Sec. 1501. Findings; sense of Congress
280 words·~1 min read·
/bill/114/hr/2721/ih/section-1501·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: In 2012, there were over 46,500,000 Americans living in poverty who were separated from the opportunities of the Nation by their income, their housing, and their access to education, jobs, and health care. A full-time worker earning the Federal minimum wage earns an income below the Federal poverty threshold for a family of 4, consisting of 2 adults and 2 children. The average fair market rent for a 1-bedroom apartment is more than 65 percent of the monthly income of a full-time worker earning the minimum wage.
In comparison, the generally accepted definition of affordability is for a household to pay not more than 30 percent of its income on housing. Two full-time workers earning the Federal minimum wage earn an income below the national housing wage for a 1-bedroom apartment, the amount a person needs to earn to afford a 1-bedroom apartment at average rent. It is the sense of Congress that— the Federal minimum wage should, as a minimum, be adjusted every 4 years so that a person working for such a wage may earn an annual income that is not less than 15-percent higher than the Federal poverty threshold for a family of 4, as determined by the Bureau of the Census; the minimum wage should be set at a level high enough to allow 2 full-time minimum wage workers to earn an income above the national housing wage; and Congress, any of the several States, the District of Columbia, any territory or possession of the United States, any Indian tribe, or any local or municipal government of a State may establish a higher minimum wage requirement than that established in this title.