CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS ON PUBLIC BUILDING OR PUBLIC WORK FINANCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY LOANS OR GRANTS FROM THE UNITED STATES

29 C.F.R. Part 3
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

29 C.F.R. § 3.1 Purpose and scope.

This part prescribes “anti-kickback” regulations under section 2 of the Act of June 13, 1934, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3145), popularly known as the Copeland Act. This part applies to any contract which is subject to Federal wage standards and which is for the construction, prosecution, completion, or repair of public buildings, public works or buildings or works financed in whole or in part by loans or grants from the United States. The part is intended to aid in the enforcement of the minimum wage provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act and the various statutes dealing with federally assisted construction that contain similar minimum wage provisions, including those provisions which are not subject to Reorganization Plan No. 14 of 1950 (e.g., the College Housing Act of 1950, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and the Housing Act of 1959), and in the enforcement of the overtime provisions of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act whenever they are applicable to construction work. The part details the obligation of contractors and subcontractors relative to the weekly submission of statements regarding the wages paid on work covered thereby; sets forth the circumstances and procedures governing the making of payroll deductions from the wages of those employed on such work; and delineates the methods of payment permissible on such work.

29 C.F.R. § 3.2 Definitions.

As used in the regulations in this part: Affiliated person. The term “affiliated person” includes a spouse, child, parent, or other close relative of the contractor or subcontractor; a partner or officer of the contractor or subcontractor; a corporation closely connected with the contractor or subcontractor as parent, subsidiary, or otherwise, and an officer or agent of such corporation. Agency. The term “agency” means any Federal, State, or local government agency or instrumentality, or other similar entity, that enters into a contract or provides assistance through loan, grant, loan guarantee or insurance, or otherwise, for a project subject to the Davis-Bacon labor standards, as defined in § 5.2 of this subtitle. (1) Federal agency. The term “Federal agency” means an agency or instrumentality of the United States or the District of Columbia, as defined in this section, that enters into a contract or provides assistance through loan, grant, loan guarantee or insurance, or otherwise, to a project subject to the Davis-Bacon labor standards. (2) [Reserved] Building or work. The term “building or work” generally includes construction activity of all types, as distinguished from manufacturing, furnishing of materials, or servicing and maintenance work. The term includes, without limitation, buildings, structures, and improvements of all types, such as bridges, dams, solar panels, wind turbines, broadband installation, installation of electric car chargers, plants, highways, parkways, streets, subways, tunnels, sewers, mains, powerlines, pumping stations, heavy generators, railways, airports, terminals, docks, piers, wharves, ways, lighthouses, buoys, jetties, breakwaters, levees, and canals; dredging, shoring, rehabilitation and reactivation of plants, scaffolding, drilling, blasting, excavating, clearing, and landscaping. The term “building or work” also includes a portion of a building or work, or the installation (where appropriate) of equipment or components into a building or work. (1) Building or work financed in whole or in part by loans or grants from the United States. The term “building or work financed in whole or in part by loans or grants from the United States” includes any building or work for which construction, prosecution, completion, or repair, as defined in this section, payment or part payment is made directly or indirectly from funds provided by loans or grants by a Federal agency. The term includes any building or work for which the Federal assistance granted is in the form of loan guarantees or insurance. (2) [Reserved] Construction, prosecution, completion, or repair. The term “construction, prosecution, completion, or repair” mean all types of work done on a particular building or work at the site thereof as specified in § 5.2 of this subtitle, including, without limitation, altering, remodeling, painting and decorating, installation on the site of the work of items fabricated offsite, covered transportation as reflected in § 5.2, demolition and/or removal as reflected in § 5.2, and the manufacturing or furnishing of materials, articles, supplies, or equipment on the site of the building or work, performed by laborers and mechanics at the site. Employed (and wages). Every person paid by a contractor or subcontractor in any manner for their labor in the construction, prosecution, completion, or repair of a public building or public work or building or work financed in whole or in part by assistance from the United States through loan, grant, loan guarantee or insurance, or otherwise, is “employed” and receiving “wages”, regardless of any contractual relationship alleged to exist between the contractor and such person. Public building (or public work). The term “public building (or public work)” includes a building or work the construction, prosecution, completion, or repair of which, as defined in this section, is carried on directly by authority of or with funds of a Federal agency to serve the general public regardless of whether title thereof is in a Federal agency. The construction, prosecution, completion, or repair of a portion of a building or work, or the installation (where appropriate) of equipment or components into a building or work, may still be considered a public building or work, even where the entire building or work is not owned, leased by, or to be used by the Federal agency, as long as the construction, prosecution, completion, or repair of that portion of the building or work, or the installation (where appropriate) of equipment or components into that building or work, is carried on by authority of or with funds of a Federal agency to serve the interest of the general public. United States or the District of Columbia. The term “United States or the District of Columbia” means the United States, the District of Columbia, and all executive departments, independent establishments, administrative agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States and of the District of Columbia, and any corporation for which all or substantially all of the stock of which is beneficially owned by the United States, by the District of Columbia, or any of the foregoing departments, establishments, agencies, and instrumentalities.

29 C.F.R. § 3.3 Certified payrolls.

(a) [Reserved] (b) Each contractor or subcontractor engaged in the construction, prosecution, completion, or repair of any public building or public work, or building or work financed in whole or in part by loans or grants from the United States, each week must provide a copy of its weekly payroll for all laborers and mechanics engaged on work covered by this part and part 5 of this chapter during the preceding weekly payroll period, accompanied by a statement of compliance certifying the accuracy of the weekly payroll information. This statement must be executed by the contractor or subcontractor or by an authorized officer or employee of the contractor or subcontractor who supervises the payment of wages, and must be on the back of Form WH-347, “Payroll (For Contractors Optional Use)” or on any form with identical wording. Copies of WH-347 may be obtained from the contracting or sponsoring agency or from the Wage and Hour Division website at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/construction/forms or its successor site. The signature by the contractor, subcontractor, or the authorized officer or employee must be an original handwritten signature or a legally valid electronic signature. (c) The requirements of this section do not apply to any contract of $2,000 or less. (d) Upon a written finding by the head of a Federal agency, the Secretary of Labor may provide reasonable limitations, variations, tolerances, and exemptions from the requirements of this section subject to such conditions as the Secretary of Labor may specify.

29 C.F.R. § 3.4 Submission of certified payroll and the preservation and inspection of weekly payroll records.

(a) Certified payroll. Each certified payroll required under § 3.3 must be delivered by the contractor or subcontractor, within 7 days after the regular payment date of the payroll period, to a representative at the site of the building or work of the agency contracting for or financing the work, or, if there is no representative of the agency at the site of the building or work, the statement must be delivered by mail or by any other means normally assuring delivery by the contractor or subcontractor, within that 7 day time period, to the agency contracting for or financing the building or work. After the certified payrolls have been reviewed in accordance with the contracting or sponsoring agency's procedures, such certified payrolls must be preserved by the agency for a period of 3 years after all the work on the prime contract is completed and must be produced for inspection, copying, and transcription by the Department of Labor upon request. The certified payrolls must also be transmitted together with a report of any violation, in accordance with applicable procedures prescribed by the United States Department of Labor. (b) Recordkeeping. Each contractor or subcontractor must preserve the regular payroll records for a period of 3 years after all the work on the prime contract is completed. The regular payroll records must set out accurately and completely the name; Social Security number; last known address, telephone number, and email address of each laborer and mechanic; each worker's correct classification(s) of work actually performed; hourly rates of wages paid (including rates of contributions or costs anticipated for bona fide fringe benefits or cash equivalents thereof); daily and weekly number of hours actually worked in total and on each covered contract; deductions made; and actual wages paid. The contractor or subcontractor must make such regular payroll records, as well as copies of the certified payrolls provided to the contracting or sponsoring agency, available at all times for inspection, copying, and transcription by the contracting officer or their authorized representative, and by authorized representatives of the Department of Labor.

29 C.F.R. § 3.5 Payroll deductions permissible without application to or approval of the Secretary of Labor.

Deductions made under the circumstances or in the situations described in the paragraphs of this section may be made without application to and approval of the Secretary of Labor: (a) Any deduction made in compliance with the requirements of Federal, State, or local law, such as Federal or State withholding income taxes and Federal social security taxes. (b) Any deduction of sums previously paid to the laborer or mechanic as a bona fide prepayment of wages when such prepayment is made without discount or interest. A bona fide prepayment of wages is considered to have been made only when cash or its equivalent has been advanced to the person employed in such manner as to give him complete freedom of disposition of the advanced funds. (c) Any deduction of amounts required by court process to be paid to another, unless the deduction is in favor of the contractor, subcontractor, or any affiliated person, or when collusion or collaboration exists. (d) Any deduction constituting a contribution on behalf of the laborer or mechanic employed to funds established by the contractor or representatives of the laborers or mechanics, or both, for the purpose of providing either from principal or income, or both, medical or hospital care, pensions or annuities on retirement, death benefits, compensation for injuries, illness, accidents, sickness, or disability, or for insurance to provide any of the foregoing, or unemployment benefits, vacation pay, savings accounts, or similar payments for the benefit of the laborers or mechanics, their families and dependents: Provided, however, That the following standards are met: (1) The deduction is not otherwise prohibited by law; (2) It is either: (i) Voluntarily consented to by the laborer or mechanic in writing and in advance of the period in which the work is to be done and such consent is not a condition either for the obtaining of or for the continuation of employment; or (ii) Provided for in a bona fide collective bargaining agreement between the contractor or subcontractor and representatives of its laborers or mechanics; (3) No profit or other benefit is otherwise obtained, directly or indirectly, by the contractor or subcontractor or any affiliated person in the form of commission, dividend, or otherwise; and (4) The deductions must serve the convenience and interest of the laborer or mechanic. (e) Any deduction requested by the laborer or mechanic to enable him or her to repay loans to or to purchase shares in credit unions organized and operated in accordance with Federal and State credit union statutes. (f) Any deduction voluntarily authorized by the laborer or mechanic for the making of contributions to governmental or quasi-governmental agencies, such as the American Red Cross. (g) Any deduction voluntarily authorized by the laborer or mechanic for the making of contributions to charitable organizations as defined by 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3). (h) Any deductions to pay regular union initiation fees and membership dues, not including fines or special assessments: Provided, however, That a collective bargaining agreement between the contractor or subcontractor and representatives of its laborers or mechanics provides for such deductions and the deductions are not otherwise prohibited by law. (i) Any deduction not more than for the “reasonable cost” of board, lodging, or other facilities meeting the requirements of section 3(m) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, and 29 CFR part 531. When such a deduction is made the additional records required under 29 CFR 516.25(a) must be kept. (j) Any deduction for the cost of safety equipment of nominal value purchased by the laborer or mechanic as their own property for their personal protection in their work, such as safety shoes, safety glasses, safety gloves, and hard hats, if such equipment is not required by law to be furnished by the contractor, if such deduction does not violate the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other law, if the cost on which the deduction is based does not exceed the actual cost to the contractor where the equipment is purchased from the contractor and does not include any direct or indirect monetary return to the contractor where the equipment is purchased from a third person, and if the deduction is either: (1) Voluntarily consented to by the laborer or mechanic in writing and in advance of the period in which the work is to be done and such consent is not a condition either for the obtaining of employment or its continuance; or (2) Provided for in a bona fide collective bargaining agreement between the contractor or subcontractor and representatives of its laborers and mechanics.

29 C.F.R. § 3.6 Payroll deductions permissible with the approval of the Secretary of Labor.

Any contractor or subcontractor may apply to the Secretary of Labor for permission to make any deduction not permitted under § 3.5. The Secretary may grant permission whenever he finds that: (a) The contractor, subcontractor, or any affiliated person does not make a profit or benefit directly or indirectly from the deduction either in the form of a commission, dividend, or otherwise; (b) The deduction is not otherwise prohibited by law; (c) The deduction is either (1) voluntarily consented to by the employee in writing and in advance of the period in which the work is to be done and such consent is not a condition either for the obtaining of employment or its continuance, or (2) provided for in a bona fide collective bargaining agreement between the contractor or subcontractor and representatives of its employees; and (d) The deduction serves the convenience and interest of the employee.

29 C.F.R. § 3.7 Applications for the approval of the Secretary of Labor.

Any application for the making of payroll deductions under § 3.6 must comply with the requirements prescribed in the following paragraphs of this section: (a) The application must be in writing and addressed to the Secretary of Labor. The application must be submitted by email to dbadeductions@dol.gov, by mail to the United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Director, Division of Government Contracts Enforcement, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Room S-3502, Washington, DC 20210, or by any other means normally assuring delivery. (b) The application need not identify the contract or contracts under which the work in question is to be performed. Permission will be given for deductions on all current and future contracts of the applicant for a period of 1 year. A renewal of permission to make such payroll deduction will be granted upon the submission of an application which makes reference to the original application, recites the date of the Secretary of Labor's approval of such deductions, states affirmatively that there is continued compliance with the standards set forth in the provisions of § 3.6, and specifies any conditions which have changed in regard to the payroll deductions. (c) The application must state affirmatively that there is compliance with the standards set forth in the provisions of § 3.6. The affirmation must be accompanied by a full statement of the facts indicating such compliance. (d) The application must include a description of the proposed deduction, the purpose of the deduction, and the classes of laborers or mechanics from whose wages the proposed deduction would be made. (e) The application must state the name and business of any third person to whom any funds obtained from the proposed deductions are to be transmitted and the affiliation of such person, if any, with the applicant.

29 C.F.R. § 3.8 Action by the Secretary of Labor upon applications.

The Secretary of Labor will decide whether or not the requested deduction is permissible under provisions of § 3.6; and will notify the applicant in writing of the decision.

29 C.F.R. § 3.9 Prohibited payroll deductions.

Deductions not elsewhere provided for by this part and which are not found to be permissible under § 3.6 are prohibited.

29 C.F.R. § 3.10 Methods of payment of wages.

The payment of wages shall be by cash, negotiable instruments payable on demand, or the additional forms of compensation for which deductions are permissible under this part. No other methods of payment shall be recognized on work subject to the Copeland Act.

29 C.F.R. § 3.11 Regulations part of contract.

All contracts made with respect to the construction, prosecution, completion, or repair of any public building or public work or building or work financed in whole or in part by loans or grants from the United States covered by the regulations in this part must expressly bind the contractor or subcontractor to comply with such of the regulations in this part as may be applicable. In this regard, see § 5.5(a) of this subtitle. However, these requirements will be considered to be effective by operation of law, whether or not they are incorporated into such contracts, as set forth in § 5.5(e) of this subtitle.