S-1013.1          _______________________________________________

                                 SENATE BILL 5406

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senators Pelz, Talmadge, Skratek, Murray, A. Smith, Rinehart, Vognild, Williams, Moore, L. Kreidler and Wojahn.

Read first time January 30, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.Providing for periodic adjustments of the state minimum wage.

     AN ACT Relating to periodic adjustments of the state minimum wage; and amending RCW 49.46.020.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     Sec. 1.  RCW 49.46.020 and 1989 c 1 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Every employer shall pay to each of his or her employees who has reached the age of eighteen years wages at a rate of not less than ((three dollars and eighty-five cents per hour except as may be otherwise provided under this section.  Beginning January 1, 1990, the state minimum wage shall be)) four dollars and twenty-five cents per hour, except that the wage rate shall be:

(a) Beginning on July 1, 1991, four dollars and seventy-five cents per hour;

(b) Beginning on January 1, 1992, five dollars and twenty-five cents per hour; and

(c) Beginning on January 1, 1993, and readjusted beginning on each January 1 thereafter, fifty percent of the state average annual wage, as calculated under RCW 50.04.355, divided by two thousand eighty.  In determining the rate under this subsection, any fractional part of a cent shall be adjusted to the nearest whole cent.

(2) The director shall by regulation establish the minimum wage for employees under the age of eighteen years.