This bill, the "Living Wage For All Act," changes the federal Fair Labor Standards Act to raise the federal minimum wage on a scheduled path and then tie it to the national median hourly wage. It defines "large employers" as firms with $1,000,000,000 or more in annual revenue or 500 or more employees. Large employers have a faster phase-in schedule that reaches $25.00 per hour by January 1, 2031 (subject to the median-wage rule). Other employers have a slower phase-in that reaches $25.00 per hour by January 1, 2038 (subject to the median-wage rule). After the minimum wage reaches two-thirds of the national median hourly wage, the minimum wage is automatically adjusted each year to keep that ratio using Bureau of Labor Statistics data (and CBO projections during the phase-in if needed). The bill requires the Department of Labor to publish annual determinations and to give notice before increases.
The bill phases out separate lower wages for certain groups. It sets multi-year schedules to raise base cash wages for tipped employees (different schedules for large and other employers) until the tipped cash wage equals the general minimum, at which point tipped employees must be paid the full minimum wage and the separate tipped-wage rules are repealed. It raises the base wage for newly hired employees under age 20 on a multi-year schedule and schedules repeal of the separate youth-hire wage when it equals the general minimum. For workers paid under special certificates because of disabilities, the bill sets a multi-year transition to bring those wages up, stops issuing new special certificates, offers transition assistance, and ends the special-certificate authority once those wages reach the general minimum. The bill also adds incarcerated workers to the Act's definition of "employee," clarifies that certain costs (board, lodging) and court-imposed fees should not be counted as wages for incarcerated workers, and amends penalty language related to tips.
The bill specifies that, unless otherwise noted, its provisions take effect on the first day of the calendar year after the law is enacted.
No publicly available information on federal cost estimates or budgetary effects is included in the bill text. The bill text does not include a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score or other cost figures.
The bill's findings and purpose (as stated in the text) say work should pay a living wage and the federal minimum should align with the cost of living. It says a minimum of at least $25 per hour is a conservative step toward that goal. The text also states that large, highly profitable corporations have the greatest capacity to raise wages and should lead the transition, that tying the minimum to a share of the national median wage prevents erosion of purchasing power, and that a minimum wage aligned with median wages will strengthen economic security, reduce reliance on public assistance, and promote broad-based growth.
No publicly available information on opponents' views is included in the bill text or accompanying metadata.