(1) A general wage determination contains prevailing wage rates for the types of construction designated in the determination, and is used in contracts performed within a specified geographical area. General wage determinations contain no expiration date and remain valid until modified, superseded, or canceled by the Department of Labor. Once incorporated in a contract, a general wage determination normally remains effective for the life of the contract, unless the contracting officer exercises an option to extend the term of the contract (see 22.404-12). These determinations shall be used whenever possible. They are issued at the discretion of the Department of Labor either upon receipt of an agency request or on the Department of Labor's own initiative.

(2) General wage determinations are published on the Wage Determinations at SAM.gov website. General wage determinations are effective on the publication date of the wage determination or upon receipt of the wage determination by the contracting agency, whichever occurs first. “Publication” within the meaning of this section shall occur on the first date the wage determination is published on the Wage Determinations at SAM.gov. Archived Construction Wage Rate Requirements statute general wage determinations that are no longer current may be accessed in the “Archived DB WD” database on Wage Determinations at SAM.gov website for information purposes only. Contracting officers may not use an archived wage determination in a contract action without obtaining prior approval of the Department of Labor. To obtain prior approval, contact the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, using https://www.sam.gov, or contact the procurement agency labor advisor listed on https://www.sam.gov.