To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for an increase in the Federal minimum wage.

SA 44. Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Kerry, Ms.
Mikulski, Mr. Feingold, and Mr. Dayton) proposed an amendment to the
bill S. 256, to amend title 11 of the United States Code, and for other
purposes; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

TITLE __--FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE

SEC. __01. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Fair Minimum Wage Act of
2005''.

SEC. __02. MINIMUM WAGE.

(a) In General.--Section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) is amended to
read as follows:
``(1) except as otherwise provided in this section, not
less than--
``(A) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after the
date of enactment of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005;
``(B) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th
day; and
``(C) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th
day;''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect 60 days after the date of enactment of this
Act.

SEC. __03. APPLICABILITY OF MINIMUM WAGE TO THE COMMONWEALTH
OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.

(a) In General.--Section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act
of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206) shall apply to the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands.
(b) Transition.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), the
minimum wage applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands under section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor
Stnadards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) shall be--
(1) $3.55 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after the date
of enactment of this Act; and
(2) increased by $0.50 an hour (or such lesser amount as
may be necessary to equal the minimum wage under section
6(a)(1) of such Act), beginning 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act and every 6 months thereafter until the
minimum wage applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands under this subsection is equal to the minimum
wage set forth in such section.
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