General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 5160
February Session, 2000		LCO No. 125
Referred to Committee on Labor and Public Employees
Introduced by:
(LAB)

An Act Increasing The Minimum Wage.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Subsection (j) of section 31-58 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof:

(j) "Minimum fair wage" in any industry or occupation in this state means a wage of not less than two dollars and sixty-six cents per hour, and effective January 1, 1979, not less than two dollars and ninety-one cents per hour, and effective January 1, 1980, not less than three dollars and twelve cents per hour, and effective January 1, 1981, not less than three dollars and thirty-seven cents per hour, and effective October 1, 1987, not less than three dollars and seventy-five cents per hour, and effective October 1, 1988, not less than four dollars and twenty-five cents per hour, and effective January 1, 1999, not less than five dollars and sixty-five cents per hour, and effective January 1, 2000, not less than six dollars and fifteen cents per hour, and effective January 1, 2001, not less than six dollars and seventy-five cents per hour, or one-half of one per cent rounded to the nearest whole cent more than the highest federal minimum wage, whichever is greater, except as may otherwise be established in accordance with the provisions of this part. Effective July 1, 2002, and each July first thereafter, the minimum fair wage shall be adjusted by the percentage increase, if any, in the National Consumer Price Index for all urban wage earners for the twelve-month period ending on the last day of the preceding May, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor, or one-half of one per cent rounded to the nearest whole cent more than the highest federal minimum wage, whichever is greater, except as may otherwise be established in accordance with the provisions of this part. All wage orders in effect on October 1, 1971, wherein a lower minimum fair wage has been established, are amended to provide for the payment of the minimum fair wage herein established except as hereinafter provided. Whenever the highest federal minimum wage is increased, the minimum fair wage established under this part shall be increased to the amount of said federal minimum wage plus one-half of one per cent more than said federal rate, rounded to the nearest whole cent, effective on the same date as the increase in the highest federal minimum wage, and shall apply to all wage orders and administrative regulations then in force. The rates for learners, beginners, and persons under the age of eighteen years shall be not less than eighty-five per cent of the minimum fair wage for the first two hundred hours of such employment and equal to the minimum fair wage thereafter, except institutional training programs specifically exempted by the commissioner.

LAB	Committee Vote:	Yea	9	Nay	2	JF
PD	Committee Vote:	Yea	10	Nay	5	JF