‘Sub-minimum wage’ bill makes progress | News

DALTON — A invoice sponsored by District 4 state Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, was favorably reported by a Home committee on Feb. 16.

Home Invoice 1125, launched in the course of the Georgia Common Meeting session on Feb. 1, would section out the cost of sub-minimum wages to staff with disabilities.

As at present written, Georgia Code 34-4-4 does enable the state commissioner of labor the power to grant exemptions for “sure classes of organizations and companies” to pay “sure lessons of individuals” wages beneath the minimal price “due to overriding concerns of public coverage to permit employment of sure individuals with disabilities and others who can not in any other case compete successfully within the labor market.”

The code part additionally authorizes the state commissioner of labor to “conduct investigations and compile info as to the explanations for granting exemptions” and requires the commissioner to take care of public data of such exemptions and investigations pertaining to sub-minimum wage cost.

The textual content of HB 1125 would get rid of that code part and change it with language indicating that “no employer shall make the most of a certificates issued by america Division of Labor … to pay people with disabilities who’re employed by such employer lower than the minimal wage required to be paid by employers to staff beneath federal regulation.”

The invoice, nonetheless, notes that any employer who acquired a U.S. Division of Labor certificates on or earlier than July 1, 2024, would be capable to pay staff with disabilities lower than the minimal wage — albeit, with a significant caveat.

“Throughout the interval of July 1, 2025, via June 30, 2026, such employer shall pay people with disabilities at the least half of the minimal wage required to be paid by employers to staff beneath federal regulation,” the invoice textual content reads. “On and after July 1, 2026, such employer shall not make the most of such certificates to pay people with disabilities lower than the minimal wage required to be paid by employers to staff beneath federal regulation.”

If in the end signed into regulation, the provisions of the invoice would take impact on July 1, 2024.

Additionally sponsoring HB 1125 are District 43 state Rep. Sharon Cooper, District 117 state Rep. Lauren Daniel, District 48 state Rep. Scott Hilton and District 18 state Rep. Tyler Smith.

The entire lawmakers sponsoring the invoice are Republicans.