HB 2455

In order t o be eligible for an economic development incentive, this bill requires an employer to certify to the department of economic and community development ("department"") that the employer pays each employee performing work on the project for which the incentive is provided a wage that is no less than the rate established pursuant to this bill. As used in this bill, an ""e conomic development incentive"" means a FastTrack job training grant or economic development grant authorized under this part or a c apital grant for economic development purposes provided to an employer to attract or retain the employer's physical presence in this state . INITIAL MINIMUM WAGE O n and after July 1, 2026, this bill provides that the minimum wage rate required to be eligible for an economic development incentive is set at $21.99 an hour. FUTURE MINIMUM WAGE On January 1, 2027, and on January 1 of each year thereafter, this bill requires the commissioner of economic and community development (""commissioner"") to adjust the wage rate based on the rate published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in its living wage calculator for the county in which the project is located for a household consisting of two adults, one of whom is working, and two children. If the living wage calculator is no longer published or is otherwise unavailable for use, then this bill requires the commissioner to establish a comparable wage rate using data published by the United States department of labor, the United States department of housing and urban development, the United States department of commerce, or the United States department of agriculture. This bill requires t he commissioner to publish the adjusted wage rate and the methodology used to calculate the rate on the department's website by February 1 of each year. On and after February 1 of each year for which an adjusted wage rate is published, the wage rate so published is the minimum wage rate required to be eligible for an economic development incentive. CLAWBACK If the department determines that an employer who received an economic development incentive is paying an employee performing work on the project less than the wage rate established pursuant to this bill, then this bill requires the department to recover the amount of the economic development incentive provided to the employer. The department must enforce such provision in accordance with the separate agreement entered into between the department and the employer . COMPLIANCE This bill requires the commissioner to verify compliance with this bill by reviewing payroll records or other documentation submitted by the employer upon request by the department."