Plain English Breakdown
The official text states no reimbursement is required but does not specify the exact reason beyond 'for a specified reason' without further detail.
Raising Minimum Wage for Agricultural Workers
AB-2646 sets the minimum hourly wage at $19.75 for approved agricultural employees and corresponding employees, with annual increases starting January 1, 2027, based on social security cost-of-living adjustments.
What This Bill Does
- Sets a new minimum hourly wage of $19.75 for approved agricultural employees and corresponding employees as defined by law.
- Requires the minimum wage to increase each year starting January 1, 2027.
- Links annual wage increases to the cost-of-living adjustment used for social security benefits.
- Expands the scope of criminal penalties related to violating these new wage provisions.
Who It Names or Affects
- Approved agricultural employees as defined by law.
- Corresponding employees working in agriculture.
- Employers who hire workers covered under these definitions.
- Local agencies that enforce the expanded criminal penalties.
Terms To Know
- Approved agricultural employee
- A worker defined by law as eligible for the specific minimum wage rules in this bill.
- Cost-of-living adjustment
- An increase to wages that matches changes calculated for social security benefits.
- Industrial Relations Unpaid Wage Fund
- A state fund where collected unpaid wages are deposited and used to pay workers, which this bill increases revenue into.
Limits and Unknowns
- The exact dollar amount of future annual wage increases depends on the social security cost-of-living adjustment calculated each year.
- The official effective date for when these changes begin is not listed in the provided metadata, though the text mentions January 1, 2027.