To provide for the creation of an additional category of laborers or mechanics known as helpers under the Davis-Bacon Act.

September 27, 2005

Mrs. BLACKBURN (for herself and Mr. NORWOOD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

To provide for the creation of an additional category of laborers or mechanics known as helpers under the Davis-Bacon Act.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Helpers Job Opportunity Act'.

SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF DAVIS-BACON ACT.

(a) General Rule- Helpers of laborers and mechanics shall be considered to be a separate classification of laborers or mechanics for purposes of subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code (40 U.S.C. 3141 et seq.), commonly known as the Davis-Bacon Act. A helper of a laborer or mechanic shall be paid the prevailing wage of helpers of laborers or mechanics employed on projects which are of a character similar to the project on which the helper is employed and which are in the same city, town, or other subdivision of the State (or District of Columbia) in which the helper is employed.

(b) Definition- For purposes of subsection (a), the term `helper' means a semi-skilled worker (other than a skilled journeyman mechanic) who--

(1) works under the direction of and assists a journeyman;

(2) under the journeyman's direction and supervision, performs a variety of duties to assist the journeyman, such as preparing, carrying, and furnishing materials, tools, equipment, and supplies, maintaining them in order, cleaning and preparing work areas, lifting, positioning, and holding materials or tools, and other related semi-skilled tasks as directed by the journeyman; and

(3) may use tools of the trade at and under the direction and supervision of the journeyman.

END