Original LAW Act

This bill, known as the "Original Living American Wage Act," seeks to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 by establishing a new method for calculating the federal minimum wage. It outlines a series of incremental increases, starting with $10.59 per hour in 2026 and progressively rising to $26.59 per hour by January 1, 2030 . Beginning January 1, 2031, the Secretary of Labor will determine the minimum wage every seven years based on a specific formula. This formula mandates that the minimum hourly wage must be sufficient for a person working 1,799 hours annually to earn an income 40 percent higher than the Federal supplemental poverty threshold for a renter family of four with two children under 18, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A crucial provision ensures that this new calculation method cannot result in a lower minimum wage than the rate already in effect. The bill's findings highlight that the current federal minimum wage is inadequate, leaving full-time workers near or below poverty lines and unable to afford housing. Congress expresses its sense that the minimum wage should be adjusted for inflation and set high enough for two full-time minimum wage workers to earn above the national housing wage, while also affirming that states and localities retain the ability to establish higher minimum wage requirements.