The Davis-Bacon Act is a U.S. law enacted in 1931 that requires contractors and subcontractors on federally funded construction projects to pay their workers the local prevailing wage. This means that workers must receive wages that are comparable to what other workers in the area earn for similar work. The goal is to ensure fair pay and prevent underbidding by contractors who might pay lower wages. The Act applies to various types of construction projects, including buildings, highways, and bridges. It is enforced by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, which determines the prevailing wage rates based on surveys of local wages.