The Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) are a set of federal laws that make sure workers on certain government-funded construction projects get paid fair, local wages. If you’re in construction, government contracting, or just curious about how public projects are built in the U.S., understanding these laws is pretty important. What’s the Davis-Bacon Act? The ...
The Drug-Free Workplace Act is a U.S. federal law passed in 1988 that’s all about keeping certain workplaces free from illegal drugs. If your business wants to win federal contracts or receive federal grants, you have to play by these rules. The idea is to make sure that taxpayer-funded work is done in a safe, ...
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act-usually just called “Dodd-Frank”-is a major U.S. law passed in 2010 to overhaul financial regulation after the 2007–2008 financial crisis. The crisis exposed deep problems in how banks, lenders, and Wall Street firms operated, leading to a near-meltdown of the global economy. Dodd-Frank was Congress’s answer: a ...
The Department of Commerce (DOC) Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, often called EAA, is a flexible grant program run by the Economic Development Administration (EDA). Its main purpose is to help communities across the United States respond to major economic disruptions-whether those disruptions happen suddenly, like a factory closure or natural disaster, or develop over time, ...
A Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) is a special deal between a prosecutor and a company (or sometimes an individual) facing criminal charges, usually for things like fraud, bribery, or other economic crimes. Instead of going straight to trial, the prosecutor agrees to put the case on hold for a set period. In exchange, the company ...
The Child Tax Credit (CTC) is a federal tax relief program designed to alleviate financial burdens for families raising dependent children. Established to reduce child poverty and support household economic stability, the CTC provides partial refundability, enabling low- and middle-income families to offset tax liabilities or receive direct payments. Its structure balances immediate financial assistance ...
The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), later renamed the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), is a federal-state partnership providing health coverage to uninsured children in families with incomes exceeding Medicaid thresholds but insufficient to afford private insurance. Established under the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, CHIP bridges gaps in healthcare access for vulnerable populations, combining ...
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the guardian of student privacy in the U.S. education system. Enacted in 1974, this federal law ensures that students (and their parents, for minors) have control over who gets to see their educational records. Whether you’re in kindergarten or college, FERPA’s got your back- but it ...
The False Claims Act (FCA) is a powerful federal law that helps the U.S. government fight fraud and recover money lost to false or fraudulent claims. Originally passed in 1863 during the Civil War-earning the nickname “Lincoln’s Law”-the FCA was designed to stop contractors from cheating the government, but today it covers a wide range ...
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is the principle that everyone should have a fair shot at getting, keeping, and advancing in a job, based solely on their abilities and merit-not on personal characteristics like race, gender, age, religion, or disability. At its core, EEO is about making sure that employment decisions-hiring, promotions, pay, training, and even ...
