§259 — Title 29 Labor | U.S. Code

Summary

An employer will not be punished or held responsible for not paying minimum wage or overtime for any act or omission on or after May 14, 1947 if the employer says and shows they honestly relied on a written federal agency rule, order, ruling, approval, interpretation, or on an agency practice or enforcement policy that applied to employers like them. If the employer proves that, it stops the case even if the agency later changes or cancels the guidance or a court later says it was invalid. The covered agencies are: for the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor; for the Walsh‑Healey Act, the Secretary of Labor or a federal officer the Secretary uses; and for the Bacon‑Davis Act, the Secretary of Labor.

Title 29, §259

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(a)In any action or proceeding based on any act or omission on or after May 14, 1947, no employer shall be subject to any liability or punishment for or on account of the failure of the employer to pay minimum wages or overtime compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended [29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.], the Walsh-Healey Act, or the Bacon-Davis Act,11 See References in Text note below. if he pleads and proves that the act or omission complained of was in good faith in conformity with and in reliance on any written administrative regulation, order, ruling, approval, or interpretation, of the agency of the United States specified in subsection (b) of this section, or any administrative practice or enforcement policy of such agency with respect to the class of employers to which he belonged. Such a defense, if established, shall be a bar to the action or proceeding, notwithstanding that after such act or omission, such administrative regulation, order, ruling, approval, interpretation, practice, or enforcement policy is modified or rescinded or is determined by judicial authority to be invalid or of no legal effect.

(b)The agency referred to in subsection (a) shall be—

(1)in the case of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended [29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.]—the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor;

(2)in the case of the Walsh-Healey Act—the Secretary of Labor, or any Federal officer utilized by him in the administration of such Act; and

(3)in the case of the Bacon-Davis Act 1—the Secretary of Labor.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, referred to in text, is act June 25, 1938, ch. 676, 52 Stat. 1060, which is classified generally to chapter 8 (§ 201 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 201 of this title and Tables. The Walsh-Healey and Bacon-Davis Acts, referred to in text, are defined for purposes of this chapter in section 262 of this title.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

Functions relating to

Enforcement

and administration of equal pay provisions vested by subsec. (b)(1) of this section in Administrator of Wage and Hour Division of Department of Labor transferred to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1978, § 1, 43 F.R. 19807, 92 Stat. 3781, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, effective Jan. 1, 1979, as provided by section 1–101 of Ex. Ord. No. 12106, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1053. For

Transfer of Functions

of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of Labor, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of Labor, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 6, of 1950, §§ 1, 2, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

§259 Reliance in Future on Administrative Rulings, Etc.

Summary

Title 29, §259

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

Enforcement

Transfer of Functions

Citations & Metadata