| 1 | 1 | | 89R12335 DNC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Bryant H.B. No. 5163 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the minimum wage and a requirement for a biennial study |
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| 10 | 10 | | and report on the living wage in this state. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 62.051, Labor Code, is amended to read as |
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| 13 | 13 | | follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 62.051. MINIMUM WAGE. Except as provided by Section |
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| 15 | 15 | | 62.057, an employer shall pay to each employee not less than the |
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| 16 | 16 | | greater of: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) $15 an hour; or |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) the federal minimum wage under Section 6, Fair |
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| 19 | 19 | | Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. Section 206). |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 62, Labor Code, is amended |
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| 21 | 21 | | by adding Section 62.058 to read as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 62.058. BIENNIAL STUDY AND REPORT ON STATE LIVING |
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| 23 | 23 | | WAGE. (a) In this section, "consumer price index" means the |
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| 24 | 24 | | Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers |
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| 25 | 25 | | (CPI-W), published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United |
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| 26 | 26 | | States Department of Labor. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (b) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year, |
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| 28 | 28 | | the commission shall conduct a study and deliver a report to the |
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| 29 | 29 | | legislature on the living wage in this state. In conducting the |
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| 30 | 30 | | study, the commission shall seek to determine what wage rate is |
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| 31 | 31 | | required to meet minimum standards of living throughout this state, |
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| 32 | 32 | | classified on the basis of county or region. In making that |
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| 33 | 33 | | determination, the commission shall consider factors such as the |
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| 34 | 34 | | consumer price index and the cost of daily necessities in each |
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| 35 | 35 | | county or region. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) In its report, the commission must include information |
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| 37 | 37 | | from the preceding two-year period for each county or region |
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| 38 | 38 | | regarding: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (1) the number of jobs created that pay at least the |
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| 40 | 40 | | minimum wage; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) the effect of the consumer price index on the |
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| 42 | 42 | | purchasing power of individuals and families; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (3) the cost of daily necessities, such as housing, |
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| 44 | 44 | | clothing, food, health care, and child care; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (4) the number of small businesses created and closed; |
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| 46 | 46 | | (5) housing affordability for individuals and |
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| 47 | 47 | | families relying on the minimum wage; and |
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| 48 | 48 | | (6) the feasibility of obtaining health care coverage |
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| 49 | 49 | | when working in a job paying the minimum wage. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (d) The commission may consult with other state agencies as |
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| 51 | 51 | | necessary to conduct the study under this section. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 3. Section 62.151, Labor Code, is repealed. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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