I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 965
To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for an increase 
in the Federal minimum wage. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2003
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California (for himself, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. ALLEN, 
Mr. ANDREWS, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. BROWN 
of Ohio, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. CARSON of 
Oklahoma, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mrs. DAVIS 
of California, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. 
DELAURO, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. EVANS, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. 
GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HIN-
CHEY, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr. HOLT, Mr. HONDA, Ms. JACK-
SON-LEE of Texas, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. KEN-
NEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. KUCINICH, 
Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. LEE, Mr. LEVIN, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. 
MATSUI, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCGOVERN, 
Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. OBEY, 
Mr. OLVER, Mr. OWENS, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. 
RANGEL, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. SABO, Ms. LORETTA 
SANCHEZ of California, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SHERMAN, 
Ms. SOLIS, Mr. STARK, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. 
UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. WATSON, Mr. WEINER, 
Mr. WEXLER, Ms. WOOLSEY, and Mr. WU) 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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair Minimum Wage 
Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. MINIMUM WAGE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) except as otherwise provided in this sec-
tion, not less than—
‘‘(A) $5.90 an hour, beginning on the 60th 
day after the date of enactment of the Fair 
Minimum Wage Act of 2003; and 
‘‘(B) $6.65 an hour, beginning 12 months 
after that 60th day;’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. APPLICABILITY OF MINIMUM WAGE TO THE COM-
MONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA 
ISLANDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6 of the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206) shall apply to the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(b) TRANSITION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), 
the minimum wage applicable to the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands under section 6(a)(1) of the 
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) 
shall be—
(1) $3.55 an hour, beginning on the 60th day 
after the date of enactment of this Act; and 
(2) increased by $0.50 an hour (or such lesser 
amount as may be necessary to equal the minimum 
wage under section 6(a)(1) of such Act), beginning 
6 months after the date of enactment of this Act 
and every 6 months thereafter until the minimum 
wage applicable to the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands under this subsection is equal 
to the minimum wage set forth in such section.
Æ