H.R. 3164: Pay Workers a Living Wage Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-07-22 · Labor and Employment · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-07-22 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Pay Workers a Living Wage Act

Plain summary

Pay Workers a Living Wage Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to: (1) $9.00 an hour on January 1, 2016, or, if later, on the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act; (2) $10.50 an hour after one year; (3) $12.00 an hour after two years; (4) $13.50 an hour after three years; (5) $15.00 an hour after four years; and (6) the amount the Department of Labor determines (based on increases in the median hourly wage of all employees) after five years, and annually thereafter. The federal minimum wage for tipped employees shall increase to $3.15 an hour for one year on January 1, 2016, or the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act, whichever is later. Subsequent annual adjustments of the wage increase, according to a specified formula, shall ensure that it remains equal to the wage in effect under FLSA for other employees. Employers must notify their employees of the right to retain any received tips. The separate minimum wage requirements for tipped employees shall end, effective one day after the hourly wage established for them under this Act takes effect. Any employer may pay any newly hired employee under age 20, during the first 90 consecutive days after initial employment, a wage at a rate (currently $4.25 per hour) that is not less than the standard minimum rate, reduced by $3.00 per hour. The Secretary must publish the amount of any upwardly adjusted required wage in the Federal Register and on the Department of Labor's website 60 days before it takes effect.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Pay Workers a Living Wage Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5] · 56 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Judy Chu (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Alma S. Adams (D-NC), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Mark Takano (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Marc A. Veasey (D-TX), Katherine M. Clark (D-MA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Adam Smith (D-WA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Federal Register: The official daily publication of the U.S. government for agency rules, proposed rules, public notices and presidential documents.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr3164.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr3164 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114