Policy Week in Review – June 13, 2025
At a Glance The Policy Week in Review, prepared by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), sets forth WPI’s updates on federal, state, and local matters. Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Raise the Minimum Wage Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced legislation on June 10, titled “ Higher Wages for American Workers Act of 2025 ,” that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour in January after enactment with annual automatic increases indexed to inflation thereafter. Given the (albeit slim) Republican majorities in the House and Senate, the legislation is unlikely to advance. The same is true of legislation previously introduced this year by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), titled “Raise the Wage Act,” that would incrementally raise the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour by 2030 and eliminate the tip credit. The federal minimum wage was last increased in 2009 to $7.25 per hour; however, many states and...