**OFFICE OF**  **THE AlTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  TEXAS **AUSTIN**



### Bon.Jo. **Kunsohik,** 

### Cori8slormr &me8U of I&or bt8tlstlos 

### Audln, Tous

Dsrssir, ,I, Oplni0Bwo.O-2059'\,. \ Be: whbthbrorn0t'&v8, Deput

### ment Otmpti"rikh#

ablmtm vegoon+ybllo vork#laws.
Th8Bkyou for in&thbapiaionof this
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### po~i~i088 **0r** 

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### or typeofVorkmB or b OontMot fo thbOOBbrl ystbnl onmghv8y

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c ounty.



### body8h&lMOeP- th.~nW8l~V8i~~bin 

### thblootiity**lnrhiohthowrk** 18 tok **p.?,to=d ioF**  eaoh 

### 0-t **or** 

### tn. **O?** VO?km8~ **or medm~i0**  **BMdbd t0**  l **xeOUte** the **OOntl'0Ot, and**  **th~l 8peOifJ**  **8UOh W48**  **8-O** 

### in it8call?orbid8anb in theoantrratit8Olf.'Bon. Joe Kunachlk, Prge 2

Artlola 51598, Veron'o bnnotatod Civil Statutea, Acta 1933, 43rd Legislature, **p.** 91, oh. 45, read3 a8 follovs:

"3ec. 1. Not less than the general prevailing rate ot per **diem** vases for uork of G slmllar character **in** the looallty In vhlch the vork is perfomd, and not leer than the general PrevallIng rate of **psr** diem vages **Sor** legal holiday and overtime vork, ohall bs paid to all laborers, vorkw~~~and ntschanlc~ employed by or on behalf of the St&to **oi** Tex&3, **01'** by **GI-** on bahalf of a?g county, city and dounty, city, tom, dlotrlct OF other polltioal rubdivision of tho State, engaged in the oonstructlon of public vorks, exclusive of maintenance work. Laborera, vorkmn, and meabanlcs mployod b3 contractorb or subcontraotors ir, the execution of any contmbct or contraota Par Fiblic works vlth the State, or any officer or public bcdy thereof, or in the exeoutlon of any contract **01 ’**  contracts for public vocks, vlth any county, city and oountg, city, tom, district or other political subdivision of tNs State, or any ofrlcer or ?ubllc body thereof, shall be dewed to be employed u;>onpublic works.
R3ec. 2. The public body warding any contraat **for** public vork on behalf of the Ytato, **or** on behalf of any oounty, city and county, city, tom, diotrlct or other politioal **8UbdiV18iOn** Ohersof, or othervlsc undertaklna any public vork, shall aaoertain the genolul preva.lllng rate or per dir vages in the locality in vhich the **vork** 1s to be perfomod for eaoli oraft or type of vorkman or meohanlc needed to execute the contract, and shall specify in the call for bids for **said** contract, and in the oontraot ItaeLf, what the general prevailing rata of **per** diem vages in the 

### #aidlocality is for each craft or type of v~rlmmnneeded to execute tha contract, aloo tho prevalllng rate for legal holidsg and overtime voPk, and it ohall be nmndatory upon the contraotor to vhom the contmct la avardad, on3. upon any subcontractor u&or him, to pay not lees thsn bho said specified rates to **all** laborera, **vorkmen** and neoh**anlcs** employed by them in the execution of the contract. The contractor shall forfelt aa a penalty to the State, county, city and county, city, tom, district or other polltical subdivision on vhoae behalf the contract Ia mbdeor avarded, Ten Dollus ($lO.m) for each **laborer, ~~dsman**  **or** me=hanIo ewloyod, for each calendar day, or portion thereof, such laborer, vorkaan 

### ormeohaalo Isnon. Joe Kunschik, Page 

### 3

paid less than the said otlyulatcd ratea for any work 

### donsundarml& contract, by him, or by 

### anysubcontractor 

### ur.dar him,and the 

### aaldpublic body avardlng the contract shall cause to be Inserted In the contract a stipulation to this effect. It shall be tho duty of such pub110 body awarding tha oontract, and it3 agents and officers, to tako cognizance of Complaints of all violations of the prorlsions of this Act oommittsd In the course of tho execution of t&e uontraot, and, vhen making payments to the contraator of monies beuoming due under said contract, to vithhold and retain therefrom all sums and amounts vhlch shall have been forfeited purouaat. to tho herein said stipulation and the terms ot this Act; provided, hovevor, that no sumshall bo 80vfthhold, retained or forfeited, exoept from the final paymsnt, vithout a fill lnvestigation by the avardin~ body. It ai be unlavful r0r my contraotor to vitbhold from any subcontractor under him stiflclcnt sums to Covar any penalties vlthhold from him by the warding body on 

### accountor’ the said subcontractor’s ralluw to comply vith the tonns of this Act, and if payment 

### hasalreadybeen audo to him the contractor may roomer from him the smount or the penalty or forfolturo in a suit at lav.

“330. 3. The contractor and oath subcontractor shall kee;?, or cause to 

### be kopt

, an accurate record shoving the nameaand OCCUpatLon3 of all laborera, **vorkntm** and machatica employed by him, in connection vlth the sald pub110 vork, and shoving also thn actual per diem **vagsa** 

### puldtoeaoh 

### ot suchvorkers
, vhich record shall be open at all reasonable hours to the Inspection of the 

### public body avardlng the contract, its o:ficors and agents.

“3ea. 4. Any construction or reqair vork done undlirrcontract, and paid for in vhols or in part out of the public funds, other than **vark** done dlrootly by 

### anypublic utlllty company pursuant to order of the RaIlroad Comxlsslon or other public authority, vhsther cr not done under 

### publicsuparvlslon or direction, or raid 

### for~-holly **or** in part out **of** public funds, ~211 be held to **ba** ‘public vorks’ vlthln ~thomeanlry ot this Act. The t9rm Ilocality in vhich the vork la pertormod’ shall be held to mean the county, city and county, city, tovn, district 

### orothar political subdlvlsion of this State in vhlch the building, highway, road, exaavation, or other structure, projeot, development 

### or lmproveasnt is sltueted in all cases in vhich th3 contraot is warded by the Stato, or any public body thsreof, andBon.Joe KunrrahIk, Page 4

shall be held to n&u the llmltr, qf the county, city and county, oIty, tovn, district or other political subdlvlslons on vhoso behali the contract Is 

### avarded**in** all 

### otharcases. The term *general yrovalling rate of per dims vaps’ shall 

### be the rate deterfined upon 

### aa such rate by the publIo body avardIng the contract, or authorIelng the vork, vho8e declolon In :tho matter shall 

### be final. Rothlng In this Act, 

### however,shall be construed to prohibit the payment to auy laborer, vorkman 

### or ~chanlc employed on any PubUc vol‘k 03 

### nioresaldof
more thau the **aald** general prevalllr~ rate of vages."
Tour rlrst questiozl Is vhether or not the TombsState 3Ighvsy Coxnlaslon coznesvlthln the provis1o.m of Artlclo 

### 515ga,
**vo.~-non ’** **s**Annotated Civil Statutes
, providing ror the pxw~aIlIng **per dl&n**  **vage r&to**  **on** publio vorks.

The Texas IIIghvay CommIssIon is an M.mInlstratIvo agencyof our State emtrusted vlth that segment **of** government 

### daali$lg

Vi*th the 

### eatobllshment ,m?dntonnnca 

### and control 

### oi :he st8ta m @rays. Article 6663 **Vernon ’** **y** Amoated Civil Statutes; *itton v. 3tit.h (Clv. **A** p.) App.), **88** 

### 3.U. ;;.I24 fm. 

### (2d P $2 S.U. (26) lOc5; !+wks v. State 

### 131;Flslrn 

### v.lkes, I.21 Tex. 

### 355,48 In matters of judgment touahing its ftmctlona, I; is Invested with ride dlsoretloa. Johnson v. Ferguaon, **55** 3.W. (26) **153,** writ dlsalseed. Moreover, a controot asde by the State ~i&hvayComlaslon Is a contraot of the State. Artlole **6674k** Vsrnon's Annotated Civil Statutesi Shermanv. **279 3.V.**  **508.** Case (Clv. App.!

Consequently, 

### vchold that the State Aigbvay **Commlsslon** Is the "public **bodf'** dlrectad **by** the Legislature In Seotlon 2 of hticle 

### 5159a,Vernon's Annotated Civil Statutes, to ascertain thegeneral prevalll~ rato OS**psr** diesi vagos and to specify t&esamaIn Its calls fw bldii.

In tbiu conhectlon you point out that;
"In theso protests, our attontlon vas called to the ,CActthat the Texas State FIlghvay Department had advertised 

### a scale of va@8, vhIch for aovoral types of **vork** men, vES huer than the scale being **paid on**  **the Harsh~ll**  **Ford daa**  project **and the**  wale being paid on **vcark for**  the Travis County Hater Control and Improvsmnt Dlstriot Ko. 1, as ~011 as on other construction **vork** In the City of Austin and in Trawls Countg.Rlion. SOS

### Kunsohlk,paga5

The deteWnation and reguletlon of prevailing vags rates mcler **ArtiCle** 5159a 13 a legislative and not **a** judicial function (gocthem Prison Co. v. Rennels (C.C.A. 

### 1937)110 S.Y. (2d) 606); md an admlnistretive finding of that trevailing **rate** by the State mghvay Comslsslon 13 tlnal. Section of Article 

### 5159, Vernon's hotated Clvll Statutes, Southern Prison Co. v. Rennels, supra.

Please permit us to call your attention also to &ticle 667hp, 

### Vernon'8Annotated Civil Statutes, 

### Acts 1911, 42~d LeglsLoture, page 69, chapter 46, vhich deals specifically vith minimumwages for hlghwap labor and 

### readaas follws:

3ec. 1. Rereaftor the State Rlghvay Conunlsslon in letting contracts 

### iorthe construction, maintenance or improvement of any deslgmted State iii$wvey, ~hsll be authoTised to require that all contrectu f%r any such **VOW%,** co?ltaln a provision that no peroon vi11 be mployed, by the ccntractor, to perform manual labor in tho course of the constmiction, maintemnce or lmyrovenent of any such hlghvny at a uage of less than thirty cents per hour, u:d that any violation of any such provlslons of the contract by the contractor, subcontractor, or other person subject to such 

### provisionof tho contract, shall authorize the ComnLsslon to vlthhold f ‘romany noney duo the contractor a suf~lclent sumto pay any 

### personsuch minfmumvage for any labor performed, or the Commission may, for the 

### benefitofany euchperson,r&over such sumon the bond of the contractor, if It does not have in its posaossion **monq** wing the contractor, applicable **for** such purposes. That citlxem or the United States and of the county wherofn the vork la being proposed shall alvays be flven preference in such omploymmt; provided also that 

### a 1 other dspartzsents, bureaus, coamisslons md lnstltutlms of the Qtote of Texas in all construction vork of every character requiring employnont, of Cay labor shall 

### llkevise be authorlsed and ompovered to exercise the same authorlty horoln conferrod on the State Ylghvag Comslsslon.
%ec. 

### 2. Hereafter, in advertising for bid3 for the construction, maintenance, or lmprovomnt of any designated State Hlgbwsp, the Comisslon, in the event it 

### deolresto exercise th4 authority herein conferred to require **a** 

### provisionforsuch mlnlnnmvage, sball so state in the advertlsezaent, so that all bidders maybe


### avaroof such requirement in subzzlttlng bids for such 

### York."aon. Joe Kunschlk, Page 6



### Consequently,itXSSY be seenin harmonizing Articles 9598 and 6674p, Vernon’s Annotated Civil Statutes, that vu14 theState Ki@vay 

### CO~SS~~ has the dut to detertsine and specify + theprevailing wag4 Mts, it 14 also .nvosted vith the :-over

to 

### requirein 

### Itscontract that no person%-- 

### s6nuallabor In the course of the construe- ~a, aslntenance and laprore3mnt of State 

### hlghvaysat a vage & 10s~ than thirty cents par hour.

A final question remains to be ansvered and that 1s *&her or not a contract for the construction of 

### a bvn sprinkler spsta on Rlghvay Iio. 81 north of Austin in Travis County constitutes the "construction of pub110 vorks" opoken of In Article 95ga, 

### Yoz’.QoD’S

Annotated Cl~ll Statu?.ca, or the "constructioc, ~~tenanc4 

### or improvement of any daslgnated State hlghvay" spokenof In Article 667&p, 

### Vernon'sAnnotated Clvll Statutes. y. hold that such construction fulfills both requlremsnts.

The definition of what shall constitute "pub110 vorks" 1s specifiCally set out in Seatlon Irof Artlcl4 5159a, Vernon's motated Civil Statutes, to read ea follws:

*Anyconstruction or **repair** work done under contract, and paid for in whole **or** in part out of the publio funds,

... shall be held to be 'public vorksf vlthln the meaning **of this**  **Act."**
S8e 

### also EIsploYers C2uIualty Co. v. 

### StuartAbstract co.. (Co& App. 1!%9), in VhiCh Jud@ 

### Speerheld that the construction or a county road Is **a** pub110 vork. Ue feel that the construction of **a** sprlnklor systea for the improveuont of **a hlghvay**  also 18 8npnblfc vork" **Vithin** th4 m4ULingof Article 5159, **Vernon ’** **s** motated Civil Statutes, and the "iaproveawnt 0r 

### Ad4signat4d 

### stats 

### Bighvar” vithln the 

### ming ofArticle6674p, Vernon's motated Civil Statutes.

Consequently, It is the opinion of thin de~rtaont aadyou am msP4Ctffily advised that the contract of the State fL1ghvay

Commlsslon for the construction 

### ofa lavns?rlnkler rJatsn onElghvayNo. 81,northofAustin 

### inTravisCounty, vi11 be governed by the provlslons of both Artlales 5159a md g74p, VBCPOP'SAnnotated 

### CivilStatutes, that under the provis;om of Article 51594, Vernon's Annotated Civil Statutea, it la ~0 duty of the l%lghvayComalesion to nsoerttin 

### the&moral. prsdllng vage rates In Travis County and 

### specifythe samaEon. Joe Kmschik, Page 7

for each onft or type of rorkaan or mechanic %nits call for bida (conditioned by its pover under Artlole 6674~~ Verncux's 

### kpnouted CivilStatute8 ). @%XJ.@lly,

thsttheflndla#lof the u&vay Coxal8slon M to the prelaillng vage 

### ntew am fInal.
Yours very tray
A!i’TORREY (mERAL OF ‘ncxA3