North Carolina SB 326: Economic Security Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 326

Short Title: Economic Security Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Murdock, Mayfield, and Grafstein (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 19, 2025
*S326-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT ADVANCING ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR ALL IN NORTH CAROLINA BY 2
INCREASING THE STATE MINIMUM WAGE TO TWENTY-TWO DOLLARS PER 3
HOUR, ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION ANNUALLY; MANDATING EQUAL PAY FOR 4
EQUAL WORK; REQUIRING PAID SICK LEAVE, PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE, 5
AND WORKPLACE SAFETY, EMERGENCY, AND EVACUATION PROTECTIONS; 6
RESTORING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS ADJUSTED FOR 7
INFLATION AND STUDYING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS FOR 8
APP-BASED "GIG ECONOMY" WORKERS; INCREASING THE TIPPED MINIMUM 9
WAGE; ENDING WAGE THEFT; REQUIRING THE FAIR ASSESSMENT OF 10
PERSONS WITH CRIMINAL HISTORIES BY "BANNING THE BOX"; REPEALING 11
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RESTRICTIONS; REENACTING 12
THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT AND TAX CREDITS FOR CHILD AND 13
DEPENDENT CARE EXPENSES; CREATING A REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION 14
THAT FIRST RESPONDERS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS, AND ESSENTIAL 15
SERVICE WORKERS INFECTED BY THE CORONAVIRUS CONTRACTED THE 16
DISEASE IN THE COURSE OF EMPLOYMENT; AND PROVIDING AND 17
APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR A COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR RETIREES 18
OF THE TEACHERS' AND STATE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM, THE 19
CONSOLIDATED JUDICIAL RETIREMENT SYSTEM, THE LEGISLATIVE 20
RETIREMENT SYSTEM, AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES' 21
RETIREMENT SYSTEM. 22
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 23
24
LIVING WAGE 25
SECTION 1.1.(a) This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Economic 26
Security Act of 2025." 27
SECTION 1.1.(b) Effective January 1, 2026, G.S. 95-25.3 reads as rewritten: 28
"§ 95-25.3. Minimum wage. 29
(a) Every employer shall pay to each employee who in any workweek performs any work, 30
wages of at least six dollars and fifteen cents ($6.15) twenty-two dollars ($22.00) per hour or the 31
minimum wage set forth in paragraph 1 of section 6(a) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. 32
206(a)(1), as that wage may change from time to time, whichever is higher, except as otherwise 33
provided in this section. 34
(a1) Beginning September 30, 2026, and on each September 30 thereafter, the 35
Commissioner of Labor shall calculate an adjusted minimum wage rate using the Consumer Price 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 326-First Edition
Index (All Urban Consumers, U.S. City Average for All Items), CPI-I, or its successor index, as 1
calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor for the 12-month period preceding the previous 2
September 1. Each adjusted minimum wage rate calculated shall be published on September 30 3
and take effect on the following January 1. 4
...." 5
SECTION 1.1.(c) This section is effective when this act becomes law. 6
7
EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK 8
SECTION 1.2.(a) Chapter 95 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 9
Article to read: 10
"Article 2B. 11
"Equal Pay Act. 12
"§ 95-25.26. Definitions. 13
The following definitions apply in this Article: 14
(1) Employee. – Every person in receipt of or entitled to compensation for labor 15
performed for another. 16
(2) Employer. – Includes (i) this State and any local political subdivision of the 17
State and (ii) every person having control or direction of any person employed 18
at any labor, or responsible directly or indirectly for the wages of another, who 19
employs more than five employees. 20
(3) Person. – As defined by G.S. 95-25.2(11). 21
(4) Wage or wages. – Any compensation for labor measured by time, piece, or 22
otherwise. 23
"§ 95-25.27. Equal wage rates. 24
(a) No employer may pay any person in the employer's employ at wage rates less than 25
the rates paid to employees of the opposite sex in the same establishment for the same quantity 26
and quality of the same classification of work. Any employer who violates this section is liable 27
to the employee affected in the amount of the wages that the employee is deprived by reason of 28
the violation. 29
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, nothing in this 30
section prohibits a variation of rates of pay for employees engaged in the same classification of 31
work based upon seniority, a difference in length of service, ability, skill, difference in duties or 32
services performed, whether regularly or occasionally, difference in the shift or time of day 33
worked, hours of work, or restrictions or prohibitions on lifting or moving objects in excess of 34
specified weight, or other reasonable differentiation, or factor or factors other than sex, when 35
exercised in good faith. 36
(c) An employer that is in violation of this section may not reduce the pay of any 37
employee in order to bring the employer into compliance with this Article. 38
(d) An employer shall not retaliate against any employee who se