Us Code § 3144 - Authority to pay wages and list contractors violating contracts

Full text of Us Code United States Code § 3144 — Authority to pay wages and list contractors violating contracts, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 3144. Authority to pay wages and list contractors violating contracts

(a) Payment of Wages.—

(1) In general.—The Secretary of Labor shall pay directly to laborers and mechanics from any accrued payments withheld under the terms of a contract any wages found to be due laborers and mechanics under this subchapter.

(2) Right of action.—If the accrued payments withheld under the terms of the contract are insufficient to reimburse all the laborers and mechanics who have not been paid the wages required under this subchapter, the laborers and mechanics have the same right to bring a civil action and intervene against the contractor and the contractor's sureties as is conferred by law on persons furnishing labor or materials. In those proceedings it is not a defense that the laborers and mechanics accepted or agreed to accept less than the required rate of wages or voluntarily made refunds.


(b) List of Contractors Violating Contracts.—

(1) In general.—The Comptroller General shall distribute to all departments of the Federal Government a list of the names of persons whom the Comptroller General has found to have disregarded their obligations to employees and subcontractors.

(2) Restriction on awarding contracts.—No contract shall be awarded to persons appearing on the list or to any firm, corporation, partnership, or association in which the persons have an interest until three years have elapsed from the date of publication of the list.

(Pub. L. 107–217, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1152; Pub. L. 113–50, §2(a), Nov. 21, 2013, 127 Stat. 578.)

Historical and Revision Notes
Revised

Section

Source (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large)
3144(a)(1) 40:276a–2(a) (1st sentence words before semicolon). Mar. 3, 1931, ch. 411, §3, 46 Stat. 1494; Aug. 30, 1935, ch. 825, 49 Stat. 1012.
3144(a)(2) 40:276a–2(b).
3144(b) 40:276a–2(a) (1st sentence words after semicolon, last sentence).

In subsection (b), the words "or firms" are omitted as being included in "persons".


Editorial Notes

Amendments

2013—Pub. L. 113–50, §2(a)(1), struck out "of Comptroller General" after "Authority" in section catchline.

Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–50, §2(a)(2), substituted "Secretary of Labor" for "Comptroller General".

About This Section

40 U.S.C. § 3144 is part of Title 40 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.

This section may be cited in legal writing as 40 U.S.C. § 3144. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.

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Sources

Source: official Us Code text · Last verified 2026-08-27

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Frequently Asked Questions About Us Code § 3144

What does United States Code § 3144 cover?

Section 3144 ("Authority to pay wages and list contractors violating contracts") is part of the United States Code, the codified statutory law of Us Code. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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