Better Pay for American Workers Act
Sponsored By: Representative Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would raise the federal minimum wage to $20 an hour by 2029 and then tie future increases to median-wage growth. It replaces the current minimum-wage paragraph in the Fair Labor Standards Act with a staged schedule for 2027–2029 and a data-driven annual adjustment thereafter.
Show full summary
- Workers: Minimum-wage workers would get staged increases that reach $20 an hour by 2029, with higher baseline pay beginning in 2027.
- Employers: Covered employers must pay the new statutory rates and update payrolls as the wage steps up through 2029 and then changes each year.
- Administration and formula: Beginning January 1, 2030 the Secretary would set the annual minimum using Bureau of Labor Statistics median hourly-wage data, increasing the wage by the annual percent change in the median and rounding to the nearest $0.05.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Higher federal minimum wage for workers
This bill would raise the federal hourly minimum wage in steps. The wage would be $15.00 on January 1, 2027; $17.50 on January 1, 2028; and $20.00 on January 1, 2029. Starting January 1, 2030, and each year after, the Secretary of Labor would set the wage based on the annual percent change in the median hourly wage using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The Secretary must make the annual determination before the rate takes effect, the rate cannot be lower than the current amount when determined, and the result would be rounded to the nearest $0.05. The change would apply to employees covered by Section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35]
CA • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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