42 USC § 3212 - Maintenance of standards

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s3212"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 3212 - Maintenance of standards"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "3212"
section_name: "Maintenance of standards"
chapter_number: 38
chapter_name: "PUBLIC WORKS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT"
subchapter_number: "VI"
subchapter_name: "MISCELLANEOUS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 89–136, title VI, § 602, formerly title VII, § 712, Aug. 26, 1965, 79 Stat. 575; Pub. L. 93–567, title III, § 302, Dec. 31, 1974, 88 Stat. 1855; renumbered title VI, § 602, and amended Pub. L. 105–393, title I, § 102(b)(1), (2), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3616; Pub. L. 108–373, title V, § 504, Oct. 27, 2004, 118 Stat. 1769.)"
---


# § 3212. Maintenance of standards

64 Stat. 1267section 3145 of title 40

All laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors on projects assisted by the Secretary under this chapter shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40. The Secretary shall not extend any financial assistance under this chapter for such a project without first obtaining adequate assurance that these labor standards will be maintained upon the construction work. The Secretary of Labor shall have, with respect to the labor standards specified in this provision, the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (15 F.R. 3176; ), and .

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 89–136, title VI, § 602, formerly title VII, § 712, Aug. 26, 1965, 79 Stat. 575; Pub. L. 93–567, title III, § 302, Dec. 31, 1974, 88 Stat. 1855; renumbered title VI, § 602, and amended Pub. L. 105–393, title I, § 102(b)(1), (2), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3616; Pub. L. 108–373, title V, § 504, Oct. 27, 2004, 118 Stat. 1769.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950, referred to in text, is set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to  prior to renumbering by .

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 3212, , , , related to prevention of unfair competition, prior to repeal by .

A prior  was classified to  prior to repeal by .

### Amendments

2004— substituted “in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40” for “in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (–5)” in first sentence and “” for “, as amended ()” in third sentence.

1998—, substituted section catchline for former section catchline.

, which directed amendment of text by substituting “this chapter” for “sections 3131, 3141, 3142, 3171, 3243, and 3246b of this title” in second sentence, was executed by making the substitution for phrase which began with “section 3131” rather than “sections 3131”, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

1974— inserted references to sections 3243 and 3236b of this title.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as an Effective Date note under .