Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 176 / Wednesday, September 11, 2024 / Presidential Documents 73559 

Executive Order 14126 of September 6, 2024 

Investing in America and Investing in American Workers 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: 

Section 1. Policy. The Federal Government has made significant strides 

in implementing the Investing in America agenda, a historic set of recently 

enacted laws aimed at rebuilding American infrastructure, bringing back 

American manufacturing, and catalyzing a clean energy economy. That agenda has been furthered by Executive Order 14082 of September 12, 2022 

(Implementation of the Energy and Infrastructure Provisions of the Inflation 

Reduction Act of 2022), and Executive Order 14080 of August 25, 2022 

(Implementation of the CHIPS Act of 2022). As implementation of the Investing in America agenda continues, it is essential that it supports the creation 

of well-paying jobs, especially union jobs, that improve opportunities for 

millions of Americans. Investing in American workers is critical to growing 

the economy equitably and resiliently, increasing our Nation’s competitiveness, and ensuring our Nation’s economic security. Workers understand 

the value of a good job that provides economic security for them and 

their families. Many companies also recognize that providing good-quality 

jobs while promoting workers’ free and fair choice to join a union makes 

those companies employers of choice, creating a clear competitive advantage. 

The Federal Government has long promoted high labor standards to ensure 

fair competition, stability, and efficiency on federally assisted projects. The 

use of high labor standards on federally assisted projects, such as the use 

of prevailing wages, project labor agreements, and equal employment opportunity policies, dates back almost a century. These tools ensure timely 

and economical completion of projects, provide a reliable source of highly 

skilled workers, support equitable workforce development, and improve 

worker health and safety on the job, while also improving outcomes for 

the communities in which projects are located. But these tools can and 

should be employed to a greater extent than they have been in the past. 

For instance, providing incentives for federally assisted projects with high 

labor standards—including those using collective bargaining agreements, 

project labor agreements, and certain community benefits agreements—drives 

efficient project completion while also supporting high-quality jobs, worker 

safety, and broader investment in communities. Ensuring that workers on 

federally assisted projects are paid competitive and equitable wages will 

enhance worker productivity, generate higher-quality work, and reduce turnover, providing value for taxpayers. Promoting inclusivity, with equal opportunity for all qualified workers, will help ensure that federally assisted 

projects have the workforce needed to implement the Investing in America 

agenda. 

Therefore, it is the policy of my Administration to promote the creation 

of equitable workforce development pathways for workers to obtain good 

jobs that pay family-sustaining wages, provide critical benefits, prevent workplace discrimination, ensure worker safety, and allow workers a free and 

fair chance to join a union. 

Sec. 2. Definitions. For purposes of this order: 

(a) The term ‘‘implementing agencies’’ means the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the 


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Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, the Department 

of Education, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Environmental 

Protection Agency. 

(b) The term ‘‘community benefits agreement’’ means an agreement signed 

by a developer and one or more community benefit groups—coalitions that 

are composed of neighborhood associations, faith-based organizations, 

unions, environmental groups, or other stakeholders—that identifies the community benefits a developer agrees to deliver in return for community support 

of the project. 

(c) The term ‘‘Federal financial assistance’’ means funds obtained from 

the Federal Government or borrowed on the credit of the Federal Government 

pursuant to grants (whether formula or discretionary), loans, or rebates, 

or projects undertaken pursuant to any Federal program involving such 

grants, loans, or rebates. 

(d) The term ‘‘Investing in America agenda’’ means the American Rescue 

Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117–2); the Infrastructure Investment and 

Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58); division A of Public Law 117–167, known 

as the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act 

of 2022; and Public Law 117–169, commonly referred to as the Inflation 

Reduction Act of 2022. 

(e) The term ‘‘pre-apprenticeship program’’ has the meaning given to that 

term in 29 CFR 30.2. 

(f) The term ‘‘pre-award processes’’ means the negotiations, interactions, 

and other communications between an implementing agency and an applicant 

after proposal submission and prior to award. 

(g) The term ‘‘project labor agreement’’ means a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations that establishes 

the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project 

and is an agreement described in 29 U.S.C. 158(f). 

(h) The term ‘‘registered apprenticeship’’ means an industry-driven career 

pathway through which employers can develop and prepare their future 

workforces and individuals can obtain paid training; work experience; progressive wage increases; classroom instruction; and a portable, nationally 

recognized credential. A registered apprenticeship must meet the requirements for registration as set forth in 29 CFR parts 29 and 30. 

(i) The term ‘‘underserved communities’’ refers to those populations as 

well as geographic communities that have been systematically denied the 

opportunity to participate fully in aspects of economic, social, and civic 

life, as defined in section 2 of Executive Order 13985 of January 20, 2021 

(Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities 

Through the Federal Government), section 6 of Executive Order 14020 of 

March 8, 2021 (Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council), 

and section 10 of Executive Order 14091 of February 16, 2023 (Further 

Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through 

the Federal Government), and additionally includes formerly incarcerated 

individuals. 

(j) The term ‘‘public workforce system’’ has the meaning given to the 

term ‘‘workforce development system’’ in 29 U.S.C. 3102(67). 

Sec. 3. Implementation Priorities. In selecting projects for receiving Federal 

financial assistance from the Investing in America agenda, implementing 

agencies shall consider actions that, as appropriate and consistent with 

applicable law: 

(a) Prioritize projects for selection that provide a clear plan for efficient 

project delivery by promoting positive labor-management relations. Examples 

of instruments and policies that implementing agencies could consider encouraging applicants to adopt, as appropriate, may include: project labor 

agreements, community benefits agreements, collective bargaining agreements, agreements intended to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services, 


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agreements designed to facilitate first collective bargaining agreements, voluntary union recognition, and neutrality by the employer with respect to 

union organizing. 

(b) Prioritize projects that enhance worker productivity by promoting family-sustaining wages. Examples of policies that implementing agencies could 

consider encouraging applicants to adopt, as appropriate, may include: payment of wages tied to a particular metric—such as wages not less than 

prevailing wages, the upper quartile of industry pay, or union pattern wage 

scales—including for workers in the care workforce, that is, individuals 

working in the fields of child care and long-term care; policies to promote 

equal pay and eliminate discriminatory pay practices, such as transparency 

measures; and other policies aligned with the Good Jobs Principles established by the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor on 

June 21, 2022. 

(c) Prioritize projects that supply critical benefits that promote economic 

security for workers, such as paid leave (including paid sick, family, and 

medical leave); health care; retirement benefits; and child, dependent, and 

elder care. 

(d) Prioritize projects that promote and expand access to, and put in 

place policies that combat discrimination that limits employment in, highquality jobs for workers from underserved communities. Examples of policies 

that implementing agencies could consider encouraging applicants to adopt, 

as appropriate, may include: workforce plans that contain strategies for 

recruiting, hiring, and retaining workers from underserved and local communities; policies that help prevent workplace discrimination and harassment, 

including through reporting structures and ongoing training; and participation 

in programs designed to support compliance with existing equal employment 

opportunity obligations under Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965 

(Equal Employment Opportunity), as amended, section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93–112), the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1972 (Public Law 92–540), as amended, and their 

implementing regulations. 

(e) Prioritize projects that strengthen workforce development by expanding 

worker access to high-quality training and portable credentials that lead 

to good jobs. Examples of policies that implementing agencies could consider 

encouraging applicants to adopt, as appropriate, may include: the use of 

joint labor-management partnerships that invest in union-affiliated training 

programs, registered apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship programs that 

matriculate to registered apprenticeships; partnerships with organizations 

that deliver training such as community colleges, career and technical education programs, disability service organizations, the public workforce system, and the American Climate Corps; and the provision of supportive 

services necessary to complete training such as child care and transportation 

assistance. 

(f) Prioritize projects that promote and protect worker health and safety 

through policies that encourage supplemental safety training, worker and 

union participation in the design and implementation of workplace safety 

and health management systems, and disclosure of occupational safety and 

health violations. 

Sec. 4. Implementation Approach. (a) Implementing agencies shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider the following strategies 

in connection with their Federal financial assistance programs to promote 

the implementation priorities identified in section 3 of this order: 

(i) including application evaluation criteria or selection factors that 

prioritize applicants that adopt or provide a specific plan to adopt those 

priorities; 

(ii) publishing best practice guides and other guidance to applicants to 

promote and implement those priorities, including guides on what types 


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of Federal financial assistance can be used for workforce development, 

such as supportive services; 

(iii) engaging with applicants, where appropriate, during pre-award processes to ensure that applicants understand the benefits of those priorities 

for key programs and projects; 

(iv) collecting relevant data to demonstrate funding recipients’ progress, 

including by: 

(A) requesting in funding notices or through other appropriate mechanisms that applicants address a series of ‘‘yes’’ or ‘‘no’’ questions regarding 

the implementation of those priorities to ensure transparency of labor 

practices and commitments; 

(B) using existing compliance practices (such as the collection of certified 

payrolls when applicable) to collect detailed data on job quality, equity, 

and worker empowerment; and 

(C) requesting reporting on key metrics and encouraging voluntary public 

reporting of additional relevant metrics developed by the implementing 

agency; 

(v) promoting compliance with Federal law and commitments made by 

applicants, including, as appropriate, referring alleged violations of law 

to other executive departments and agencies for a determination of whether 

circumstances warrant the issuance of financial penalties or collection 

of relief for workers harmed, withholding further Federal financial assistance pending correction of a deficiency, recovery of some or all Federal 

funds, or debarment; and 

(vi) supporting program staff and developing implementing agency expertise, including by consulting the Department of Labor and implementing 

agency labor advisors, to train program staff on how to implement those 

priorities and ensure that staff have the expertise needed to support the 

creation of good jobs through each phase of project delivery on federally 

assisted projects. 

(b) Implementing agencies shall carry out their responsibilities under this 

order consistent with their responsibilities under the Justice40 Initiative 

set forth in Executive Order 14008 of January 27, 2021 (Tackling the Climate 

Crisis at Home and Abroad). 

Sec. 5. Investing in Good Jobs Task Force. (a) There is established within 

the Executive Office of the President the Investing in Good Jobs Task Force 

(Task Force). The function of the Task Force is to coordinate policy development that supports efficient project delivery while also driving the creation 

of high-quality jobs and to otherwise support the effective implementation 

of this order. The Task Force shall be co-chaired by the Secretary of Labor 

and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of 

the National Economic Council or their designees. 

(b) In addition to the Co-Chairs, the Task Force shall consist of the 

following members or their designees: 

(i) the Secretary of the Interior; 

(ii) the Secretary of Agriculture; 

(iii) the Secretary of Commerce; 

(iv) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; 

(v) the Secretary of Transportation; 

(vi) the Secretary of Energy; 

(vii) the Secretary of Education; 

(viii) the Secretary of Homeland Security; 

(ix) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; 

(x) the Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor; 


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(xi) the Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy; 

(xii) the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality; 

(xiii) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers; 

(xiv) the Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy 

Council; 

(xv) the Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy 

Council; and 

(xvi) the heads of other executive departments, agencies, and offices as 

the Co-Chairs may from time to time invite to participate. 

(c) The Task Force shall assist implementing agencies in promoting the 

implementation priorities identified in section 3 of this order. To do so, 

the Task Force shall: 

(i) share and, as appropriate, develop best practices related to promoting 

adoption of the implementation priorities identified in section 3 of this 

order, and provide technical assistance to implementing agencies in implementing these best practices; 

(ii) support implementing agencies as they develop expertise in promoting 

efficient project delivery while also driving the creation of high-quality 

jobs; and 

(iii) engage in other appropriate activities as determined by the Task 

Force, consistent with applicable law, to support effective implementation 

of this order. 

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed 

to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, 

or the head thereof; or 

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and 

subject to the availability of appropriations. 


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(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, 

substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party 

against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, 

employees, or agents, or any other person. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

September 6, 2024. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20712 

Filed 9–10–24; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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