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Bill

S 1318

An Act relative to compliance with the prevailing wage laws of the Commonwealth

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Mike Brady and 23 co-sponsors

S 1318 strengthens Massachusetts prevailing wage law enforcement on public construction projects to ensure workers receive union-scale compensation and penalize non-compliant contractors.

Hearing scheduled for 10/28/2025 from 10:00 AM-02:00 PM in A-1
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 1318

Legislative bill overview

S 1318 aims to strengthen enforcement and compliance mechanisms for Massachusetts's prevailing wage laws, which require workers on public construction projects to be paid union-scale wages. The bill addresses gaps in how the state monitors, investigates, and penalizes violations of these wage requirements.

Why is this important

Prevailing wage laws are designed to prevent wage suppression on publicly-funded projects and protect construction workers from underpayment. Weak enforcement undermines these protections and can shift costs to taxpayers while disadvantaging compliant contractors. This bill directly affects how thousands of construction workers on state-funded projects are compensated and which contractors win public bids.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost implications: Stronger enforcement and higher prevailing wages increase project costs for taxpayers and may reduce the number of projects government can fund with available budgets
  • Competitive disadvantage: Contractors argue that prevailing wage requirements make them uncompetitive for private work and may reduce industry growth and job creation in non-public sectors
  • Enforcement burden: The bill likely creates new administrative requirements and inspections that government agencies must staff and fund, raising implementation costs
  • Definition disputes: Disagreement over what constitutes adequate compliance, appropriate wage calculations, and which workers qualify for prevailing wage protections

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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