[Comments on Apparent Clerical Error in H.R. 2216]

B-146842, Mar 4, 1988, 88-1 CPD ***, Office of General Counsel

PROCUREMENT - Socio-Economic Policies - Labor Standards - Fringe Benefits - Wage Underpayment - Payment Procedures PROCUREMENT - Socio-Economic Policies - Labor Standards - GAO Procedures - Procedural Changes DIGEST: By these letters, we inform the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and Labor and its Subcommittee on Labor Standards about a clerical error in H.R. 2216, "to amend the Act of March 3, 1931 (known as the Davis-Bacon Act) to revise the standard for coverage under the Act and for other purposes," 100th Cong., 1st Sess. (1987), as reported to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union on February 9, 1988. The error placed the ministerial function of making payments to underpaid employees under the Act with the Comptroller General, rather than transferring the function to the Secretary of Labor. We suggested language to correct the error.

The Honorable Augustus F. Hawkins Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, United States House of Representatives:

At the suggestion of Mr. James C. Riley, Counsel for your Committee's Subcommittee on Labor Standards, and with the concurrence of Ms. Adrienne Fields, Legislative Analyst for your Committee, we write to bring to your attention an apparent clerical error in H.R. 2216, a bill "to amend the Act of March 3, 1931 (known as the Davis-Bacon Act) to revise the standard for coverage under that Act and for other purposes," 100th Cong., 1st Sess. (1987), as reported to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union on February 9, 1988.

We believe one of the provisions of this bill was intended to transfer to the Secretary of Labor the Comptroller General's ministerial function of making payments to underpaid employees under the Act. The language to accomplish this was included in the bill as reported to your Committee by the House Subcommittee on Labor Standards on June 24, 1987, as indicated in enclosure I. Your Committee reported the bill to the Committee of the Whole House with amendments not related to this provision. In the process of preparing the bill to be reported, it appears that a clerical error was made switching the function back to the Comptroller General, as indicated in enclosure II.

We request that you take whatever steps you can to correct this error. For your consideration, we have prepared suggested language to make the correction.

We appreciate any assistance you can give us in this matter. A similar letter is being sent to Chairman Austin J. Murphy of the Subcommittee.

(ENCLOSURE OMITTED)