bill raising the Texas minimum wage to $15

The text as introduced · 393 words

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 Section 62.151, Labor Code, is repealed.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.