HOUSTON – Three Texas lawmakers are proposing to increase the state minimum wage, doubling the rate that’s been around for nearly two decades.
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On Tuesday, state lawmakers were able to start filing bills for the upcoming legislative session next year. Several of those bills, including one filed by a Houston area state representative, call for increasing the state minimum wage.
One bill in particular looks to increase the minimum wage for school bus drivers.
The federal minimum wage has sat at $7.25 per hour since July 2009. It’s actually one of the longest periods in recent years that the minimum wage has not been increased.
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Here’s a look at the history of the federal minimum wage in the U.S.
| Effective Date | Minimum Wage |
|---|---|
| Oct 24, 1938 | $0.25 |
| Oct 24, 1939 | $0.30 |
| Oct 24, 1945 | $0.40 |
| Jan 25, 1950 | $0.75 |
| Mar 1, 1956 | $1.00 |
| Sep 3, 1961 | $1.15 |
| Sep 3, 1963 | $1.25 |
| Feb 1, 1967 | $1.40 |
| Feb 1, 1968 | $1.60 |
| May 1, 1974 | $2.00 |
| Jan. 1, 1975 | $2.10 |
| Jan 1, 1976 | $2.30 |
| Jan 1, 1978 | $2.65 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jan 1, 1979 | $2.90 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jan 1, 1980 | $3.10 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jan 1, 1981 | $3.35 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Apr 1, 1990 | $3.80 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Apr 1, 1991 | $4.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Oct 1, 1996 | $4.75 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Sep 1, 1997 | $5.15 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jul 24, 2007 | $5.85 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jul 24, 2008 | $6.55 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jul 24, 2009 | $7.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
Rep. Armando Walle (D-HD 140) represents part of North Houston. He filed H.B. 193, which if passed and created law, would increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Texas H.B. 193 by Gage Goulding on Scribd
“Each representative has a responsibility to craft a legislative portfolio that responds to the needs of their constituents, and I take that job seriously,” Rep. Walle said in a statement on Tuesday. “Over the interim, I met with families, teachers, business-owners, advocates and experts in my district to determine how I can best serve the people of HD 140. It is an honor to pre-file legislation today that I sincerely believe will foster economic opportunity, improve health outcomes and support the Texas families that call North Houston/Aldine home.”
Meanwhile, another lawmaker from Travis County area submitted a bill that would increase the state minimum wage even more.
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State Representative Vikki Goodwin (D-HD 47) filed H.B. 691 on Tuesday. If passed, this bill would increase the state minimum wage to $19 per hour.
That’s more than 2.5 times the current minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Texas H.B. 691 by Gage Goulding on Scribd
Another bill filed targets raising the minimum wage, but specifically for school bus drivers.
Texas State Representative Terry Meza (D-HD 105), who represents part of Dallas County, filed H.B. 419 on Tuesday.
Her bill, if passed into law, would increase the minimum wage for a school bus driver to $15 per hour.
Texas H.B. 419 by Gage Goulding on Scribd
However, there are some stipulations with the law.
The school bus driver would have to work for a public school district with an enrollment of 4,500 students or more, work for an open-enrollment charter school or a mass transit authority or commercial transportation company.
This means that some private institutions wouldn’t have to follow the law if it were passed.
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It’s important to note that these bills were merely filed. It’s the first step in making a law, but there’s a long road ahead.
If any of the bills are passed, they will take effect in September 2025.
