[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 142 (Wednesday, September 30, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S7052]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               AMENDING THE FAIR MINIMUM WAGE ACT OF 2007

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2617, which was received 
from the House.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 2617) to amend the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 
     2007 to postpone a scheduled increase in the minimum wage 
     applicable to American Samoa.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Isakson amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be 
read a third time and passed, the amendment to the title be agreed to, 
and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the 
table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2705) was agreed to, as follows:

(Purpose: To reduce an increase in the minimum wage for American Samoa, 
 to adjust the reporting requirements of the Government Accountability 
Office regarding the proposed minimum wage increases for American Samoa 
  and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and for other 
                               purposes)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. MINIMUM WAGE FOR AMERICAN SAMOA.

       (a) Minimum Wage.--Paragraph (2) of section 8103(b) of the 
     Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (29 U.S.C. 206 note) is amended 
     to read as follows:
       ``(2) the minimum wage applicable to American Samoa under 
     section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 
     U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) shall be--
       ``(A) the applicable wage rate in effect for each industry 
     and classification as of September 29, 2015; and
       ``(B) increased by $0.40 an hour (or such lesser amount as 
     may be necessary to equal the minimum wage under section 
     6(a)(1) of such Act), beginning on September 30, 2015, and on 
     September 30 of every third year thereafter, until the 
     minimum wage applicable to American Samoa under this 
     paragraph is equal to the minimum wage set forth in such 
     section.''.
       (b) GAO Reports.--Section 8104 of the Fair Minimum Wage Act 
     of 2007 (29 U.S.C. 206 note) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by striking ``September 1, 2011'' and inserting ``April 
     1, 2017''; and
       (B) by striking the second sentence and inserting the 
     following: ``The Government Accountability Office shall 
     submit a subsequent report not later than April 1, 2020.'';
       (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``the study under 
     subsection (a)'' and inserting ``any report under subsection 
     (a)''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Report on Alternative Methods of Increasing the 
     Minimum Wage in American Samoa.--Not later than 1 year after 
     the date of enactment of `An Act to amend the Fair Minimum 
     Wage Act of 2007 to reduce a scheduled increase in the 
     minimum wage applicable to American Samoa', the Government 
     Accountability Office shall transmit to Congress a report on 
     alternative ways of increasing the minimum wage in American 
     Samoa to keep pace with the cost of living in American Samoa 
     and to eventually equal the minimum wage set forth in section 
     6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 
     206(a)(1)).''.
       (c) Effective Date.--This Act, and the amendments made by 
     this Act, shall take effect as of September 29, 2015.

  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed, and the bill to be read a 
third time. The bill was read the third time.
  The bill (H.R. 2617), as amended, was passed.
  The amendment (No. 2706) was agreed to, as follows:

                     (Purpose: To amend the title)

       Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act to amend the Fair 
     Minimum Wage Act of 2007 to reduce a scheduled increase in 
     the minimum wage applicable to American Samoa.''.

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