U.S. Department of Labor 
Employment Standards Administration 
Wage and Hour Division
Washington, D.C. 20210
NOV 18 1983
MEMORANDUM NO. 136
TO: ALL CONTRACTING AGENCIES OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA
FROM: WILLIAM M. OTTER 
Administrator
SUBJECT: Revision of Service Contract Act
Regulations, 29 CFR Part 4
On October 27, 1983, the Department of Labor published revised
final regulations on Labor Standards for Federal Service
Contracts, 29 CFR Part 4, issued under the Service Contract
Act (SCA). A copy of the revised regulations, which includes
a discussion in the preamble outlining the major changes, is
attached.
The purpose of this memorandum is to highlight these major
Changes and to supplement the information contained in the
regulatory text and preamble sections, in order to assure that
contracting agencies will be aware of their responsibilities
and DOL operating policies under the SCA. In this regard,
agencies are reminded of the need to make appropriate changes
in their procurement regulations and contract documents to
reflect in full the revised contract clauses contained in
these regulations. For convenience, we have noted below the
effective dates of applicability of the revisions and summarized
the major regulatory changes in sequential order, with explana-
tory information where necessary.
Dates of Applicability
Many of the provisions contained in these regulations reflect
existing policies and interpretations of the Act or are pro-
cedural in nature. However, significant changes have been made
with respect to contract clauses, contract coverage, exemptions
from coverage, and provisions relating to wage determinations,
including those issued pursuant to section 4(c) of the Act.
Because existing contracts contain SCA provisions and wage
determinations issued under the regulations and policies in
existence when the contracts were awarded, the substantive
revisions relating to the above-mentioned matters are
prospective only. Accordingly, the revisions to sections













2
4.1b (Payment of minimum compensation based on collectively
bargained wage rates and fringe benefits applicable to
employment under predecessor contract), 4.4 (Notice of
intention to make a service contract), 4.5 (Contract
specification of determined minimum wages and fringe benefits),
and 4.6 (Labor standards clauses for Federal service contracts
exceeding $2,500) of Subpart A; sections 4.116 (Contracts for
construction activity), 4.117 (Work subject to requirements
of Walsh-Healey Act), 4.123(e) (Administrative limitations,
variations, tolerances, and exemptions), 4.132 (Services and
other items to be furnished under a single contract), and
4.133 (Beneficiary of contract services) of Subpart C; and
sections 4.163(g) and (i) (Section 4(c) of the Act), and
4.168(b) (Cost of maintaining and furnishing uniforms) of
Subpart D of Part 4 are applicable only to contracts entered
into pursuant to invitations for bids issued or negotiations
concluded on or after December 27, 1983. None of the
revisions noted above shall be applicable to any contract
entered into prior to that date. The remaining provisions of
Subparts A, B, C, D, and E are effective on December 27, 1983.
It should also be noted that these regulations incorporate
some of the regulatory changes which were to have been codified
in the final rules previously published in January 1981 and
subsequently deferred, as well as other changes resulting
from the Department's reexamination of the deferred rules. In
addition, the attached document incorporates corrections which
appeared in the Federal Register of November 2, 1983, as well
as other minor typographical corrections.
Section 4.1b(b) - Limitation on Section 4(c) of the Act
This section has been revised to provide that the rates
contained in new car changed collective bargaining agreements
(CBAs) consummated during the period of performance of the
predecessor contract will not be effective for purposes of the
successorship requirements of section 4(c) of the Act, if
notification of the terms of the new CBA is received by the
contracting agency (1) in the case of a competitively
advertised procurement, less than 10 days before the date of
bid opening, provided the agency makes an affirmative finding
that there is not a reasonable time still available to
notify bidders; or (2) in the case of a negotiated procurement
or execution of a renewal option or extension, after award,
provided contract start of performance is within 30 days after
the award, option, or extension -- otherwise, the former "10
days before commencement" rule would apply. See also the
discussion in section 4.163 below.











3
Sections 4.3, 4.4, and 4.53 - Locality Basis of Wage
Determinations When Place of Contract Performance is
Unknown at Time of Bid Solicitation
These sections have been revised to establish a new "two-step"
procurement procedure for issuing separate wage determinations,
to the extent feasible, for each of the various localities
where the particular contract work might be performed in
instances when the place of contract performance cannot be
determined at the time of bid solicitation. In the first
step, the contracting agency will issue an initial solicitation
with no wage determination, from which it identifies all
interested bidders and their possible places of performance
and then transmits this information to DOL with the SF-98,
Notice of Intention to Make a Service Contract and Response
to Notice. In the second step, DOL will issue separate wage
determinations for the various localities identified in the
first step, to be incorporated in the solicitation prior to
the submission of final bids. The appropriate wage deter-
mination applicable to the geographic location of the
successful bidder shall be incorporated in the resultant
contract and shall be observed, regardless of whether the
contractor subsequently changes the place(s) of contract
performance. In unusual situations where this "two-step"
procedure is deemed impracticable by DOL in consultation
with the contracting agency, DOL may use a modified procedure
which may result in the issuance of wage determinations for
one or more composite localities.
Section 4.4(a) - Notice of Intention to Make a Service
Contract (SF-98)
This revised section provides that contracting agencies must
file SF-98s not less than 60 days (nor more than 120 days
without approval) prior to invitations for bids, requests
for proposals, commencement of negotiations, exercise of options
or extensions, etc., in the case of recurring, known procure-
ments, and not later than 30 days prior to such contracting
actions for unplanned and/or emergency procurement actions.
As provided in section 4.4(g), the contracting agency must
recontact DOL if a solicitation is delayed more than 60 days
beyond the date indicated on the submitted SF-98 to determine
whether the wage determination initially issued is still
current.
Section 4.5(a)(2) - Incorporation of Revised Wage
Determinations
This section provides that revisions of a wage determination
received by the contracting agency later than 10 days prior











4
to the date of bid opening (in the case of competitively
advertised procurements) are not effective if the agency
makes an affirmative finding that there is not reasonable
time still available to notify bidders of the revision.
In the case of negotiated procurements (or options or extensions
of the initial contract term), revisions received after award
(or execution, as appropriate) are not effective provided that
contract start of performance is within 30 days of the award
(or option or extension); if the contract does not specify a
start of performance within 30 days and/or performance does
not commence within the 30-day period, DOL is to be notified
by the agency and any subsequent notice of a revision received
by the agency not less than 10 days before commencement of the
contract will be effective.
Section 4.5(c)(2) - Erroneous Contracting Agency Determinations
of Noncoverage
This new subsection requires that when DOL finds that the
contracting agency made an erroneous determination that the
SCA did not apply and/or failed to include an appropriate wage
determination in a covered contract, the agency must include
the SCA contract stipulations and any applicable wage deter-
mination in such contract within 30 days of notification by
DOL.
Section 4.6(b)(2) - Conformance of Wage Rates for Classifications
of Employees Not Listed in a Wage Determination
Revisions in the conformance procedures in this contract clause
provide for an "indexing" procedure which allows a contractor
to apply a specified mathematical formula to a previously
conformed rate in establishing a new conformed rate, without
requiring DOL approval. The "indexed" conformance is based
upon the average percentage change between the rates listed
in the current wage determination for all classifications to
be used on the contract and those rates specified for the
corresponding classifications in the previously applicable
wage determination.
In addition, the revised procedures require that a contractor
initiate the conformance action before an unlisted class of
employees performs any contract work, so that the contractor
can complete its part of the conformance and submit a report
of the proposed action to the contracting agency no later than
30 days thereafter. Furthermore, except where the indexing
procedure is utilized, the revised regulations require that
the contractor submit information regarding the agreement or
disagreement of the affected employees to the conformed rate
and also require the contracting officer to promptly submit











5
all conformance actions to DOL for review and approval.
Conformed wage rates and/or fringe benefits must be paid to
all employees in the conformed classification retroactive
to the date such class of employees commenced any contract
work.
Section 4.6(1)(2) - Seniority List
In cases of a contract performed at a Federal facility
where employees may be hired/retained by a succeeding contractor,
this new subsection requires the incumbent prime contractor to
furnish a certified list of all service employees on the
contractor's or subcontractor's payroll during the last
month of the contract, together with anniversary dates of
employment, to the contracting officer no later than 10 days
before contract completion. A copy of the list is to be
provided to the successor contractor for determining
employee eligibility for vacation fringe benefits which are
based on length of service with predecessor contractors
(where such benefit is required by an applicable wage
determination).
Section 4.6(n) Certification of Eligibility
This section provides a new requirement that the contractor
certify it is not a debarred person or firm and thus not
ineligible to be awarded the contract, and also prohibits
subcontracting to debarred persons.
Sections 4.6(r) and 4.187 - Disputes Concerning Labor
Standards
For clarification, a new paragraph (r) has been added to the
contract clauses in section 4.6 specifying that disputes
involving the labor standards provisions of the contract are
resolved by DOL under its regulations (29 CFR Parts 4, 6, and
8) and are not subject to the general disputes clause of the
contract.
Section 4.8 - Notice of Awards
DOL is now receiving data identifying contract awards subject
to the SCA directly from the Federal Procurement Data System
(FPDS), and, as a result, plans to discontinue the use of
Standard Form 99, Notice of Award of Contract. Section 4.8
therefore provides that a Standard Form 99 need not be
submitted to DOL for contract awards subject to the SCA if
the contracting agency submits Standard Form 279, FPDS
Individual Contract Action Report (or its equivalent) to the
FPDS, or if the contracting agency makes other arrangements














 6
with the Wage and Hour Division for notification of such
contract awards. In order to reduce Government paperwork
and reporting burdens further, revised section 4.8 requires
the submission of Standard Form 99 under the conditions
described only for contracts exceeding $10,000. However,
this action does not alter the statutory requirement that
contracting agencies incorporate the proper stipulations in
all contracts exceeding $2,500. Agencies which do not
submit contract award data to FPDS are encouraged to contact
the Wagg and Hour Division for making such other notification
arrangements so that the use of Standard Form 99 may ultimately
be discontinued in its entirety.
Section 4.10 - Substantial Variance Proceedings Under Section
4(c) of the Act
This section provides revised procedures relative to requests
for hearings under section 4(c) of the Act to determine
whether the collectively bargained wages and/or fringe
benefits otherwise required to be paid are "substantially
at variance" with those which prevail for similar services
in the locality. Rules of practice, including time
limitations regarding such hearings, are provided in revised
29 CFR Part 6 and new 29 CFR Part 18 (48 FR 32538, July 15,
1983).
Section 4.11 - Arm's Length Proceedings
This section, in conjunction with revised 29 CFR Part 6,
provides new hearing procedures relative to questions as to
whether the wages and fringe benefits contained in a pre-
decessor contractor's collective bargaining agreement were
reached as a result of "arm's length negotiations" in
accordance with the provisions of section 4(c) of the Act.
Section 4.12 - Substantial Interest Proceedings
This section, in conjunction with revised 29 CFR Part 6,
provides new hearing procedures relative to determinations
of whether persons or firms whose names appear on the
ineligible bidders list pursuant to section 5 of the Act have
a "substantial interest" in any firm, corporation, partnership,
or association other than those appearing on the ineligible
list. Policies and interpretations concerning substantial
interest in and affiliation with debarred persons or firms
are provided in revised section 4.188 of the regulations.
















7
Subpart B - Wage Determination Procedures
This new Subpart explains DOL's overall policies and procedures
concerning the issuance and review of wage determinations.
Former Subpart B, which dealt with computations of cash
equivalent payments in lieu of providing fringe benefits, has
been revised and placed in various sections in new Subpart D,
entitled '"Compensation Standards."
Section 4.55 - Review and Reconsideration of Wage Determinations
This section provides that interested parties affected by a
wage determination may obtain review and reconsideration by
the Wage and Hour Administrator of the wage determination
upon request. Such request must be supported by evidence that
the wage determination issued is inaccurate. Requests are
deemed untimely and will not be considered after bid opening
for competitively advertised procurements, or later than 10
days before commencement of a negotiated procurement, exercise
of a contract option or extension. The Administrator's
decision upon reconsideration is appealable within 20 days
to the Board of Service Contract Appeals in accordance with
the provisions of new 29 CFR Part 8.
Sections 4.110 through 4.113 - Interpretation of Statutory
"Principal Purpose" Test for SCA Coverage
These sections provide continuation of the single principal
Purpose test contained in the previous regulations under which
the provisions of the Act are applied to every contract
principally ,for services (as distinguished from construction
or manufacturing or some other purpose) if it is performed
through the use of a significant or substantial number of
service employees. (However, see the discussion concerning
the related issue of coverage of separate specifications at
section 4.132.) Thus, as explained in section 4.113(a)(3),
- contracts which are principally for services but which involve
only a minor or incidental use of service employees would not
be covered. Similarly, regarding the geographic scope of the
Act's coverage, section 4.112(b)(2) provides that contracts
under which only a minor or incidental portion of the contract
services are performed within the United-States as defined in
section 8(d) of the Act would not be covered. In close cases
involving a decision as to whether a contract will involve a
significant use of service employees, or whether a significant
portion of a contract will be performed within the United
States, DOL should be consulted for guidance.














8
Section 4.114(b) - Liability of Prime Contractor for Violations
by Subcontractors
This section provides that the prime contractor is liable in
the event its subcontractors violate the Act by failing to
pay the wages and fringe benefits required under the pro-
visions of the prime contract. When appropriate in a
particular case, enforcement sanctions may be invoked against
both the prime contractor and the subcontractor for violations
of the Act.
Sections 4.116(b) and 4.131(f) - Coverage of Contracts For
Property Demolition, Dismantling, and Removal
As provided in these revised sections, where the facts show
the principal purpose of a demolition contract is the
furnishing of dismantling and removal services, and no
further construction is contemplated (in which case the
contract would be subject to the Davis-Bacon Act), such a
contract is covered by the SCA even though the contractor
receives salvaged materials. However, if the principal
purpose of a demolition contract is the sale of material and
the services provided thereunder are only incidental to the
sale, then the contract would not be subject to the SCA.
Section 4.117 - Work Subject to the Walsh-Healey Act:
Overhaul and Modification of Equipment
This new section provides detailed guidelines for delineating
when contracts for major overhaul of equipment would be
considered "remanufacturing" subject to the Walsh-Healey
Public Contracts Act (PCA) rather than the SCA. Complete
teardown and overhaul of heavy construction equipment,
aircraft, engines, etc., where the Government receives a
totally rebuilt end item with a new (or nearly new) life
expectancy resulting from processes similar to original
manufacturing will be considered "remanufacturing"
subject to the PCA. Contracts for routine maintenance or
repair, inspection, etc., continue to be subject to SCA.
Contracting agencies are required to initially determine
whether work to be performed under a proposed contract
would involve principally  "remanufacturing" work based on
the guidelines, and incorporate the appropriate labor
standards clauses (SCA or PCA) into the contract prior to
soliciting bids. Application of SCA or PCA to any type
of contract not discussed in the regulations will be
decided on a case-by-case basis by the Wage and Hour
Administrator.













9
Section 4.118 - Contracts for Carriage Subject to Published
Tariff Rates
This section discusses application of the statutory exemption
in section 7(3) of the SCA for contracts for carriage of
freight or personnel subject to published tariff rates, as
well as the administrative exemption provided for certain
contracts where such carriage is subject to and in accordance
with applicable regulations governing rates covered by section
10721 of the Interstate Commerce Act (see revised section
4.123(d)(3) of the regulations). Only contracts principally
for the carriage of "freight or personnel" are exempt. Thus,
the exemption does not apply where the principal purpose of
the contract is packing, crating, handling, loading, and/or
storage of goods prior to or following line-haul transportation
to the ultimate destination.
Section 4.123(e) - Exemptions from Coverage for Contracts
for Maintenance and Repair of Certain ADP, Scientific and
Medical, and Office/Business Equipment
An administrative exemption from the provisions of the Act has
been granted for certain contracts for the maintenance,
calibration and/or repair of: (1) automated data processing
equipment and office information/word processing systems, (2)
scientific equipment and medical apparatus or equipment where
the application of microelectronic circuitry or similar
technology is an essential element, and (3) office/business
machines where the work is performed by the manufacturer
or supplier of the equipment. The exemptions are limited
to the servicing of only those items of equipment furnished
to the government which are also furnished commercially,
the contract services must be furnished at established
catalog or market prices, and the contractor must utilize the
same compensation plan for employees performing on both
government and commercial work. The contractor must certify
to these conditions in the contract.
The contracting officer initially must make an affirmative
determination that all of the conditions of the exemption
have been met prior to contract award. If, after contract
award, it is determined that the exemption is inapplicable, the
corrective procedures in section 4.5(c)(2) of the regulations
shall be followed for inserting the required contract clauses
and any wage determination issued into the contract.















10
Section 4.123(e)(4) - Research and Development (R&D) Contracts
An exemption from coverage was proposed for most contracts
for R&D, which was defined to include systematic studies of
all types, but did not include contracts for the operation
and maintenance of government testing and other similar
research facilities. It was concluded that the record did
not contain sufficient evidence to find that the tests in
section 4(b) of the statute necessary to grant an exemption
were satisfied. Accordingly, the proposed R&D exemption is
not being adopted at this time.
Section 4.130(a) and 4.131(f) - Coverage of Contracts for
the Sale of Timber
The Department has reexamined the issue of the applicability
of the SCA to timber sales contracts and has concluded that
ordinarily the services provided under such contracts are
only incidental to the principal purpose of these contracts,
which is the sale of timber. However, certain contracts
which in fact are principally for some purpose other than
the sale of timber, such as clearing land or removal of
diseased or dead timber, will continue to be subject to
the SCA.
Section 4.132 - Coverage of Separate contract specifications
Section 4.132 (and other appropriate sections) has been
modified to eliminate coverage of separate bid specifications
(i.e., line items for specific work in a contract) principally
for services when the principal purpose of the entire contract
is not for services. The Act, which states that "Every
contract (and any bid specification therefor)..." meeting the
coverage tests must contain a wage determination, has
traditionally been interpreted to extend coverage to individual
specifications which are principally for services regardless
of the principal purpose of any other specifications or of
the contract as a whole. Upon reconsideration the Department
has concluded that the Act should apply only where a contract
as a whole is principally for the furnishing of services, and
that the Act's reference to "bid specification" refers to the
advertised specifications in a solicitation for bids rather
than a separate line item or work requirement within a contract.
Section 4.133 - Beneficiary of Contract Services
This revised section provides that where the principal purpose
of a government contract is to provide services through the use
of service employees, the contract is covered by the Act, regard-














11
less of the direct beneficiary of the services. However, an
exemption is provided for certain kinds of concession contracts,
such as those entered into by the National Park Service
principally for the furnishing of food, lodging, automobile
fuel, souvenirs, newspaper stands, and recreational equipment
to the general public. As a result of the decision in
District Lodge No. 166, IAMAW v. TWA Services, Inc., et al.,
25 WH Cases 208 (M.D. Fla. 1981), appeal pending on other
issues, llth Cir., No. 82-3159, visitor information center
services have been deleted from the terms of the exemption.
Section 4.145 - Extended Term Contracts
This section, which contains provisions for applying updated
wage determinations to extended term contracts exceeding one
year, has been revised to clarify that for purposes of the
SCA, where such contracts are subject to annual appropriations,
they are deemed newly entered into upon the contract
anniversary date which occurs in each new fiscal year, rather
than at the beginning of each fiscal year, if those two dates
are different.
Section 4.152(c) - Trainee Classifications
This section emphasizes that conformance procedures (section
4.6(b)(2)) may not be used to artificially subdivide classifi-
cations listed in the wage determination. Where the wage
determination lists a series of classes within a job
classification family (e.g., Technician Classes A, B, and C),
the lowest level listed is considered to be the entry level
and establishment of lower (or intermediate) levels through
conformance is not permissible. Further, this section
provides that trainee classifications cannot be conformed.
In other words, conformance procedures may only be used if the
work which an employee is to perform under the contract is not
within the scope of any classification listed in the wage
determination.
Subpart D - Compensation Standards (Sections 4.159 through 4.185)
These sections incorporate additional, updated policies
regarding a contractor's compliance with the Act's minimum
monetary wage and fringe benefit requirements including
a definition of bona fide fringe benefits; standards for
vacation, holiday, and health and welfare fringe benefit
payments; payment of benefits to temporary and part-time
employees; discharging fringe benefit obligations by equivalent
means; overtime pay; notification to employees of the
compensation required; and recordkeeping requirements.













12
Section 4.163 - Section 4(c) of the Act
Section 4(c) of the Act provides that a successor contractor
furnishing substantially the same services as were furnished
under a predecessor contract must pay its service employees
no less than the wages and fringe benefits to which they
would have been entitled under the predecessor contractor's
collective bargaining agreement (CBA), unless it is found
after a DOL hearing that such wages and fringe benefits
vary substantially from those prevailing in the locality for
similar services. As set forth in revised section 4.163 (i),
this successorship provision applies only to successor
contracts which are performed in the same locality as the
predecessor contract. However, wage determinations issued
pursuant to section 4(c) and included in a contract will
continue to apply if the successor prime contractor sub-
sequently changes the place(s) of contract performance or
subcontracts any part of the contract work to a firm in a
different locality.
As provided in revised section 4.163(g), where two or more
previous contracts involving the same or similar work functions
performed by substantially the same job classifications are
combined into a single "reconfigured" contract, only the (one)
predecessor contract which covers the greater portion of those
work functions would be deemed applicable for purposes of
section 4(c). Where different services are combined, all
applicable predecessor collectively bargained rates would
follow identifiable work requirements into the new contract.
Subpart E - Enforcement (Sections 4.187 through 4.191)
These sections provide additional information and guidance
regarding enforcement procedures for the recovery of under-
payments, including rules on the withholding of contract
funds and the priority given to such action, determining the
"party responsible" for violations, and criteria for
establishing "unusual circumstances" and "substantial interest"
in debarment cases.
Attachment