PRINTER'S NO. 2698
No. 1965 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY GEORGE, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BLACKWELL,
CALTAGIRONE, CURRY, FABRIZIO, FREEMAN, GOODMAN, GRUCELA,
HERMAN, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KENNEY, LaGROTTA, LEACH, LEDERER,
LEVDANSKY, MANDERINO, PISTELLA, SHANER, STABACK, SURRA,
WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD AND YUDICHAK, SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR RELATIONS, SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of January 17, 1968 (P.L.11, No.5), entitled
2 "An act establishing a fixed minimum wage and overtime rates
3 for employes, with certain exceptions; providing for minimum
4 rates for learners and apprentices; creating a Minimum Wage
5 Advisory Board and defining its powers and duties; conferring
6 powers and imposing duties upon the Department of Labor and
7 Industry; imposing duties on employers; and providing
8 penalties," further providing for minimum wages; and
9 providing for health insurance plan.
10 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11 hereby enacts as follows:
12 Section 1. Section 4(a) of the act of January 17, 1968
13 (P.L.11, No.5), known as The Minimum Wage Act of 1968, amended
14 December 15, 1988 (P.L.1232, No.150), is amended to read:
15 Section 4. Minimum Wages.--Except as may otherwise be
16 provided under this act:
17 (a) Every employer shall pay to each of his employes wages
18 for all hours worked at a rate of not less than:
19 (1) Two dollars sixty-five cents ($2.65) an hour upon the
20 effective date of this amendment.
1 (2) Two dollars ninety cents ($2.90) an hour during the year
2 beginning January 1, 1979.
3 (3) Three dollars ten cents ($3.10) an hour during the year
4 beginning January 1, 1980.
5 (4) Three dollars thirty-five cents ($3.35) an hour after
6 December 31, 1980.
7 (5) Three dollars seventy cents ($3.70) an hour beginning
8 February 1, 1989[, and thereafter].
9 (6) Seven dollars ($7.00) an hour beginning July 1, 2006, and
10 thereafter. Any employe working thirty hours or more each week
11 may choose to contribute eighty-five cents ($.85) an hour toward
12 an employer-provided health insurance plan.
13 * * *
14 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
15 Section 4.1. Health Insurance Plan.
16 (a) Every employer shall offer employes working thirty hours
17 or more each week the option to enroll in an employer-sponsored
18 health insurance plan. The employer-sponsored health insurance
19 plan shall be paid for by a combination of employe contribution
20 as provided for in section 4(a)(6) and a matching contribution
21 by the Commonwealth.
22 (b) The department shall promulgate appropriate regulations
23 to allow participating employers to apply for and receive a
24 matching contribution by the Commonwealth for each employe who
25 elects to participate in the health insurance plan.
26 (c) The matching contributions by the Commonwealth shall be
27 funded through the Master Settlement Agreement relating to
28 tobacco litigation entered into in 1998 by the Commonwealth and
29 leading United States tobacco product manufacturers.
30 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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