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HR 2259 101th Congress House Labor and Employment Business records Congressional reporting requirements Construction industries Construction workers Economic impact statements Government Operations and Politics Government contractors Government paperwork Minimum wages Public works Standards Wages

Davis-Bacon Reform Act of 1989

Introduced: May 4, 1989 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 101st Congress ended
It never became law before the 101st Congress (1989–1990) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 25, 1989
Executive Comment Received from DOD.
Jun 9, 1989
Referred to the Subcommittee on Labor Standards.
May 4, 1989
Introduced in House
May 4, 1989
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Davis-Bacon Reform Act of 1989 - Amends the Davis-Bacon Act to increase from $2,000 to $250,000 the threshold amount subjecting certain contracts to such Act and requiring them to specify the minimum wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics.

Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish as the prevailing wage for a class of laborers or mechanics the entire range of wages being paid to a corresponding class of such workers in the particular urban or rural subdivision of the State in which the work is to be performed. Sets out the means for determining such prevailing wage in cases when more than a single wage is being paid to corresponding classes of workers.

Excludes from the computation of wages the basic hourly rates of pay for workers on local Federal projects.

Establishes a separate classification for helpers of laborers or mechanics, with their prevailing wages to be determined on the basis of the corresponding class of helpers.

Prohibits the division of contracts into units of $250,000 or less for purposes of avoiding wage computation under such Act. Provides for administrative enforcement of such prohibition.

Applies the increased contract amount threshold for coverage provided in this Act to other related Federal laws which use the Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage rate determination requirements.

Provides that wages found to be due to laborers and mechanics pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act shall be paid to them directly from accrued payments withheld under the contract, in accordance with specified regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor. (Currently the Comptroller General makes such payments.) Directs the Administrator of General Services (rather than the Comptroller General) to distribute a list to all Federal agencies giving the names of persons or firms that the Secretary of Labor (rather than the Comptroller General) has found to have disregarded their obligations to employees and subcontractors.

Amends the Copeland Act to require certain contractors or subcontractors to furnish compliance statements concerning weekly wages at the beginning, midpoint, and conclusion of the period covered by the contract, instead of every week as the wages are paid. Requires such statements at least every three months.

Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Comptroller General to submit to the Congress annual reports describing the effects of the Davis-Bacon Act, the Copeland Act, and this Act on local wages and on local and national economies.

What's happening now July 25, 1989

Executive Comment Received from DOD.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2259: Davis-Bacon Reform Act of 1989. 101st Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-2259/
MLA
"H.R. 2259: Davis-Bacon Reform Act of 1989." 101st Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-2259/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2259, 101st Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-2259/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2259: Davis-Bacon Reform Act of 1989](https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-2259/)
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