HARRISBURG – Philadelphia County Sen. Christine Tartaglione has formally introduced legislation aimed at raising PA’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026 and tying future increases to the cost of living. Senate Bill 19 also strengthens wage protections for tipped employees and modernizes enforcement tools to prevent wage theft and ensure fair pay across the state. Tartaglione commented that her measure will provide workers with a living wage that reflects today’s economic realities. At $7.25 an hour, PA’s current minimum wage remains at the federal floor, unchanged since 2006. A total of 30 states have taken action to raise their minimum wages. According to estimates from the Keystone Research Center, over 1.3 million Pennsylvanians would see their wages rise directly or indirectly under the proposal. Such workers are overwhelmingly adults, many of whom serve in essential roles such as home health aides, childcare providers, grocery clerks, and restaurant servers.
SEN. CHRISTINE TARTAGLIONE