Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that amends the method of calculation for the prevailing hourly wage for public projects.

Highlights:

• Requires construction employers to pay the prevailing hourly wage as determined by Workforce West Virginia to workers employed by or on behalf of a public authority in public improvements costing at least $500,000 (Secs. 5 & 6).

• Requires Workforce West Virginia, in coordination with the economic departments at University of West Virginia and Marshall University, to determine the following relating to prevailing wages (Sec. 5):

• Determine an “approved methodology” for calculating the prevailing hourly wage and present the methodology for review to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance by June 1, 2015;

• Determine the prevailing hourly rates of wages for the remainder of 2015 using the methodology by July 1, 2015; and

• Review the methodology every 3rd year after 2015.

• Authorizes the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to extend the deadline to a date before September 30, 2015, during which the prevailing wage shall remain the same but will expire thereafter in the event that the determination is not in place by July 1, 2015 (Sec. 5).

• Authorizes Workforce West Virginia to consolidate written objections regarding the methodology for calculating the prevailing hourly rate of wages (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits confidential data submitted to Workforce West Virginia and adjoining institutions for the purpose of determining prevailing rates and written objections from being used for any other purpose (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the method of calculation for the prevailing hourly wage for public projects.

Highlights:

• Requires construction employers to pay the prevailing hourly wage as determined by Workforce West Virginia to workers employed by or on behalf of a public authority in public improvements costing at least $500,000 (Secs. 5 & 6).

• Requires Workforce West Virginia, in coordination with the economic departments at University of West Virginia and Marshall University, to determine the following relating to prevailing wages (Sec. 5):

• Determine an “approved methodology” for calculating the prevailing hourly wage and present the methodology for review to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance by June 1, 2015;

• Determine the prevailing hourly rates of wages for the remainder of 2015 using the methodology by July 1, 2015; and

• Review the methodology every 3rd year after 2015.

• Authorizes the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to extend the deadline to a date before September 30, 2015, during which the prevailing wage shall remain the same but will expire thereafter in the event that the determination is not in place by July 1, 2015 (Sec. 5).

• Authorizes Workforce West Virginia to consolidate written objections regarding the methodology for calculating the prevailing hourly rate of wages (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits confidential data submitted to Workforce West Virginia and adjoining institutions for the purpose of determining prevailing rates and written objections from being used for any other purpose (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the prevailing minimum hourly wage requirements for public improvement projects.

Highlights:

• Requires an employer engaged in a public improvement project that costs $500,000 or more to pay its employees the prevailing minimum wage (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes Workforce West Virginia, in coordination with the economic departments at the University of West Virginia and Marshall University, to determine the prevailing minimum wage for public improvement projects on an annual basis and to conduct regular reviews of such methodology (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text