Source: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/bill_status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB361%20SUB1%20enr.htm&yr=2015&sesstype=RS&i=361
Timestamp: 2017-12-16 20:49:04
Document Index: 585066957

Matched Legal Cases: ['§21', '§21', '§21', '§21', '§21', '§21', '§21', '§21', '§21']

(Senator Blair, original sponsor)
[Passed March 3, 2015; to take effect April 13, 2015.]
AN ACT to amend and reenact §21-5A-1, §21-5A-2, §21-5A-3, §21-5A-5, §21-5A-6, §21-5A-8, §21-5A-10 and §21-5A-11 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §21-5A-12, all relating to the fair minimum rate of wages; eliminating, modifying and defining terms; providing for determination and methodology of determining fair minimum rate of wages by Workforce West Virginia; applying fair minimum rate of wages based on monetary threshold; establishing prevailing wages at specific intervals and exception; providing for review of determinations and methodology; addressing data used in determining prevailing wage rates; providing limitation on use of confidential, individual proprietor-level data and excluding from definition of public record under section three, article one, chapter twenty-nine-b; requiring contract provisions and exceptions; keeping wage records; requiring Workforce West Virginia to propose emergency and legislative rules; and providing provisions of article are severable.
(1) The term "public authority", as used in this article, shall mean any officer, board or commission or other agency of the State of West Virginia, or any political subdivision thereof, authorized by law to enter into a contract for the construction of a public improvement, including any institution supported, in whole or in part, by public funds of the State of West Virginia or its political subdivisions.
(6) The term "employee", for the purposes of this article, shall not be construed to include such persons as are employed or hired by the public authority on a regular or temporary basis or engaged in making temporary or emergency repairs.
(7) The term “public money” means funds obtained by a public authority through taxes, fees, fines or penalties. For purposes of this article, public money does not include funds obtained by private donation, contribution, fundraising or insurance proceeds.
(8) The term “wages” means the hourly rate paid for work performed by an employee for an employer.
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State of West Virginia that a wage of no less than the prevailing hourly rate of wages for work of a similar character in the regions of this state in which the construction is performed shall be paid to all workers employed by or on behalf of any public authority engaged in the construction of public improvements.
Any public authority authorized to let to contract the construction of a public improvement shall, before advertising for bids for the construction thereof, ascertain from Workforce West Virginia, the fair minimum rate of wages to be paid by the successful bidder to the laborers, workers or mechanics in the various branches or classes of the construction to be performed; and such schedule of wages shall be made a part of the specifications for the construction and shall be published in an electronic or other medium and incorporated in the bidding blanks by reference when approved by Workforce West Virginia where the construction is to be performed by contract. The fair minimum rate of wages, for the intents and purposes of this article, shall be the prevailing rate of wages paid in the regions of this state as hereinbefore defined to the workers, laborers or mechanics in the same trade or occupation in the construction industry. Workforce West Virginia shall assemble the data as to the fair minimum wage rates and shall file wage rates. Rates shall be established and filed as hereinafter provided on January 1, of each year, unless otherwise specified within this article. These rates shall prevail as the minimum wage rate for all public improvements for which bids are asked during the year beginning with the date when such new rates are filed and, until the new rates are filed, the rates for the preceding year shall remain in effect: Provided, That such rates shall not remain in effect for a period longer than fifteen months from the date they are published, but this provision shall not affect construction of a public improvement then underway: Provided, however, That this section applies only to contracts let for public improvements whose cost at the time the contract is awarded will be paid with public money in an amount greater than $500,000.
(1) Workforce West Virginia, in coordination with the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research and the Center for Business and Economic Research at Marshall University in furtherance of section four, article three, chapter eighteen-b of this code, shall investigate and determine the prevailing hourly rate of wages in the regions of this state. Determinations thereof shall be made annually on January 1 of each year, unless otherwise specified within this article, and shall remain in effect during the successive year: Provided, That such rates shall not remain in effect for a period longer than fifteen months from the date they are published. A copy of the determination so made, certified by Workforce West Virginia, shall be filed immediately with the Secretary of State.
(3) On or before July 1, 2015, Workforce West Virginia, in coordination with the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research and the Center for Business and Economic Research at Marshall University, shall determine the prevailing hourly rate of wages for the remainder of 2015 in accordance with the approved methodology set forth in subsection (2) of this section: Provided, That if the determination is not in place on July 1, 2015, for any reason, no prevailing hourly rate of wages shall be in effect until the determination is made: Provided, however, That in the event the determination is not in place on July 1, 2015, the Joint Committee on Government and Finance may extend the deadline to a date thereafter, but, in any event, no later than September 30, 2015. During the extension period only, the prevailing wage in place prior to July 1, 2015, shall remain the prevailing wage: Provided further, That in the event the determination is not in place at the conclusion of such extension period, no prevailing hourly rate of wages shall be in effect until the determination is made.
(6) Any confidential, individual proprietor-level data submitted to Workforce West Virginia, the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research or the Center for Business and Economic Research at Marshall University for the purpose of determining the prevailing rates may not be used for any purpose other than the calculation of the prevailing wage rates: Provided, That any such data may be available for purposes of the appeals process referenced in section eleven of this article: Provided, however, That any confidential, individual proprietor-level data submitted to Workforce West Virginia, the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research or the Center for Business and Economic Research at Marshall University for the purpose of determining the prevailing wage rates shall not be considered a public record for purposes of section three, article one, chapter twenty-nine-b of this code.
In cases where any public authority has ascertained a fair minimum rate or rates of wages as herein provided, and construction of a public improvement is let to contract, the contract executed between the public authority and the successful bidder shall contain a provision requiring the successful bidder and all his or her subcontractors to pay a rate or rates of wages which shall not be less than the fair minimum rate or rates of wages as provided by this article: Provided, That the provisions of this article only apply to contracts let for public improvements whose cost at the time the contract is awarded will be paid with public money in an amount greater than $500,000.
The contractor and each subcontractor or the officer of the public authority in charge of the construction of a public improvement shall keep an accurate record showing the names and occupations of all such skilled laborers, workers and mechanics employed by them, in connection with the construction on the public improvement and showing also the actual wages paid to each of the skilled laborers, workers and mechanics, which record shall be open at all reasonable hours to the inspection of Workforce West Virginia and the public authority which let the contract, its officers and agents. It shall not be necessary to preserve such record for a period longer than three years after the termination of the contract.
This article shall apply only to contracts for construction on public improvements let after the effective date of this article and to construction on public improvements for which there has been determined, pursuant to section five of this article, the fair minimum wage rates.
(b) Any legislative rule in effect prior to the effective date of this article implementing the provisions of this article is hereby repealed..