AB12: Bill Text

LRB-0869/1

MED&GMM:emw:jm

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 Assembly BILL 12

January 27, 2015 - Introduced by Representatives Mason, Genrich, Zamarripa, Ohnstad, Barca, Barnes, Wachs, Berceau, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Goyke, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hintz, Johnson, Jorgensen, Kahl, Kessler, Kolste, Meyers, Milroy, Pope, Riemer, Sargent, Shankland, Sinicki, Spreitzer, Stuck, Subeck, C. Taylor, Young, Zepnick, Danou, Considine and Doyle, cosponsored by Senators Wirch, Carpenter, Erpenbach, Harris Dodd, Miller, Risser, C. Larson, Shilling, Hansen, Vinehout, Lassa, L. Taylor and Ringhand. Referred to Committee on Jobs and the Economy.

AB12,1,10 An Act to repeal 104.001; to renumber 104.01 (1); to renumber and amend 104.045; to amend 49.141 (1) (g), 103.67 (2) (fm) 3., 103.70 (2) (b) 3., 104.01 (intro.), 104.01 (8), 104.05, 104.07 (1), 104.07 (2), 104.10, 104.11, 234.94 (5), 234.94 (8), 800.09 (1j), 800.095 (1) (d) and 895.035 (2m) (c); and to create 104.01 (1d), 104.01 (1g), 104.01 (5m), 104.01 (7m), 104.035 and 104.045 (2) and (3) of the statutes; relating to: a state minimum wage, permitting the enactment of local living wage ordinances, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from rule-making procedures, and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Currently, the state minimum wage law requires that employers pay a living wage to their employees. Under that law, the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has provided, by rule, minimum wages for various types of employees, including employees, generally; minor employees; opportunity employees, who are defined as employees under 20 years of age in their first 90 days of employment with a particular employer; tipped employees; agricultural employees; camp counselors; golf caddies; students employed at independent colleges and universities for less than 20 hours per week; student learners employed in bona fide school training programs; and individuals who are unable to earn the standard minimum wage because of a disability. DWD has exempted, by rule, from the minimum wage law employees who perform less than 15 hours per week of casual employment, such as baby-sitting or lawn mowing, in and around an employer's home; employees who provide companionship services to elderly or infirm individuals; and elementary and secondary school students performing work-like activities in their schools. DWD has also promulgated rules providing allowances against the minimum wage for employers that provide meals or lodging for their employees.

Under this bill, DWD will continue to provide the exemptions listed above as well as separate minimum wages for opportunity employees, agricultural employees, camp counselors, golf caddies, students employed at independent colleges and universities for less than 20 hours per week, student learners employed in bona fide school training programs, and individuals who are unable to earn the standard minimum wages because of a disability. For employees generally and for tipped employees, however, the bill sets the minimum wages as follows: - See PDF for table

Beginning three years after the bill's effective date for employees generally and one year after the bill's effective date for tipped employees, the bill requires DWD annually to promulgate rules revising the minimum wages established under the bill by determining the percentage difference between the consumer price index for the preceding 12-month period (year) and the consumer price index for the year before the preceding year, adjusting the minimum wages then in effect by that percentage difference, and rounding that result to the nearest multiple of five cents. For tipped employees, the bill requires DWD to increase the minimum wage by 95 cents each year until the minimum wage for tipped employees equals 70 percent of the minimum wage for employees generally and then in subsequent years to revise the minimum wage for tipped employees so that the minimum wage for tipped employees remains equal to 70 percent of the minimum wage for employees generally, rounded to the nearest multiple of five cents. DWD, however, is not required to revise the minimum wage if the consumer price index for the preceding year has not increased over the consumer price index for the year before the preceding year.

Finally, current law prohibits a city, village, town, or county from enacting and administering an ordinance establishing a living wage. This bill eliminates that prohibition.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB12,1 Section 1. 49.141 (1) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB12,3,4 49.141 (1) (g) "Minimum wage" means the state minimum hourly wage under ch. 104 s. 104.035 (1) or the federal minimum hourly wage under 29 USC 206 (a) (1), whichever is applicable.

AB12,2 Section 2. 103.67 (2) (fm) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB12,3,7 103.67 (2) (fm) 3. The minor is paid the applicable minimum wage under ch. 104 s. 104.035 or under federal law, whichever is greater, for the work.

AB12,3 Section 3. 103.70 (2) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB12,3,10 103.70 (2) (b) 3. The minor is paid the applicable minimum wage under ch. 104 s. 104.035 or under federal law, whichever is greater, for the work.

AB12,4 Section 4. 104.001 of the statutes is repealed.

AB12,5 Section 5. 104.01 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB12,3,14 104.01 Definitions. (intro.) The following terms as used in In this chapter shall be construed as follows:

AB12,6 Section 6. 104.01 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 104.01 (1m).

AB12,7 Section 7. 104.01 (1d) of the statutes is created to read:

AB12,3,18 104.01 (1d) "Agricultural employee" means an employee who is employed in the operation of farm premises, as described in s. 102.04 (3).

AB12,8 Section 8. 104.01 (1g) of the statutes is created to read:

AB12,4,5 104.01 (1g) "Consumer price index" means the average of the consumer price index over each 12-month period for all urban consumers, U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted, as determined by the bureau of labor statistics of the U.S. department of labor.

AB12,9 Section 9. 104.01 (5m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB12,4,8 104.01 (5m) "Opportunity employee" means a person under 20 years of age who is in the first 90 consecutive days of employment with his or her employer.

AB12,10 Section 10. 104.01 (7m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB12,4,12 104.01 (7m) "Tipped employee" means an employee who in the course of employment customarily and regularly receives money or other gratuities from persons other than the employee's employer.

AB12,11 Section 11. 104.01 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB12,4,15 104.01 (8) The term "wage" and the term "wages" shall each mean "Wage" means any compensation for labor measured by time, piece, or otherwise.

AB12,12 Section 12. 104.035 of the statutes is created to read:

AB12,4,18 104.035 Minimum wage. (1) Employees generally. Except as provided in subs. (2) to (4), the minimum wage is as follows:

AB12,4,20 (a) For wages earned before the first day of the 15th month beginning after publication .... [LRB inserts date], $8.20 per hour.

AB12,4,23 (b) For wages earned beginning on the first day of the 15th month beginning after publication .... [LRB inserts date], and ending on the last day of the 26th month beginning after publication .... [LRB inserts date], $9.15 per hour.

AB12,5,3 (c) For wages earned beginning on the first day of the 27th month beginning after publication .... [LRB inserts date], and ending on the last day of the 38th month beginning after publication .... [LRB inserts date], $10.10 per hour.

AB12,5,6 (d) For wages earned beginning on the first day of the 39th month beginning after publication .... [LRB inserts date], the amount determined by the department by rule promulgated under sub. (5).

AB12,5,12 (2) Tipped employees. Except as provided in subs. (3) and (4), if an employer of a tipped employee establishes by the employer's payroll records that, when adding the tips received by the tipped employee in a week to the wages paid to the tipped employee in that week, the tipped employee receives not less than the applicable minimum wage specified in sub. (1), the minimum wage for the tipped employee is as follows:

AB12,5,14 (a) For wages earned before the first day of the 15th month beginning after publication .... [LRB inserts date], $3 per hour.

AB12,5,17 (b) For wages earned beginning on the first day of the 15th month beginning after publication .... [LRB inserts date], the amounts determined by the department by rule promulgated under sub. (5).

AB12,5,19 (3) Minimum wage established by department. The department shall promulgate rules providing the minimum wage for all of the following:

AB12,5,20 (a) Opportunity employees.

AB12,5,21 (b) Agricultural employees.

AB12,5,22 (c) Camp counselors.

AB12,5,23 (d) Golf caddies.

AB12,5,25 (e) An employee or worker with a disability covered under a license under s. 104.07.

AB12,6,1 (f) A student learner.