Living Wage For All Act
Sponsored By: Senator Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
Introduced
Summary
A federal minimum wage ramp to $25 per hour and the phased end of subminimum wage categories. This bill would create multi‑year federal minimum wage schedules for large and non‑large employers and then index future increases to two‑thirds of the national median hourly wage.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Higher minimum wages by employer size
If enacted, this would create new federal minimum wage schedules that differ by employer size. An employer with $1 billion or more in annual revenue or 500 or more employees would be a "Large employer." The law would start the first day of the calendar year after enactment and set a staged rise to $25.00 per hour for large employers in five years and for non-large employers in twelve years. Beginning later, the Department of Labor would publish a benchmark equal to two-thirds of the national median hourly wage to use for annual adjustments.
New rules for tipped workers
If enacted, this would set multi-year minimum cash wages for tipped employees that differ by employer size. For large employers the cash wage would rise from $6.00 to $9.00, $12.00, $15.00, and $18.00 in successive years and reach parity with the full minimum in year five. For smaller employers the cash wage would start at $4.75 and increase each year by up to $1.75 until it reaches the applicable non-large minimum. The separate tipped-wage regime would be repealed one day after the cash-wage schedule first equals the standard minimum for that employer class.
Youth minimum wage for under-20s
If enacted, newly hired employees under age 20 would be paid a separate youth rate. In the first year the rate would be $6.00 per hour. Each later year the youth rate would rise by up to $1.75 or reach the applicable large or non-large minimum, whichever is lower. This applies only to newly hired workers under 20 and starts on the law's effective date.
Phase out special disability wages
If enacted, the Secretary of Labor would stop issuing new section 14(c) special certificates on the date of enactment. Existing 14(c) workers would get at least $5.00 per hour in the first year after the law takes effect and then move up each year under the Act's escalation rules or the median-based reference. The Department of Labor would provide technical help and referrals to support continued employment. The special-certificate authority would end one day after both parity tests are met.
Advance notice and tip protections
If enacted, the Department of Labor would have to publish any required wage increase notice at least 60 days before the change in the Federal Register and on the DOL website. The law would also state that employees have the right to retain tips and require employers to inform workers of that right and any exceptions. Some technical DOL publication wording would change on specified parity or phase dates described in the Act.
Stronger wage enforcement penalties
If enacted, this would amend FLSA penalty wording by inserting the words "or used" after "kept" in certain penalty sentences. The change would broaden when penalties can apply for withheld or misused wages. The amendment would take effect the first day of the calendar year after enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
CT • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 8/7/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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