Davis-Bacon Repeal Act (H.R. 8602 / S. companion) · Ohio HB 513

Two new bills — one in Congress, one in Columbus — would roll back prevailing-wage requirements on publicly funded construction. Neither has near-term momentum, but together they signal the direction the current majorities want to take, and both matter to any client bidding federal, infrastructure, or Ohio public work. Here's what each does and why it's worth tracking.

Federal — Davis-Bacon Repeal Act

Introduced May 2026 by Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) in the House (H.R. 8602) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) in the Senate, the bill would repeal the Davis-Bacon Act — the 1931 law requiring contractors on federal construction contracts over $2,000 to pay locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits. The CBO has scored repeal at roughly $17.8 billion in federal savings over a decade; the Senate version carries several Republican cosponsors.

Management upside: Repeal would remove the prevailing-wage floor and the associated certified-payroll (WH-347) compliance burden — which DOL recently made more onerous, with penalties now $13,508 per violation. That's a clear win for open-shop and merit-shop contractors and would erode the union wage advantage on federal jobs.

Reality check: This is realistically a messaging bill with little near-term momentum — introduced, no committee action yet, long odds of passage. But it's ideologically aligned with the administration's deregulatory posture and worth tracking for companies that bid federal or infrastructure work.

Ohio — House Bill 513

Introduced by Reps. Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Meredith Craig (R-Smithville), HB 513 would end the state prevailing-wage mandate on public improvements and make it a local option. It does not abolish prevailing wage outright — instead, local governments, special districts, and state colleges could choose whether to apply it, and the bill raises the project threshold that triggers coverage. The bill sits in the House Commerce and Labor Committee awaiting a first hearing.

Why it matters: For contractors bidding Ohio public work, a local-option regime would create a patchwork — some jurisdictions keeping prevailing wage, others dropping it — changing how you price and staff public bids. Still early stage with no near-term action expected, but squarely relevant to your public-work pipeline.

Bottom line

• Neither bill is moving yet — no immediate compliance change. Keep paying prevailing wage and filing certified payroll as required.
• If you bid federal or Ohio public work, flag both for tracking; a shift in either would directly affect bid pricing, labor cost, and your competitive position against union shops.
• We'll alert you if either advances to committee or a floor vote — reach out if you want to model the cost impact of a repeal on your project mix now.

Provided by Matt Austin Labor Law for general informational purposes; reflects pending-legislation status as of June 8, 2026. Not legal advice and

does not create an attorney-client relationship. Status can change rapidly — contact us to discuss how this affects your organization.

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