,i #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ebej ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #bi1 #bjad ,ms4 ,norton introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,oversight and ,government ,reform ,a ,,bill ,to use ,federal purchasing power to create good jobs1 rebuild the middle class1 address income inequality1 stimulate the economy1 and to achieve other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,restore ,opportunity1 ,strengthen1 and ,improve the ,economy ,act4 #b4 ,findings and purposes 7a7 ,findings ,the ,congress of the ,united ,states finds the following3 7#a7 ,the disappearance of good jobs1 the shrinking of the middle class1 and growing income inequality are the greatest domestic challenges confronting the ,nation4 7#b7 ,the ,united ,states ,government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the ,nation's private-sector economy1 spending over #a4e trillion dollars annually at firms that employ a quarter of ,american workers4 7#c7 7,a7 ,federal purchasing power is currently creating millions of poverty-level jobs1 subsidizing labor law-breakers1 and funding ballooning executive compensation4 7,b7 ,the ,federal ,government is the ,nation's leading creator of low-wage jobs in the private sector1 funding more than #b1jjj1jjj jobs paying under #ab per hour4 7,c7 ,the ,federal ,government awards taxpayer dollars to a substantial number of firms that violate ,federal labor1 employment1 and occupational safety laws4 7,d7 ,federal ,government purchasing subsidizes the excessive salaries of private-sector executives who do business with the ,american people4 7#d7 ,when ,federal purchasing power is used in such a manner1 workers have less to spend on the necessities of life and are forced to rely on public assistance4 ,lack of working purchasing power hurts job creation and undermines economic growth1 ultimately imposing significant costs on ,american taxpayers4 7#e7 7,a7 ,federal purchasing power should be used to create good jobs1 rebuild the middle class1 and curb rising income inequality4 7,b7 ,federal purchasing power should be used to create good jobs for ,america4 ,good jobs allow workers and their families to live in dignity without relying on public assistance or private charity4 ,good jobs pay enough to provide for subsistence1 health care1 education1 housing1 and savings1 as well as enough disposable income to allow workers to enjoy quality time off with their loved ones4 7,c7 ,federal purchasing power should be used to rebuild the middle class4 ,a strong middle class stimulates the economy by increasing consumer spending and job growth4 7,d7 ,federal purchasing power should be used to narrow the growing gulf between the richest one percent of the population and ordinary working families that is threatening the survival of participatory democracy4 7b7 ,purposes ,the purposes of this ,act are the following3 7#a7 ,to use ,federal purchasing power to incentivize private-sector firms4 7#b7 ,to create good jobs for ,america's workers4 7#c7 ,to rebuild ,america's middle class4 7#d7 ,to address ,america's crisis of income inequality4 7#e7 ,to invigorate the economy by increasing the purchasing power of working ,americans4 #c4 ,good jobs model employer standards ,for purposes of this ,act1 a ,good ,jobs ,model ,employer is one which meets the following standards3 7#a7 ,respects employees' rights to bargain collectively with their employers without being forced to take strike action to win better wages and working conditions4 7#b7 ,offers to each employee living wages1 decent benefits including health care1 paid leave for sickness and caregiving1 and fair work schedules that are predictable and stable4 7#c7 ,affirmatively demonstrates an exemplary standard of compliance with workplace protection laws1 including laws governing labor relations1 wages and hours1 and health and safety1 as well as other applicable labor laws4 7#d7 ,limits executive compensation to #ej times the median salary paid to the company's workers4 7#e7 ,employs a workforce not less than #ce percent of which reside within one or more ,historically ,underutilized ,business ,zones4 7#f7 ,subcontracts only with other ,good ,jobs ,model ,employers4 #d4 ,application to ,federal contracts and assistance 7a7 ,eligibility for award of procurement contracts ,in the award of a contract for the acquisition of supplies or services1 an executive agency may not award the contract to a source that is not a ,good ,jobs ,model ,employer1 unless there is no offer from a source that is a ,good ,jobs ,model ,employer4 7b7 ,eligibility for award of financial and nonfinancial assistance ,an executive agency may not provide other forms of financial or nonfinancial assistance to entities that are not model employers when there is a similarly situated ,good ,jobs ,model ,employer that could receive the assistance1 unless doing so would substantially undermine the value of the assistance to the public good4 7c7 ,incorporation into future ,federal contracts and assistance agreements ,beginning on ,january #a1 #bjae1 executive agencies shall incorporate into each new contract1 contract-like instrument1 or assistance agreement a clause requiring the contractor or recipient to conduct itself as a ,good ,jobs ,model ,employer for the duration of the contract4 7d7 ,exclusions ,none of the provisions of this section shall be interpreted to apply to-- 7#a7 direct ,federal statutory entitlements2 7#b7 mandatory awards2 7#c7 direct awards to foreign governments or public international organizations2 7#d7 benefits to an individual as a personal entitlement2 or 7#e7 ,federal employment4 #e4 ,implementation 7a7 ,good jobs model employer standards ,the ,secretary of ,labor shall promulgate regulations implementing the ,good ,jobs ,model ,employer ,standards of section #c7;a7 so as to effect the policy and purposes of this ,act within #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act4 ,the ,secretary of ,labor shall amend these regulations as necessary so that they continue to effect the policy and purposes of this ,act4 7b7 ,procurement policy ,the ,administrator of ,general ,services1 the ,secretary of ,defense1 and the ,administrator of the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration1 in coordination with the ,office of ,federal ,procurement ,policy1 shall amend the ,federal ,acquisition ,regulation within #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act to effect the policy and purposes of this ,act1 and subsequently as necessary to continue to effect the policy and purposes of this ,act4 7c7 ,debarment or suspension 7#a7 ,an organization which acquires any form of financial or nonfinancial benefit or a contract from an executive agency through the operation of the procedure described in section #d shall be placed on the ,excluded ,parties ,list enacted by ,executive ,orders #abedi and #abfhi for a period of at least #b years if it fails to remain a model employer for the duration of the benefit4 7#b7 ,an organization which violates a ,good ,job ,model ,employer clause in a contract or agreement required by section #d7;c7 shall be placed on the ,excluded ,parties ,list enacted by ,executive ,orders #abedi and #abfhi for a period of #c years4 7#c7 ,parties which are suspended multiple times may be debarred permanently4 #f4 ,severability ,if any provision of this ,act1 or applying such provision to any person or circumstance1 is held to be invalid1 the remainder of this ,act and the application of the provisions of such to any person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby4