I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 824 

To provide back pay to Federal contractors, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 28, 2019 

Mr. NORCROSS (for himself and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and 

in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, for a period to 

be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To provide back pay to Federal contractors, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fairness for Federal 

5 Contractors Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. APPROPRIATION. 

7 There is hereby appropriated, out of any money in 

8 the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal 

9 year ending September 30, 2019, such sums as may be 


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1 necessary for each Federal agency subject to the lapse in 

2 appropriations that began on or about December 22, 

3 2018, for adjustments in the price of contracts of such 

4 agency under section 3. 

5 SEC. 3. BACK COMPENSATION FOR FEDERAL CONTRAC6 TORS IN CONNECTION WITH THE LAPSE IN 

7 APPROPRIATIONS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Each Federal agency subject to 

9 the lapse in appropriations that began on or about Decem10 ber 22, 2018, shall adjust the price of any contract of such 

11 agency for which the contractor was ordered to suspend, 

12 delay, or interrupt all or part of the work of such contract, 

13 or stop all or any part of the work called for in such con14 tract, as a result of the lapse in appropriations to com15 pensate the contractor for reasonable costs incurred— 

16 (1) to provide compensation, at an employee’s 

17 standard rate of compensation, to any employee who 

18 was furloughed or laid off, or who was not working, 

19 who experienced a reduction of hours, or who experi20 enced a reduction in compensation, as a result of the 

21 lapse in appropriations (for the period of the lapse); 

22 or 

23 (2) to restore paid leave taken by any employee 

24 during the lapse in appropriations, if the contractor 


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1 required employees to use paid leave as a result of 

2 the lapse in appropriations. 

3 (b) LIMITATION ON AMOUNT OF WEEKLY COM4 PENSATION COVERED BY ADJUSTMENT.—The maximum 

5 amount of weekly compensation of an employee for which 

6 an adjustment may be made under subsection (a) may not 

7 exceed the lesser of— 

8 (1) the employee’s actual weekly compensation; 

9 or 

10 (2) $1,400. 

11 (c) TIMING OF ADJUSTMENTS.—The adjustments re12 quired by subsection (a) shall be made as soon as prac13 ticable after the end of the lapse in appropriations de14 scribed in that subsection. 

15 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

16 (1) The term ‘‘compensation’’ has the meaning 

17 given that term in section 6701 of title 41, United 

18 States Code. 

19 (2) The term ‘‘employee’’ means the following: 

20 (A) A ‘‘service employee’’ as that term is 

21 defined in section 6701(3) of title 41, United 

22 States Code, except that the term also includes 

23 service employees described in subparagraph 

24 (C) of that section notwithstanding that sub25 paragraph. 


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1 (B) A ‘‘laborer or mechanic’’ covered by 

2 section 3142 of title 40, United States Code. 

Æ 


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