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 Section 62.151, Labor Code, is repealed.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