I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4256

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for an increase 

in the Federal minimum wage. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2004

Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California (for himself, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. OWENS, 

Mr. LYNCH, Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Ms. 

LEE, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. 

ABERCROMBIE, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. 

SOLIS, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. 

BACA, Ms. WATSON, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. ACKERMAN, Ms. 

MCCOLLUM, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. EVANS, 

Mr. WYNN, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. NADLER, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. DICKS, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Ms. 

KILPATRICK, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Ms. NORTON, Ms. WATERS, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. 

RANGEL, Mr. WEINER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. 

BISHOP of New York, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. RYAN

of Ohio, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. OLVER, Mr. 

OBEY, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. STARK, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. 

CAPUANO, Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. ANDREWS, 

Mr. HOLT, Mr. GEPHARDT, Mr. HONDA, Mr. SABO, Mr. MEEHAN, Ms. 

BALDWIN, Mr. WU, and Mr. MEEKS of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 

Workforce 

A BILL

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide 

for an increase in the Federal minimum wage.
2

•HR 4256 IH 

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 ‘‘Fair Minimum Wage 

5 Act of 2004’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MINIMUM WAGE. 

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—

12 ‘‘(A) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th 

13 day after the date of enactment of the Fair 

14 Minimum Wage Act of 2003; 

15 ‘‘(B) $6.45 an hour, beginning 12 months 

16 after that 60th day; and 

17 ‘‘(C) $7.00 an hour, beginning 24 months 

18 after that 60th day;’’. 

19 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

20 subsection (a) shall take effect 60 days after the date of 

21 enactment of this Act. 
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•HR 4256 IH 

1 SEC. 3. APPLICABILITY OF MINIMUM WAGE TO THE COM2 MONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA 

3 ISLANDS. 

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

5 Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206) shall apply to the 

6 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 

7 (b) TRANSITION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), 

8 the minimum wage applicable to the Commonwealth of the 

9 Northern Mariana Islands under section 6(a)(1) of the 

10 Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) 

11 shall be—

12 (1) $3.55 an hour, beginning on the 60th day 

13 after the date of enactment of this Act; and 

14 (2) increased by $0.50 an hour (or such lesser 

15 amount as may be necessary to equal the minimum 

16 wage under section 6(a)(1) of such Act), beginning 

17 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act 

18 and every 6 months thereafter until the minimum 

19 wage applicable to the Commonwealth of the North20 ern Mariana Islands under this subsection is equal 

21 to the minimum wage set forth in such section.

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