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Mass. senators file bill to set $10 youth training wage for first 120 hours
Summary
Senators Ryan C. Fattman and Bruce E. Tarr filed a bill (Senate No. 1314) that would exempt certain workers under 18 from Chapter 151 wage rules for a 120-hour training period and set a minimum training wage of $10 per hour; the measure was filed Jan. 15 and referred to the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
Senator Ryan C. Fattman filed legislation Jan. 15 that would create a defined "training period" for some workers under 18 and set a $10-per-hour minimum during that period. The bill was filed in the Senate as No. 1314 (Docket No. 904) and referred to the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
The bill, titled "An Act relative to a youth training wage," would amend Section 1 of Chapter 151 of the Massachusetts General Laws. Under the proposal, Section 1 "shall not apply to workers under the age of 18 who work 20 hours or less per week and require a work permit, for the first 120 hours of employment with a new employer." The text identifies that those workers "in the training period shall be subject to a minimum wage no less than $10 per hour."
The filing lists Senator Ryan C. Fattman (Worcester and Hampden) as the presenting petitioner and Senator Bruce E. Tarr (First Essex and Middlesex) as a co-petitioner. The document also notes a similar matter was filed in the previous session (Senate No. 1168 of 2023-2024). The petition record includes a date of Feb. 26, 2025 alongside the petitioner list; the official docket filing date on the cover page is Jan. 15, 2025.
As filed, the measure would create a limited statutory exemption tied to two conditions: the worker must be under 18 and must both work 20 hours or less per week and require a work permit; the exemption would apply only for the first 120 hours with a new employer. The bill text sets the training-period wage floor at "$10 per hour" and does not specify additional employer recordkeeping or enforcement language within the excerpt provided.
The document indicates the bill has been referred to the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development for consideration, the standard next step for legislation affecting wages and labor policy. No committee actions, hearings, votes, or budgetary allocations are recorded in the filing itself; the measure remains at the committee-referral stage.
If advanced by the committee, the bill would follow the General Court's ordinary legislative process before becoming law: committee review, possible amendment, and votes in both chambers. The filing notes only the text changes to Chapter 151 and cites the prior similar filing from the 2023-2024 session. The filing does not include fiscal notes, enforcement provisions beyond the text shown, or stated support or opposition from outside groups.
