
TCLG’s compliance team has reviewed the proposed changes and is please that several of the Davis-Bacon enforcement issues our clients have been dealing with are addressed in the revisions. These changes ensure that workers are paid what they’ve earned on projects that require prevailing wage.
The DOL is accepting public comments on the proposed changes through May 17. We want to make sure that the DOL knows that workers appreciate these updates to Davis-Bacon regulations and we encourage our clients and friends to comment favorably.
We’ve drafted a suggested response and have provided a step-by-step guide on how to submit comments to DOL online.
1. Click on the button above to get started.
2. Click on the “Sign Up” button on the top right of the screen on that page to create a Federal Register account.
3. Once you are in, enter the following reference number into the search bar: RIN 1235-AA40
This will open the document “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations.”
4. Click on the “SUBMIT A FORMAL COMMENT” button on the top right of the screen.
5. That will bring up the form to submit your comment. (Keep in mind that everything you submit will become public record.)
*****This is the suggested comment language*****
Dear Acting Administrator Jessica Looman,
I support the Department of Labor’s proposal to update the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage regulations.
Davis-Bacon regulations have not been updated in forty years and these updates will ensure that construction workers are paid the most up-to-date and accurate locally prevailing wage rates when working on a construction project financed by the federal government. This will mean higher wages for workers over time.
Every year, federal contractors routinely cheat thousands of workers by not paying them the legally required Davis-Bacon prevailing wages. And every year, contractors are made to pay back wages totaling tens of millions of dollars. The proposed updates to the Davis-Bacon Act regulations will strengthen enforcement actions to protect workers from unethical contractors.
I urge the Department of Labor to approve and implement the proposed updates.
Thank you for your consideration to this very important issue.