Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors

AGENCY:

Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor.

ACTION:

Proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period.

SUMMARY:

This document extends the period for submitting written comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), “Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors.” The comment period now ends on August 27, 2021. The Department of Labor (Department) is taking this action to provide interested parties additional time to submit comments in response to a request to extend the comment period.

DATES:

The comment period for the proposed rule published July 22, 2021, at 86 FR 38816, is extended. Comments must be received on this notice of proposed rulemaking on or before August 27, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by Regulatory Information Number (RIN) 1235-AA41, by either of the following methods: Electronic Comments: Submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Mail: Address written submissions to Division of Regulations, Legislation, and Interpretation, Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-3502, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. Instructions: Please submit only one copy of your comments by only one method. Commenters submitting file attachments on www.regulations.gov are advised that uploading text-recognized documents—i.e., documents in a native file format or documents which have undergone optical character recognition (OCR)—enable staff at the Department to more easily search and retrieve specific content included in your comment for consideration. Anyone who submits a comment (including duplicate comments) should understand and expect that the comment will become a matter of public record and will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided. The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) posts comments gathered and submitted by a third-party organization as a group under a single document ID number on https://www.regulations.gov. Comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. on August 27, 2021 for consideration in this rulemaking. Commenters should transmit comments early to ensure timely receipt prior to the close of the comment period, as the Department continues to experience delays in the receipt of mail. Submit only one copy of your comments by only one method. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Amy DeBisschop, Director of the Division of Regulations, Legislation, and Interpretation, Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-3502, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210, telephone: (202) 693-0406 (this is not a toll-free number). Accessible Format: Copies of this notice of proposed rulemaking may be obtained in alternative formats (Rich Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, large print, braille, audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format), upon request, by calling (202) 693-0675 (this is not a toll-free number). TTY/TDD callers may dial toll-free (877) 889-5627 to obtain information or request materials in alternative formats.

Questions of interpretation or enforcement of the agency's existing regulations may be directed to the nearest WHD district office. Locate the nearest office by calling the WHD's toll-free help line at (866) 4US-WAGE ((866) 487-9243) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. in your local time zone, or log onto WHD's website at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/local-offices for a nationwide listing of WHD district and area offices.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

On April 27, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. issued Executive Order 14026, “Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors.” This Executive order explains that increasing the hourly minimum wage paid to workers performing on or in connection with covered federal contracts to $15.00 beginning January 30, 2022 will “bolster economy and efficiency in Federal procurement.” 86 FR 22835. The order builds on the foundation established by Executive Order 13658, “Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors,” which was signed by President Barack Obama on February 12, 2014. See 79 FR 9851. On July 22, 2021, the Department published a NPRM, “Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors,” RIN 1235-AA41, and invited public comments. See 86 FR 38816. The comment period was scheduled to close August 23, 2021. A request was made to extend the comment period. The Department is granting this request in part and extending the comment period to August 27, 2021.