I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 603 

To provide for increases in the Federal minimum wage, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 28, 2021 

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia (for himself, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Ms. JAYAPAL, 

Ms. PELOSI, Mr. HOYER, Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. AGUILAR, Mr. 

AUCHINCLOSS, Mrs. AXNE, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Ms. BASS, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. 

BERA, Mr. BEYER, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 

BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. BROWN, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. BOWMAN, Ms. 

BUSH, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. CARSON, 

Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Ms. CASTOR of 

Florida, Ms. CHU, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Ms. 

CLARKE of New York, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. 

COOPER, Mr. COURTNEY, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. CRIST, Mr. CROW, Mr. DANNY

K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. DEAN, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. 

DELAURO, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. DEUTCH, Mrs. DEMINGS, Mr. 

DESAULNIER, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, 

Ms. ESCOBAR, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. EVANS, Ms. LOIS

FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. 

GARCI ́A of Illinois, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GOMEZ, Ms. HAALAND, Mr. HASTINGS, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. 

HORSFORD, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Mr. HIMES, Ms. 

JACKSON LEE, Ms. JACOBS of California, Mr. JEFFRIES, Ms. JOHNSON

of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. JONES, Mr. KAHELE, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KEATING, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KILDEE, 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. KILMER, Mr. KIM of New Jersey, Mr. 

KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. LAMB, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Mr. LEVIN of 

Michigan, Mr. LEVIN of California, Mr. LIEU, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. 

LOWENTHAL, Mrs. LURIA, Mr. LYNCH, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of 

New York, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. 

MALINOWSKI, Ms. MANNING, Ms. MATSUI, Mrs. MCBATH, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. MEEKS, 

Ms. MENG, Mr. MFUME, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. 

MOULTON, Mr. MRVAN, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. NEGUSE, 


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Ms. NEWMAN, Mr. NORCROSS, Ms. NORTON, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. 

OMAR, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. 

PETERS, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. POCAN, Ms. PRESSLEY, 

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. RASKIN, Miss RICE of 

New York, Ms. ROSS, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. RUSH, Mr. RYAN, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. 

SCANLON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of 

Georgia, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. SHERRILL, Mr. SIRES, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. SPANBERGER, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. STEVENS, Ms. STRICKLAND, 

Mr. SOTO, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. SWALWELL, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. THOMPSON

of Mississippi, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. TITUS, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. 

TONKO, Mrs. TORRES of California, Mr. TORRES of New York, Mrs. 

TRAHAN, Mr. TRONE, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. VEASEY, Ms. 

VELA ́ZQUEZ, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. WATERS, Mrs. WATSON

COLEMAN, Mr. WELCH, Ms. WEXTON, Ms. WILD, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, Ms. WILSON of Florida, and Mr. YARMUTH) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To provide for increases in the Federal minimum wage, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Raise the Wage Act 

5 of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor 

8 Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) is amended 

9 to read as follows: 

10 ‘‘(1) except as otherwise provided in this sec11 tion, not less than— 


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1 ‘‘(A) $9.50 an hour, beginning on the ef2 fective date under section 7 of the Raise the 

3 Wage Act of 2021; 

4 ‘‘(B) $11.00 an hour, beginning 1 year 

5 after such effective date; 

6 ‘‘(C) $12.50 an hour, beginning 2 years 

7 after such effective date; 

8 ‘‘(D) $14.00 an hour, beginning 3 years 

9 after such effective date; 

10 ‘‘(E) $15.00 an hour, beginning 4 years 

11 after such effective date; and 

12 ‘‘(F) beginning on the date that is 5 years 

13 after such effective date, and annually there14 after, the amount determined by the Secretary 

15 under subsection (h);’’. 

16 (b) DETERMINATION BASED ON INCREASE IN THE

17 MEDIAN HOURLY WAGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES.—Section 

18 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 

19 206) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(h)(1) Not later than each date that is 90 days be21 fore a new minimum wage determined under subsection 

22 (a)(1)(F) is to take effect, the Secretary shall determine 

23 the minimum wage to be in effect under this subsection 

24 for each period described in subsection (a)(1)(F). The 


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1 wage determined under this subsection for a year shall 

2 be— 

3 ‘‘(A) not less than the amount in effect under 

4 subsection (a)(1) on the date of such determination; 

5 ‘‘(B) increased from such amount by the annual 

6 percentage increase, if any, in the median hourly 

7 wage of all employees as determined by the Bureau 

8 of Labor Statistics; and 

9 ‘‘(C) rounded up to the nearest multiple of 

10 $0.05. 

11 ‘‘(2) In calculating the annual percentage increase in 

12 the median hourly wage of all employees for purposes of 

13 paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary, through the Bureau of 

14 Labor Statistics, shall compile data on the hourly wages 

15 of all employees to determine such a median hourly wage 

16 and compare such median hourly wage for the most recent 

17 year for which data are available with the median hourly 

18 wage determined for the preceding year.’’. 

19 SEC. 3. TIPPED EMPLOYEES. 

20 (a) BASE MINIMUM WAGE FOR TIPPED EMPLOYEES

21 AND TIPS RETAINED BY EMPLOYEES.—Section 

22 3(m)(2)(A)(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 

23 (29 U.S.C. 203(m)(2)(A)(i)) is amended to read as fol24 lows: 


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1 ‘‘(i) the cash wage paid such employee, which 

2 for purposes of such determination shall be not less 

3 than— 

4 ‘‘(I) for the 1-year period beginning on the 

5 effective date under section 7 of the Raise the 

6 Wage Act of 2021, $4.95 an hour; 

7 ‘‘(II) for each succeeding 1-year period 

8 until the hourly wage under this clause equals 

9 the wage in effect under section 6(a)(1) for 

10 such period, an hourly wage equal to the 

11 amount determined under this clause for the 

12 preceding year, increased by the lesser of— 

13 ‘‘(aa) $2.00; or 

14 ‘‘(bb) the amount necessary for the 

15 wage in effect under this clause to equal 

16 the wage in effect under section 6(a)(1) for 

17 such period, rounded up to the nearest 

18 multiple of $0.05; and 

19 ‘‘(III) for each succeeding 1-year period 

20 after the increase made pursuant to subclause 

21 (II), the minimum wage in effect under section 

22 6(a)(1); and’’. 

23 (b) TIPS RETAINED BY EMPLOYEES.—Section 

24 3(m)(2)(A) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 

25 U.S.C. 203(m)(2)(A)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in the second sentence of the matter fol2 lowing clause (ii), by striking ‘‘of this subsection, 

3 and all tips received by such employee have been re4 tained by the employee’’ and inserting ‘‘of this sub5 section. Any employee shall have the right to retain 

6 any tips received by such employee’’; and 

7 (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘An em8 ployer shall inform each employee of the right and 

9 exception provided under the preceding sentence.’’. 

10 (c) SCHEDULED REPEAL OF SEPARATE MINIMUM

11 WAGE FOR TIPPED EMPLOYEES.— 

12 (1) TIPPED EMPLOYEES.—Section 3(m)(2)(A) 

13 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 

14 203(m)(2)(A)), as amended by subsections (a) and 

15 (b), is further amended by striking the sentence be16 ginning with ‘‘In determining the wage an employer 

17 is required to pay a tipped employee,’’ and all that 

18 follows through ‘‘of this subsection.’’ and inserting 

19 ‘‘The wage required to be paid to a tipped employee 

20 shall be the wage set forth in section 6(a)(1).’’. 

21 (2) PUBLICATION OF NOTICE.—Subsection (i) 

22 of section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 

23 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206), as amended by section 5, is 

24 further amended by striking ‘‘or in accordance with 

25 subclause (II) or (III) of section 3(m)(2)(A)(i)’’. 


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1 (3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

2 by paragraphs (1) and (2) shall take effect on the 

3 date that is 1 day after the date on which the hourly 

4 wage under subclause (III) of section 3(m)(2)(A)(i) 

5 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 

6 203(m)(2)(A)(i)), as amended by subsection (a), 

7 takes effect. 

8 (d) PENALTIES.—Section 16 of the Fair Labor 

9 Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 216) is amended— 

10 (1) in the third sentence of subsection (b), by 

11 inserting ‘‘or used’’ after ‘‘kept’’; and 

12 (2) in the second sentence of subsection (e)(2), 

13 by inserting ‘‘or used’’ after ‘‘kept’’. 

14 SEC. 4. NEWLY HIRED EMPLOYEES WHO ARE LESS THAN 20 

15 YEARS OLD. 

16 (a) BASE MINIMUM WAGE FOR NEWLY HIRED EM17 PLOYEES WHO ARE LESS THAN 20 YEARS OLD.—Section 

18 6(g)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 

19 U.S.C. 206(g)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘a wage which 

20 is not less than $4.25 an hour.’’ and inserting the fol21 lowing: ‘‘a wage at a rate that is not less than— 

22 ‘‘(A) for the 1-year period beginning on the ef23 fective date under section 7 of the Raise the Wage 

24 Act of 2021, $6.00 an hour; 


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1 ‘‘(B) for each succeeding 1-year period until the 

2 hourly wage under this paragraph equals the wage 

3 in effect under section 6(a)(1) for such period, an 

4 hourly wage equal to the amount determined under 

5 this paragraph for the preceding year, increased by 

6 the lesser of— 

7 ‘‘(i) $1.75; or 

8 ‘‘(ii) the amount necessary for the wage in 

9 effect under this paragraph to equal the wage 

10 in effect under section 6(a)(1) for such period, 

11 rounded up to the nearest multiple of $0.05; 

12 and 

13 ‘‘(C) for each succeeding 1-year period after the 

14 increase made pursuant to subparagraph (B)(ii), the 

15 minimum wage in effect under section 6(a)(1).’’. 

16 (b) SCHEDULED REPEAL OF SEPARATE MINIMUM

17 WAGE FOR NEWLY HIRED EMPLOYEES WHO ARE LESS

18 THAN 20 YEARS OLD.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 6(g) of the Fair 

20 Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(g)), as 

21 amended by subsection (a), shall be repealed. 

22 (2) PUBLICATION OF NOTICE.—Subsection (i) 

23 of section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 

24 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206), as amended by section 


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1 3(c)(2), is further amended by striking ‘‘or subpara2 graph (B) or (C) of subsection (g)(1),’’. 

3 (3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The repeal and amend4 ment made by paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, 

5 shall take effect on the date that is 1 day after the 

6 date on which the hourly wage under subparagraph 

7 (C) of section 6(g)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards 

8 Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(g)(1)), as amended by 

9 subsection (a), takes effect. 

10 SEC. 5. PUBLICATION OF NOTICE. 

11 Section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 

12 (29 U.S.C. 206), as amended by the preceding sections, 

13 is further amended by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(i) Not later than 60 days prior to the effective date 

15 of any increase in the required wage determined under 

16 subsection (a)(1) or subparagraph (B) or (C) of subsection 

17 (g)(1), or in accordance with subclause (II) or (III) of sec18 tion 3(m)(2)(A)(i) or section 14(c)(1)(A), the Secretary 

19 shall publish in the Federal Register and on the website 

20 of the Department of Labor a notice announcing each in21 crease in such required wage.’’. 

22 SEC. 6. PROMOTING ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR IN23 DIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. 

24 (a) WAGES.— 


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1 (1) TRANSITION TO FAIR WAGES FOR INDIVID2 UALS WITH DISABILITIES.—Subparagraph (A) of 

3 section 14(c)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 

4 1938 (29 U.S.C. 214(c)(1)) is amended to read as 

5 follows: 

6 ‘‘(A) at a rate that equals or exceeds, for each 

7 year, the greater of— 

8 ‘‘(i)(I) $5.00 an hour, beginning on the ef9 fective date under section 7 of the Raise the 

10 Wage Act of 2021; 

11 ‘‘(II) $7.50 an hour, beginning 1 year 

12 after such effective date; 

13 ‘‘(III) $10.00 an hour, beginning 2 years 

14 after such effective date; 

15 ‘‘(IV) $12.50 an hour, beginning 3 years 

16 after such effective date; 

17 ‘‘(V) $15.00 an hour, beginning 4 years 

18 after such effective date; and 

19 ‘‘(VI) the wage rate in effect under section 

20 6(a)(1), beginning 5 years after such effective 

21 date; or 

22 ‘‘(ii) if applicable, the wage rate in effect 

23 on the day before the date of enactment of the 

24 Raise the Wage Act of 2021 for the employ25 ment, under a special certificate issued under 


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1 this paragraph, of the individual for whom the 

2 wage rate is being determined under this sub3 paragraph,’’. 

4 (2) PROHIBITION ON NEW SPECIAL CERTIFI5 CATES; SUNSET.—Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor 

6 Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 214(c)) (as 

7 amended by paragraph (1)) is further amended by 

8 adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(6) PROHIBITION ON NEW SPECIAL CERTIFI10 CATES.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Sec11 retary shall not issue a special certificate under this 

12 subsection to an employer that was not issued a spe13 cial certificate under this subsection before the date 

14 of enactment of the Raise the Wage Act of 2021. 

15 ‘‘(7) SUNSET.—Beginning on the day after the 

16 date on which the wage rate described in paragraph 

17 (1)(A)(i)(VI) takes effect, the authority to issue spe18 cial certificates under paragraph (1) shall expire, 

19 and no special certificates issued under paragraph 

20 (1) shall have any legal effect. 

21 ‘‘(8) TRANSITION ASSISTANCE.—Upon request, 

22 the Secretary shall provide— 

23 ‘‘(A) technical assistance and information 

24 to employers issued a special certificate under 

25 this subsection for the purposes of— 


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1 ‘‘(i) assisting such employers to com2 ply with this subsection, as amended by 

3 the Raise the Wage Act of 2021; and 

4 ‘‘(ii) ensuring continuing employment 

5 opportunities for individuals with disabil6 ities receiving a special minimum wage 

7 rate under this subsection; and 

8 ‘‘(B) information to individuals employed 

9 at a special minimum wage rate under this sub10 section, which may include referrals to Federal 

11 or State entities with expertise in competitive 

12 integrated employment.’’. 

13 (3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

14 by this subsection shall take effect on the date of en15 actment of this Act. 

16 (b) PUBLICATION OF NOTICE.— 

17 (1) AMENDMENT.—Subsection (i) of section 6 

18 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 

19 206), as amended by section 4(b)(2), is further 

20 amended by striking ‘‘or section 14(c)(1)(A),’’. 

21 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 

22 by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the day after 

23 the date on which the wage rate described in para24 graph (1)(A)(i)(VI) of section 14(c) of the Fair 


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1 Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 214(c)), as 

2 amended by subsection (a)(1), takes effect. 

3 SEC. 7. GENERAL EFFECTIVE DATE. 

4 Except as otherwise provided in this Act, or the 

5 amendments made by this Act, this Act and the amend6 ments made by this Act shall take effect on the first day 

7 of the third month that begins after the date of the enact8 ment of this Act. 

Æ 


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