2023 -- H 5928

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LC001434

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MINIMUM WAGES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Henries, Stewart, Sanchez, Morales, Felix, Alzate, and J.
Lombardi

     Date Introduced: March 01, 2023

     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.

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     (a) Every employer shall pay to each of his or her employees: commencing July 1, 1999,

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at least the minimum wage of five dollars and sixty-five cents ($5.65) per hour. Commencing

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September 1, 2000, the minimum wage is six dollars and fifteen cents ($6.15) per hour.

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

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($6.75) per hour.

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     (c) Commencing March 1, 2006, the minimum wage is seven dollars and ten cents ($7.10)

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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 ($8.00) per hour.

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     (g) Commencing January 1, 2015, the minimum wage is nine dollars ($9.00) per hour.

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     (h) Commencing January 1, 2016, the minimum wage is nine dollars and sixty cents ($9.60)

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per hour.

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     (i) Commencing January 1, 2018, the minimum wage is ten dollars and ten cents ($10.10)

 

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per hour.

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     (j) Commencing January 1, 2019, the minimum wage is ten dollars and fifty cents ($10.50)

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per hour.

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     (k) Commencing October 1, 2020, the minimum wage is eleven dollars and fifty cents

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($11.50) per hour.

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     (l) Commencing January 1, 2022, the minimum wage is twelve dollars and twenty-five

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cents ($12.25) per hour.

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     (m) Commencing January 1, 2023, the minimum wage is thirteen dollars ($13.00) per hour.

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     (n) Commencing January 1, 2024, the minimum wage is fourteen dollars ($14.00) fourteen

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dollars and fifty cents ($14.50) per hour.

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     (o) Commencing January 1, 2025, the minimum wage is fifteen dollars ($15.00) sixteen

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dollars and seventy-five cents ($16.75) per hour.

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     (p) Commencing January 1, 2026, the minimum wage is nineteen dollars ($19.00) per hour.

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     (q) Commencing on January l, 2027, and on each January 1 thereafter, the minimum wage

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under this section shall be increased by the percentage increase, if any, in the cost of living. The

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increase in the cost of living shall be measured by the percentage increase, if any, as of August of

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the previous year over the level, as of August of the year preceding, of the Consumer Price Index

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for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), or its successor index as published by the

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United States Department of Labor or its successor agency, with the amount of the minimum hourly

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wage increase rounded up to the nearest multiple of five cents ($.05).

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     SECTION 2. Section 28-12-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-12 entitled "Minimum

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Wages" is hereby repealed.

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     28-12-5. Employees receiving gratuities.

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     (a) Every employer shall pay to each of the employer’s employees who are engaged in any

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work or employment in which gratuities have customarily and usually constituted a part of his or

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her weekly income, the rate as provided by §§ 28-12-3 and 28-12-3.1.

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     (b) Allowance for gratuities as part of the hourly wage rate for restaurants, hotels, and other

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industries, except taxicabs and limited public motor vehicles, shall be an amount equal to the

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applicable minimum rates as provided by §§ 28-12-3 and 28-12-3.1 less two dollars and eighty-

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nine cents ($2.89) per hour. “Gratuities” means voluntary monetary compensation received directly

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or indirectly by the employee for services rendered.

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     (c) Each employer desiring to deduct for gratuities as part of the minimum rates as provided

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in §§ 28-12-3 and 28-12-3.1 wages paid to an employee shall provide substantial evidence that the

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amount shall be as set out in the formula in subsection (b) of this section; however, the cash wage

 

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shall not be less than two dollars and eighty-nine cents ($2.89) per hour; provided, however, that

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commencing January 1, 2016, the cash wage shall increase by fifty cents ($.50) to an amount not

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less than three dollars and thirty-nine cents ($3.39) per hour; provided further, that commencing

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January 1, 2017, the cash wage shall increase by fifty cents ($.50) to an amount not less than three

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dollars and eighty-nine cents ($3.89) per hour.

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     (d) The director of labor and training shall notify employers concerning what type of proof

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shall be accepted as substantial evidence for the purpose of this subsection. Employees involved

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shall be entitled to a hearing on the question of the amount of deduction if they so desire.

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     (e) In cases where wages are figured by the employer on an incentive basis in such a manner

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that an employee of reasonable average ability earns at least the minimum wage established by §§

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28-12-3 and 28-12-3.1, it shall be taken that the employer has complied with this statute. It shall be

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of no concern to the director of labor and training how the employer arrives at its wage scale so

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long as it is not unreasonable in its demands on the employee.

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     (f) Where, in the case of the employment of a full-time student who has not attained his or

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her nineteenth (19th) birthday engaged in the activities of a nonprofit association or corporation,

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whose aims and objectives are religious, educational, librarial, or community service in nature, the

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employer-employee relationship does exist, the employer shall pay to each such employee wages

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at a rate of not less than ninety percent (90%) of the minimum wage as specified in § 28-12-3. In

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case of any conflict between provisions of this section and those of § 28-12-3.1, the provisions of

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§ 28-12-3.1 shall govern.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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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 gradually increase the hourly minimum wage from thirteen dollars ($13.00)

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to fourteen dollars and fifty cents ($14.50) by January 1, 2024, from fourteen dollars ($14.00) to

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sixteen dollars and seventy-five cents ($16.75) by January 1, 2025, and from fifteen dollars

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($15.00) to nineteen dollars ($19.00) by January 1, 2026. Increases after those dates would be tied

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in to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). It would

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also repeal the special minimum wage statute for employees receiving gratuities.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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