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Bill > SB19
PA SB19
PA SB19Further providing for definitions, for minimum wages and for exemptions; providing for gratuities; further providing for enforcement and rules and regulations, for penalties and for civil actions; repealing provisions relating to preemption; and providing for local option and for taxpayer savings and reinvestment.
summary
Introduced
04/28/2025
04/28/2025
In Committee
04/28/2025
04/28/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Amending the act of January 17, 1968 (P.L.11, No.5), entitled "An act establishing a fixed minimum wage and overtime rates for employes, with certain exceptions; providing for minimum rates for learners and apprentices; creating a Minimum Wage Advisory Board and defining its powers and duties; conferring powers and imposing duties upon the Department of Labor and Industry; imposing duties on employers; and providing penalties," further providing for definitions, for minimum wages and for exemptions; providing for gratuities; further providing for enforcement and rules and regulations, for penalties and for civil actions; repealing provisions relating to preemption; and providing for local option and for taxpayer savings and reinvestment.
AI Summary
This bill proposes several significant changes to Pennsylvania's minimum wage law, including gradually increasing the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by January 1, 2026, with annual cost-of-living adjustments thereafter calculated using the Consumer Price Index for urban consumers. The bill strengthens protections for tipped workers by ensuring that gratuities belong entirely to employees and cannot be taken by employers, including requiring full credit card tip payments without processing fee deductions. It also increases penalties for employers who violate minimum wage regulations, with fines rising from ranges like $75-$300 to $225-$900 for wage underpayment. The bill eliminates previous preemption provisions, allowing municipalities to set higher local minimum wages after submitting a declaration of intent to the state and waiting 90 days. Additionally, the legislation requires the Secretary of Human Services to track and publicly report savings from wage increases and reinvest those savings into child-care providers, direct-care workers, and home and community-based services. The bill aims to provide more comprehensive worker protections, create a more dynamic minimum wage structure, and ensure that wage increases potentially generate broader economic and social benefits.
Committee Categories
Labor and Employment
Sponsors (14)
Tina Tartaglione (D)*,
Amanda Cappelletti (D),
Carolyn Comitta (D),
Jay Costa (D),
Art Haywood (D),
Vincent Hughes (D),
John Kane (D),
Tim Kearney (D),
James Malone (D),
Katie Muth (D),
Steve Santarsiero (D),
Nikil Saval (D),
Sharif Street (D),
Lindsey Williams (D),
Last Action
Referred to Labor & Industry (on 04/28/2025)
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