HARRISBURG – Philadelphia County Sen. Christine Tartaglione has introduced Senate Bill 19 which would raise PA’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026, with annual cost-of-living adjustments thereafter. The bill also ensures that tipped workers earn at least 70% of the minimum wage and strengthens protections against wage theft. Tartaglione says PA’s current minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is the lowest allowed by federal law. Every neighboring state has raised its minimum wage. Critics say that raising the minimum wage would hurt small businesses or lead to job losses. Senate Bill 19 also modernizes wage enforcement by allowing municipalities to set a higher local minimum wage; strengthening penalties for wage theft; and ensuring gratuities are the sole property of the employee.
SEN. CHRISTINE TARTAGLIONE