(1)(a) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, before payment is made by or on behalf of the state, or any county, municipality, or political subdivision created by its laws, of any sum or sums due on account of a public works contract, it is the duty of the officer or person charged with the custody and disbursement of public funds to require the contractor and each and every subcontractor from the contractor or a subcontractor to submit to such officer a "Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages". For a contract in excess of ten thousand dollars, the statement of intent to pay prevailing wages must include:

(i) The contractor's registration certificate number; and

(ii) The prevailing rate of wage for each classification of workers entitled to prevailing wages under RCW 39.12.020 and the estimated number of workers in each classification.

(b) Each statement of intent to pay prevailing wages must be approved by the industrial statistician of the department of labor and industries before it is submitted to the disbursing officer. Unless otherwise authorized by the department of labor and industries, each voucher claim submitted by a contractor for payment on a project estimate must state that the prevailing wages have been paid in accordance with the prefiled statement or statements of intent to pay prevailing wages on file with the public agency. Following the final acceptance of a public works project, it is the duty of the officer charged with the disbursement of public funds, to require the contractor and each and every subcontractor from the contractor or a subcontractor to submit to such officer an affidavit of wages paid before the funds retained according to the provisions of RCW 60.28.011 are released to the contractor. On a public works project where no retainage is withheld, the affidavit of wages paid must be submitted to the state, county, municipality, or other public body charged with the duty of disbursing or authorizing disbursement of public funds prior to final acceptance of the public works project. If a subcontractor performing work on a public works project fails to submit an affidavit of wages paid form, the contractor or subcontractor with whom the subcontractor had a contractual relationship for the project may file the forms on behalf of the nonresponsive subcontractor. Affidavit forms may only be filed on behalf of a nonresponsive subcontractor who has ceased operations or failed to file as required by this section. The contractor filing the affidavit must accept responsibility for payment of prevailing wages unpaid by the subcontractor on the project pursuant to RCW 39.12.020 and 39.12.065. Intentionally filing a false affidavit on behalf of a subcontractor subjects the filer to the same penalties as are provided in RCW 39.12.050. Each affidavit of wages paid must be certified by the industrial statistician of the department of labor and industries before it is submitted to the disbursing officer.

(2) As an alternate to the procedures provided for in subsection (1) of this section, for public works projects of $5,000 or less as allowed under RCW 39.04.152 is followed:

(a) An awarding agency may authorize the contractor or subcontractor to submit the statement of intent to pay prevailing wages directly to the officer or person charged with the custody or disbursement of public funds in the awarding agency without approval by the industrial statistician of the department of labor and industries. The awarding agency must retain such statement of intent to pay prevailing wages for a period of not less than three years.

(b) Upon final acceptance of the public works project, the awarding agency must require the contractor or subcontractor to submit an affidavit of wages paid. Upon receipt of the affidavit of wages paid, the awarding agency may pay the contractor or subcontractor in full, including funds that would otherwise be retained according to the provisions of RCW 60.28.011. Within thirty days of receipt of the affidavit of wages paid, the awarding agency must submit the affidavit of wages paid to the industrial statistician of the department of labor and industries for approval.

(c) A statement of intent to pay prevailing wages and an affidavit of wages paid must be on forms approved by the department of labor and industries.

(d) In the event of a wage claim and a finding for the claimant by the department of labor and industries where the awarding agency has used the alternative process provided for in this subsection (2), the awarding agency must pay the wages due directly to the claimant. If the contractor or subcontractor did not pay the wages stated in the affidavit of wages paid, the awarding agency may take action at law to seek reimbursement from the contractor or subcontractor of wages paid to the claimant, and may prohibit the contractor or subcontractor from bidding on any public works contract of the awarding agency for up to one year.

(e) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to allow an awarding agency to subdivide any public works project of more than $5,000 for the purpose of circumventing the procedures required by subsection (1) of this section.

Effective date—2023 c 395 ss 1-30, 32-34, 36, and 37: See note following RCW 39.04.010.

Findings—Intent—2023 c 395: See note following RCW 39.04.010.

Finding—Intent—2019 c 434: See note following RCW 35.23.352.