2013 -- H 5079

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LC00349

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

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A N A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MINIMUM WAGES

     

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Bennett, Lima, Hull, Guthrie, and Shekarchi

     Date Introduced: January 15, 2013

     Referred To: House Labor

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 28-12-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-12 entitled "Minimum

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Wages" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     28-12-3. Minimum wages. -- (a) Every employer shall pay to each of his or her

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employees: commencing July 1, 1999, at least the minimum wage of five dollars and sixty five

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cents ($5.65) per hour. Commencing September 1, 2000, the minimum wage is six dollars and

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fifteen cents ($6.15) per hour.

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      (b) Commencing January 1, 2004, the minimum wage is six dollars and seventy-five

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cents ($6.75) per hour.

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      (c) Commencing March 1, 2006, the minimum wage is seven dollars and ten cents

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($7.10) per hour.

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      (d) Commencing January 1, 2007, the minimum wage is seven dollars and forty cents

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($7.40) per hour.

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      (e) Commencing January 1, 2013, the minimum wage is seven dollars and seventy-five

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cents ($7.75) per hour.

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     (f) Commencing January 1, 2014, the minimum wage is eight dollars and twenty-five

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cent ($8.25) per hour.

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     (g) Commencing January 1, 2015, and on each January 1st thereafter, the department of

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labor and training shall calculate an adjusted minimum wage rate to maintain employee

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purchasing power by increasing the current year's minimum wage rate by the rate of inflation.

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The adjusted minimum wage rate shall be calculated to the nearest cent using the consumer price

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index for urban wage earners and clerical workers, CPI-W, or a successor index, for the previous

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year as calculated for the northeast region by the United States department of labor. Each adjusted

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minimum wage rate so calculated shall take effect on July 1st of the proceeding year.

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     (h) The Rhode Island minimum wage rate automatically increases to fifteen cents ($.15)

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above the rate set in the Fair Labor Standards Act if the federal minimum wage equals or

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becomes higher than the state minimum.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

     

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LC00349

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MINIMUM WAGES

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     This act would raise the minimum wage commencing January 1, 2014, to eight dollars

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and twenty-five cents ($8.25) per hour, and would require annual adjustments by the department

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of labor and training commencing January 1, 2015.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

     

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LC00349

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H5079