76-787. Contracts for certain research and development facilities, provisions for prevailing wages. (a) Each contract entered into by a state agency for any nonfederal aid, public works project for a scientific research and development facility under the university research and development enhancement act shall be based on bid or contract specifications prescribing and requiring that employees of any contractor or subcontractor shall be paid not less than the hourly wages, including fringe benefits, paid to corresponding classes of laborers and mechanics employed on similar projects in the county where the project is to be performed. Such minimum wage shall be the wage paid to the majority of the laborers or mechanics, unless the same wages are not paid to a majority, in which case the minimum wage shall be the average wages paid, weighted by the total employed in the classification. In the alternative, the minimum wage shall be that determined under federal law which would be required to be paid on federally-funded projects at the location of the public works project.

(b) Employees employed by contractors or subcontractors in the execution of any nonfederal aid, public works project contract subject to this section with any state agency shall be paid not less than the wages as determined pursuant to subsection (a).

(c) As used in this section, "state agency" means the board of regents, the subsidiary corporation of the board of regents formed pursuant to K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 76-781, and amendments thereto, any firm performing construction management at-risk services under K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 76-786, and amendments thereto, or any state educational institution.

(d) The provisions of this section shall apply only to contracts for the following projects under the university research and development enhancement act: (1) The project for the KUMC bio-medical research facility; and (2) the project for the WSU engineering complex expansion and research laboratory.

History: L. 2002, ch. 120, § 11; May 23.