PUBLIC LAW 96-157—DEC. 27, 1979
93 STAT. 12115
PRISON INDUSTRY ENHANCEMENT
"SEC. 827. (a) Section 1761 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding thereto a new subsection (c) as follows— •' '(c) In addition to the exceptions set forth in subsection (b) of this section, this chapter shall also not apply to goods, wares, or merchandise manufactured, produced, or mined by convicts or prisoners participating in a program of not more than seven pilot projects designated by the Administrator of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration and who— " '(1) have, in connection with such work, received wages at a rate which is not less than that paid for work of a similar nature in the locality in which the work was performed, except that such wages may be subject to deductions which shall not, in the aggregate, exceed 80 per centum of gross wages, and shall be limited as follows: " '(A) taxes (Federal, State, local); "'(B) reasonable charges for room and board as determined by regulations which shall be issued by the Chief State correctional officer; " '(C) allocations for support of family pursuant to State statute, court order, or agreement by the offender; "'(D) contributions to any fund established by law to compensate the victims of crime of not more than 20 per centum but not less than 5 per centum of gross wages; " '(2) have not solely by their status as offenders, been deprived of the right to participate in benefits made available by the Federal or State Government to other individuals on the basis of their employment, such as workmen's compensation. However, such convicts or prisoners shall not be qualified to receive any payments for unemployment compensation while incarcerated, notwithstanding any other provision of the law to the contrary; "'(3) have participated in such employment voluntarily and have agreed in advance to the specific deductions made from gross wages pursuant to this section, and all other financial arrangements as a result of participation in such employment.'. "(b) The first section of the Act entitled 'An Act to provide conditions for the purchase of supplies and the making of contracts by the United States, and for other purposes', approved June 30, 1936 (49 Stat. 2036; 41 U.S.C. 35), commonly known as the Walsh-Healey Act, is amended by adding to the end of subsection (d) thereof, before
- and', the following
- ', except that this section, or any other law or
Executive order containing similar prohibitions against purchase of goods by the Federal Government, shall not apply to convict labor which satisfies the conditions of section 1761(c) of title 18, United States Code'. "(c) The provisions of this section creating exemptions to Federal restrictions on marketability of prison made goods shall not apply unless— "(1) representatives of local union central bodies or similar labor union organizations have been consulted prior to the initiation of any project qualifying of any exemption created by this section; and "(2) such paid inmate employment will not result in the displacement of employed workers, or be applied in skills, crafts, or trades in which there is a surplus of available gainful labor in the locality, or impair existing contracts for services.
18 USC 1761 note. Labor unions, consultation.
Effect on labor market.
�
