Higher Wages for American Workers Act of 2025

This bill raises the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour starting January 1 of the first year after it becomes law. After that, the wage goes up every year with inflation, based on a government price index, and is rounded to the nearest five cents . The law itself takes effect on January 1 of the first year after it’s enacted .

Here’s what that means at a glance:

• Who is affected: Workers covered by the federal minimum wage under existing labor law .
• What changes: Minimum wage becomes $15, then adjusts each year for inflation using a federal index, rounded to the nearest $0.05 .
• When it starts: January 1 of the first year after the bill becomes law; annual updates follow each January 1 .