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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the minimum wage and a requirement for a biennial study |
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and report on the living wage in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 62.051, Labor Code, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 62.051. MINIMUM WAGE. Except as provided by Section |
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62.057, an employer shall pay to each employee not less than the |
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greater of: |
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(1) $15 an hour; or |
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(2) the federal minimum wage under Section 6, Fair |
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Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. Section 206). |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 62, Labor Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 62.058 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 62.058. BIENNIAL STUDY AND REPORT ON STATE LIVING |
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WAGE. (a) In this section, "consumer price index" means the |
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Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers |
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(CPI-W), published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United |
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States Department of Labor. |
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(b) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year, |
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the commission shall conduct a study and deliver a report to the |
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legislature on the living wage in this state. In conducting the |
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study, the commission shall seek to determine what wage rate is |
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required to meet minimum standards of living throughout this state, |
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classified on the basis of county or region. In making that |
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determination, the commission shall consider factors such as the |
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consumer price index and the cost of daily necessities in each |
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county or region. |
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(c) In its report, the commission must include information |
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from the preceding two-year period for each county or region |
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regarding: |
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(1) the number of jobs created that pay at least the |
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minimum wage; |
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(2) the effect of the consumer price index on the |
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purchasing power of individuals and families; |
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(3) the cost of daily necessities, such as housing, |
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clothing, food, health care, and child care; |
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(4) the number of small businesses created and closed; |
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(5) housing affordability for individuals and |
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families relying on the minimum wage; and |
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(6) the feasibility of obtaining health care coverage |
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when working in a job paying the minimum wage. |
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(d) The commission may consult with other state agencies as |
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necessary to conduct the study under this section. |
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SECTION 3. Section 62.151, Labor Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |