BILL REQ. #:  S-3368.1 

Read first time 01/25/12.   Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce & Consumer Protection.

     AN ACT Relating to employers who pay the prevailing wage on public works; and amending RCW 39.12.015 and 39.12.040.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 39.12.015 and 1965 ex.s. c 133 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     All determinations of the prevailing rate of wage shall be made by the industrial statistician of the department of labor and industries. An employer who pays an employee a prevailing rate of wage based on a previous written determination by the industrial statistician is not subject to a wage complaint under chapter 49.48 RCW from that employee claiming the employer paid an incorrect rate of wage.

Sec. 2   RCW 39.12.040 and 2009 c 219 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, before payment is made by or on behalf of the state, or any county, municipality, or political subdivision created by its laws, of any sum or sums due on account of a public works contract, it shall be the duty of the officer or person charged with the custody and disbursement of public funds to require the contractor and each and every subcontractor from the contractor or a subcontractor to submit to such officer a "Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages". For a contract in excess of ten thousand dollars, the statement of intent to pay prevailing wages shall include:
     (a) The contractor's registration certificate number; and
     (b) The prevailing rate of wage for each classification of workers entitled to prevailing wages under RCW 39.12.020 and the estimated number of workers in each classification.
     Each statement of intent to pay prevailing wages must be approved by the industrial statistician of the department of labor and industries before it is submitted to said officer. Unless otherwise authorized by the department of labor and industries, each voucher claim submitted by a contractor for payment on a project estimate shall state that the prevailing wages have been paid in accordance with the prefiled statement or statements of intent to pay prevailing wages on file with the public agency. Following the final acceptance of a public works project, it shall be the duty of the officer charged with the disbursement of public funds, to require the contractor and each and every subcontractor from the contractor or a subcontractor to submit to such officer an "Affidavit of Wages Paid" before the funds retained according to the provisions of RCW 60.28.011 are released to the contractor. Each affidavit of wages paid must be certified by the industrial statistician of the department of labor and industries before it is submitted to said officer.
     (2) As an alternate to the procedures provided for in subsection (1) of this section, for public works projects of two thousand five hundred dollars or less and for projects where the limited public works process under RCW 39.04.155(3) is followed:
     (a) An awarding agency may authorize the contractor or subcontractor to submit the statement of intent to pay prevailing wages directly to the officer or person charged with the custody or disbursement of public funds in the awarding agency without approval by the industrial statistician of the department of labor and industries. The awarding agency shall retain such statement of intent to pay prevailing wages for a period of not less than three years.
     (b) Upon final acceptance of the public works project, the awarding agency shall require the contractor or subcontractor to submit an affidavit of wages paid. Upon receipt of the affidavit of wages paid, the awarding agency may pay the contractor or subcontractor in full, including funds that would otherwise be retained according to the provisions of RCW 60.28.011. Within thirty days of receipt of the affidavit of wages paid, the awarding agency shall submit the affidavit of wages paid to the industrial statistician of the department of labor and industries for approval.
     (c) A statement of intent to pay prevailing wages and an affidavit of wages paid shall be on forms approved by the department of labor and industries.
     (d) In the event of a wage claim and a finding for the claimant by the department of labor and industries where the awarding agency has used the alternative process provided for in subsection (2) of this section, the awarding agency shall pay the wages due directly to the claimant. If the contractor or subcontractor did not pay the wages stated in the affidavit of wages paid, the awarding agency may take action at law to seek reimbursement from the contractor or subcontractor of wages paid to the claimant, and may prohibit the contractor or subcontractor from bidding on any public works contract of the awarding agency for up to one year.
     (e) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to allow an awarding agency to subdivide any public works project of more than two thousand five hundred dollars for the purpose of circumventing the procedures required by ((RCW 39.12.040(1))) subsection (1) of this section.
     (3) A contractor who has paid prevailing wages pursuant to a certified "affidavit of wages paid" form is not subject to any department action for allegedly paying an incorrect rate of wage; and is not subject to a wage complaint made pursuant to chapter 49.48 RCW from an employee claiming the contractor paid an incorrect rate of wage.