H.R. 7471

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7471 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7471

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

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 10, 2026

Mr. Norcross introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

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

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Give America a Raise Act''.

SEC. 2. MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES.

(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 section, not 
less than--
``(A) $10.00 an hour, beginning on the effective 
date under section 7 of the Give America a Raise Act;
``(B) $13.00 an hour, beginning 1 year after such 
effective date;
``(C) $16.50 an hour, beginning 2 years after such 
effective date;
``(D) $20.00 an hour, beginning 3 years after such 
effective date; and
``(E) beginning on the date that is 4 years after 
such effective date, and annually thereafter, the 
amount determined by the Secretary under subsection (h) 
for the year;''.
(b) Determination Based on Increase in Inflation and Gross Domestic 
Product.--Section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 
206) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(h)(1) Not later than each date that is 90 days before a new 
minimum wage determined under subsection (a)(1)(E) is to take effect 
for a year, the Secretary shall determine the amount of the minimum 
wage under this subsection for the year. The amount of the minimum wage 
determined under this subsection for a year shall be the amount in 
effect under subsection (a)(1) on the date of such determination, as 
increased (subject to paragraph (2)) by the greater of--
``(A) the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price 
Index for all Urban Consumers, as determined by the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics, for the most recent 12-month period for which 
data is available; or
``(B) the annual percentage increase in the Gross Domestic 
Product, as determined by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, for 
the most recent 12-month period for which data is available.
``(2) In the event that, in determining the amount of the minimum 
wage under this subsection for a year, there is not an annual 
percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index described in paragraph 
(1)(A) and there is not an annual percentage increase in the Gross 
Domestic Product described in paragraph (1)(B), the amount determined 
under this subsection for such year shall be the amount in effect under 
subsection (a)(1) on the date of such determination.
``(3) In the event that the amount of the minimum wage determined 
under this subsection for a year is not a multiple of $0.05, such 
amount shall be rounded up to the nearest multiple of $0.05.''.

SEC. 3. TIPPED EMPLOYEES.

(a) Base Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees and Tips Retained by 
Employees.--Section 3(m)(2)(A)(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 
1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(m)(2)(A)(i)) is amended to read as follows:
``(i) the cash wage paid such employee, which for 
purposes of such determination shall be not less than--
``(I) for the 1-year period beginning on 
the effective date under section 7 of the Give 
America a Raise Act, $6.00 an hour;
``(II) $8.00 an hour, beginning 1 year 
after such effective date;
``(III) $10.00 an hour, beginning 2 years 
after such effective date;
``(IV) $12.50 an hour, beginning 3 years 
after such effective date;
``(V) $15.00 an hour, beginning 4 years 
after such effective date;
``(VI) $17.50 an hour, beginning 5 years 
after such effective date;
``(VII) $20.00 an hour, beginning 6 years 
after such effective date; and
``(VIII) for each succeeding 1-year period 
after the increase made pursuant to subclause 
(VII), the minimum wage in effect under section 
6(a)(1); and''.
(b) Tips Retained by Employees.--Section 3(m)(2)(A) of the Fair 
Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(m)(2)(A)) is amended--
(1) in the second sentence of the matter following clause 
(ii), by striking ``of this subsection, and all tips received 
by such employee have been retained by the employee'' and 
inserting ``of this subsection. Any employee shall have the 
right to retain any tips received by such employee''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following: ``An employer shall 
inform each employee of the right and exception provided under 
the preceding sentence.''.
(c) Scheduled Repeal of Separate Minimum Wage for Tipped 
Employees.--
(1) Tipped employees.--Section 3(m)(2)(A) of the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(m)(2)(A)), as amended by 
subsections (a) and (b), is further amended by striking the 
sentence beginning with ``In determining the wage an employer 
is required to pay a tipped employee,'' and all that follows 
through ``of this subsection.'' and inserting ``The wage 
required to be paid to a tipped employee shall be the wage set 
forth in section 6(a)(1).''.
(2) Publication of notice.--Subsection (i) of section 6 of 
the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206), as added 
by section 5 and amended by section 6(b)(1), is further amended 
by striking ``or in accordance with subclauses (II) through 
(VIII) of section 3(m)(2)(A)(i),''.
(3) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraphs (1) 
and (2) shall take effect on the date that is 1 day after the 
date on which the hourly wage under subclause (VIII) of section 
3(m)(2)(A)(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 
U.S.C. 203(m)(2)(A)(i)), as amended by subsection (a), takes 
effect.
(d) Penalties.--Section 16 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 
(29 U.S.C. 216) is amended by striking ``unlawfully kept'' each place 
it appears and inserting ``unlawfully kept or used''.

SEC. 4. NEWLY HIRED EMPLOYEES WHO ARE LESS THAN 20 YEARS OLD.

(a) Base Minimum Wage for Newly Hired Employees Who Are Less Than 
20 Years Old.--Section 6(g)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 
(29 U.S.C. 206(g)(1)) is amended by striking ``a wage which is not less 
than $4.25 an hour.'' and inserting the following: ``a wage at a rate 
that is not less than--
``(A) for the 1-year period beginning on the effective date 
under section 7 of the Give America a Raise Act, $6.00 an hour;
``(B) for each succeeding 1-year period until the hourly 
wage under this paragraph equals the wage in effect under 
section 6(a)(1) for such period, an hourly wage equal to the 
amount determined under this paragraph for the preceding year, 
increased by the lesser of--
``(i) $2.00; or
``(ii) the amount necessary for the wage in effect 
under this paragraph to equal the wage in effect under 
section 6(a)(1) for such period; and
``(C) for each succeeding 1-year period after the increase 
made pursuant to subparagraph (B)(ii), the minimum wage in 
effect under section 6(a)(1).''.
(b) Scheduled Repeal of Separate Minimum Wage for Newly Hired 
Employees Who Are Less Than 20 Years Old.--
(1) In general.--Section 6(g) of the Fair Labor Standards 
Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(g)), as amended by subsection (a), 
shall be repealed.
(2) Publication of notice.--Subsection (i) of section 6 of 
the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206), as added 
by section 5 and amended by sections 6(b)(1) and 3(c)(2), is 
further amended by striking ``or subparagraph (B) or (C) of 
subsection (g)(1)''.
(3) Effective date.--The repeal and amendment made by 
paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, shall take effect on the 
date that is 1 day after the date on which the hourly wage 
under subparagraph (C) of section 6(g)(1) of the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(g)(1)), as amended by 
subsection (a), takes effect.

SEC. 5. PUBLICATION OF NOTICE.

Section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206), 
as amended by section 2(b), is further amended by adding at the end the 
following:
``(i) Not later than 60 days prior to the effective date of any 
increase in the required wage determined under subsection (a)(1) or 
subparagraph (B) or (C) of subsection (g)(1), or in accordance with 
subclauses (II) through (VIII) of section 3(m)(2)(A)(i) or section 
14(c)(1)(A)(i), the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register and 
on the website of the Department of Labor a notice announcing each 
increase in such required wage.''.

SEC. 6. PROMOTING ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH 
DISABILITIES.

(a) Wages.--
(1) Transition to fair wages for individuals with 
disabilities.--Subparagraph (A) of section 14(c)(1) of the Fair 
Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 214(c)(1)) is amended to 
read as follows:
``(A) at a rate that equals or exceeds, for each year, the 
greater of--
``(i)(I) $5.00 an hour, beginning on the effective 
date under section 7 of the Give America a Raise Act;
``(II) $8.00 an hour, beginning 1 year after such 
effective date;
``(III) $11.00 an hour, beginning 2 years after 
such effective date;
``(IV) $14.00 an hour, beginning 3 years after such 
effective date;
``(V) $17.00 an hour, beginning 4 years after such 
effective date;
``(VI) $20.00 an hour, beginning 5 years after such 
effective date; and
``(VII) the wage rate in effect under section 
6(a)(1), beginning 6 years after such effective date; 
or
``(ii) if applicable, the wage rate in effect on 
the day before the date of enactment of the Give 
America a Raise Act for the employment, under a special 
certificate issued under this paragraph, of the 
individual for whom the wage rate is being determined 
under this subparagraph,''.
(2) Prohibition on new special certificates; transition 
assistance.--
(A) In general.--Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 214(c)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
``(6) Prohibition on New Special Certificates.--Notwithstanding 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall not issue a special certificate 
under this subsection to an employer that was not issued a special 
certificate under this subsection before the date of enactment of the 
Give America a Raise Act.
``(7) Transition Assistance.--Upon request, the Secretary shall 
provide--
``(A) technical assistance and information to employers 
issued a special certificate under this subsection for the 
purposes of--
``(i) assisting such employers to comply with this 
subsection, as amended by the Give America a Raise Act; 
and
``(ii) ensuring continuing employment opportunities 
for individuals with disabilities receiving a special 
minimum wage rate under this subsection; and
``(B) information to individuals employed at a special 
minimum wage rate under this subsection, which may include 
referrals to Federal or State entities with expertise in 
competitive integrated employment.''.
(B) Effective date.--The amendments made by this 
paragraph shall take effect on the date of enactment of 
this Act.
(3) Sunset.--Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act 
of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 214(c)), as amended by paragraph (2), is 
further amended by adding at the end the following:
``(8) Sunset.--Beginning on the day after the date on which the 
wage rate described in paragraph (1)(A)(i)(VII) takes effect, the 
authority to issue special certificates under paragraph (1) shall 
expire, and no special certificates issued under paragraph (1) shall 
have any legal effect.''.
(b) Publication of Notice.--
(1) Amendment.--Subsection (i) of section 6 of the Fair 
Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206), as added by 
section 5, is amended by striking ``or section 
14(c)(1)(A)(i)''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
shall take effect on the day after the date on which the wage 
rate described in paragraph (1)(A)(i)(VII) of section 14(c) of 
the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 214(c)), as 
amended by subsection (a)(1), takes effect.

SEC. 7. GENERAL EFFECTIVE DATE.

Except as otherwise provided in this Act, this Act and the 
amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the first day of the 
third month that begins after the date of enactment of this Act.
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