Worker & Community Protection

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Worker and Community Protection

Purpose

The Worker and Community Protections Subdivision (WCP) oversees the County’s regulatory compliance related to federal, state, and locally funded construction projects ensuring worker protections and economic opportunities. In this capacity, WCP provides wage rate compliance monitoring related to Texas Prevailing Wage Requirements, Davis Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) on Federal Projects, and HUD Section 3 Economic Opportunities on HUD funded projects. Our team is committed to ensuring workers are fully compensated pursuant to all applicable regulations.

Prevailing Wage

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The Prevailing Wage team monitors compliance under Texas State Government Code Section 2258 regarding prevailing wages under state and local funding. This includes Certified Payroll approvals, site visits, field observations, and worker interviews.

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DBRA

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The DBRA team oversees compliance for construction projects under Davis Bacon & Related Act (DBRA). These federal policies require minimum compensation of prevailing wages and fringe benefits to workers. DBRA staff ensure contractors and subcontractors pay laborers and mechanics employed directly upon the site of the work at least the locally prevailing wages (including fringe benefits) for the work performed.

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HUD Section 3

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The purpose of Section 3 is to ensure that employment and other economic opportunities generated by HUD assistance or HUD-assisted developments covered by Section 3 shall, to the greatest extent feasible, be directed to low- and very low-income persons, including persons who are recipients of HUD assistance for housing, with a preference for both targeted workers living in the service area or neighborhood of the Development and Youth Build participants, as defined at 24 CFR Part 75 ("Section 3 Regulations").

HUD updated Section 3 with the Federal New Rule Regulations found at 24 CFR Part 75 that became effective November 30, 2020 and implemented on July 1, 2021. Harris County DEEO has created Section 3 Policies, which are provided for your reference.

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Book a Technical Assistance Appointment (For Harris County Contractors)

DBRA (Davis-Bacon and Related Acts) and Section 3 technical assistance serve distinct but related purposes in ensuring compliance with federal labor and economic opportunity requirements particularly for federally funded construction and development projects.

Technical assistance for DBRA and Section 3 typically includes:

  • Training and Guidance: Helping contractors understand and comply with wage determinations, proper worker classification, and documentation requirements.
  • Ensuring Compliance: Educating contractors on prevailing wage laws, certified payroll reporting, and enforcement mechanisms.

If you are a Harris County contractor, there are two types of appointments you may book:

Onboarding Session:

[Subrecipients and Prime Contractors only]

Provides a comprehensive overview and step-by-step guidance for prime contractor set up in LCP Tracker to ensure Section 3 and DBRA mandatory compliance project requirements. The Onboarding session should be scheduled on or before the Notice to Proceed date.

Escalated Technical Assistance:

[Prime Contractors and Sub-Contractors only]

Provides additional support to remedy compliance documentation errors and troubleshoot issues with LCP Tracker.