Source: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/216
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 02:07:29+00:00

Document:
In any action or proceeding commenced prior to, on, or after August 8, 1956, no employer shall be subject to any liability or punishment under this chapter or the Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947 [29 U.S.C. 251 et seq.] on account of his failure to comply with any provision or provisions of this chapter or such Act (1) with respect to work heretofore or hereafter performed in a workplace to which the exemption in section 213(f) of this title is applicable, (2) with respect to work performed in Guam, the Canal Zone or Wake Island before the effective date of this amendment of subsection (d), or (3) with respect to work performed in a possession named in section 206(a)(3)  of this title at any time prior to the establishment by the Secretary, as provided therein, of a minimum wage rate applicable to such work.
The Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947, referred to in subsec. (d), is act May 14, 1947, ch. 52, 61 Stat. 84, as amended, which is classified principally to chapter 9 (§ 251 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 251 of this title and Tables.
The effective date of this amendment of subsection (d), referred to in subsec. (d), occurred upon the expiration of 90 days after Aug. 30, 1957. See section 2 of Pub. L. 85–231, set out as an Effective Date of 1957 Amendment note under section 213 of this title.
Section 206(a)(3) of this title, referred to in subsec. (d)(3), was repealed and section 206(a)(4) of this title was redesignated section 206(a)(3) by Pub. L. 110–28, title VIII, § 8103(c)(1)(B), May 25, 2007, 121 Stat. 189.
For information regarding constitutionality of certain provisions of section 16 of act June 25, 1938, as amended by section 6(d)(1) of Pub. L. 93–259, see Congressional Research Service, The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation, Appendix 1, Acts of Congress Held Unconstitutional in Whole or in Part by the Supreme Court of the United States.
2018—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–141, § 1201(b)(1), inserted “Any employer who violates section 203(m)(2)(B) of this title shall be liable to the employee or employees affected in the amount of the sum of any tip credit taken by the employer and all such tips unlawfully kept by the employer, and in an additional equal amount as liquidated damages.” after second sentence and struck out “either of” after “liability prescribed in”.
2008—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 110–233 amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (e) related to civil penalties for child labor violations.
1996—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–174 in first sentence substituted “of section 212 of this title or section 213(c)(5) of this title” for “of section 212 of this title” and “under section 212 of this title or section 213(c)(5) of this title” for “under that section”.
1989—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 101–157 inserted “or any person who repeatedly or willfully violates section 206 or 207 of this title” in introductory provisions and inserted “or a repeated or willful violation of section 215(a)(2) of this title” in par. (3).
1977—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–151, § 10(a), (b), inserted provisions relating to violations of section 215(a)(3) of this title by employers, “(1)” after “section 217 of this title in which”, and cl. (2), and substituted “An action to recover the liability prescribed in either of the preceding sentences” for “Action to recover such liability”.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–151, § 10(c), inserted “to recover the liability specified in the first sentence of such subsection” after “an action by or on behalf of any employee”.
1974—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 93–259, § 6(d)(1), substituted in second sentence “maintained against any employer (including a public agency) in any Federal or State court” for “maintained in any court”.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 93–259, § 25(c), added subsec. (e).
1966—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 89–601 substituted “statutes of limitations” for “two-year statute of limitations”.
1961—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 87–30 provided for termination of right of action upon commencement of injunction proceedings by the Secretary of Labor.
1957—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 85–231 added cls. (1) and (2) and designated existing provisions as cl. (3).
1956—Subsec. (d). Act Aug. 8, 1956, added subsec. (d).
1949—Subsec. (c). Act Oct. 26, 1949, added subsec. (c).
1947—Subsec. (b). Act May 14, 1947, struck out provisions relating to the designation by employee or employees of an agent or representative to maintain an action under this section for and on behalf of all employees similarly situated and inserted provisions relating to the requirement that no employee shall be a party plaintiff unless he gives his consent in writing and such consent is filed with the court.
Amendment by Pub. L. 85–231 effective upon expiration of ninety days from Aug. 30, 1957, see section 2 of Pub. L. 85–231, set out as a note under section 213 of this title.
Functions relating to enforcement and administration of equal pay provisions vested by subsecs. (b) and (c) of this section in Secretary of Labor transferred to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1978, § 1, 43 F.R. 19807, 92 Stat. 3781, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, effective Jan. 1, 1979, as provided by section 1–101 of Ex. Ord. No. 12106, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1053.
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of Labor, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of Labor, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 6 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263, set out in the Appendix to Title 5.
Act Oct. 26, 1949, ch. 736, § 16(d), 63 Stat. 920, provided that actions based upon acts or omissions occurring prior to the effective date of act Oct. 26, 1949, which was to be effective ninety days after Oct. 26, 1949, were not prevented by the amendments made to sections 202 to 208, and 211 to 217 of this title by such act, so long as such actions were instituted within two years from such effective date.

References: § 8103
 § 1201
 § 10
 § 10
 § 6
 § 25
 § 1
 § 16