HR 10294 — Better Pay for American Workers Act

Summary

Increases the federal minimum wage to $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2027, $17.50 on January 1, 2028, and $20.00 on January 1, 2029.
Beginning January 1, 2030, and annually thereafter, ties the minimum wage to the annual percentage increase in the median hourly wage of all employees as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Requires the Secretary to determine the annual minimum wage rate prior to each year it takes effect, rounded to the nearest five cents, and sets a floor so it does not decrease from the prior year.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Rep. Torres, Norma J. (D-CA) [#35]

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Norma J. Torres’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

Employer not reported $36,825
HDC CONSTRUCTION $6,600
GOLDMAN SACHS $6,600
DIVERSIFIED PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP $6,200
WTRSHD CAPITAL LLC $5,800

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Norma J. Torres → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)

Sep 3, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. · house
Sep 3, 2026 Introduced in House

Text versions (1)

Introduced in House · Sep 3, 2026

Only one text version is on file, so there’s no earlier version to compare against yet.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 3, 2026

Mrs. Torres of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

A BILL

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the minimum wage.

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 “Better Pay for American Workers Act”.

SEC. 2. MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE.

(a) In General.—Section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:

“(1) except as otherwise provided in this section, not less than—

“(A) $15.00 an hour, beginning on January 1, 2027;

“(B) $17.50 an hour, beginning on January 1, 2028;

“(C) $20.00 an hour, beginning on January 1, 2029; and

“(D) beginning on January 1, 2030, and annually thereafter, the amount determined by the Secretary under subsection (h).”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(h) Minimum Wage Based on the Median Wage.—

“(1) In general.—Prior to the date that a new minimum wage determined under subsection (a)(1)(D) is to take effect, the Secretary shall determine the minimum wage rate to be in effect under this subsection for each year described in subsection (a)(1)(D). The wage rate determined under this subsection for a year shall be—

“(A) not less than the amount in effect under subsection (a)(1) on the date of the determination;

“(B) increased from such amount by the annual percentage increase, if any, in the median hourly wage of all employees as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics;

“(C) rounded to the nearest multiple of $0.05, if the amount determined under this subsection is not a multiple of $0.05.

“(2) Annual percentage increase.—In calculating the annual percentage increase in such median hourly wage, the Secretary, through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shall determine the median hourly wage of all employees for the most recent year for which data are available and compare such median hourly wage with the median hourly wage determined for the preceding year.”. <all>

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