California’s $25 Minimum Wage for Some Health Care Workers Could Be Delayed

A law passed last year to raise minimum wages for some health care workers to $25 an hour is now in question, with a new bill aimed at delaying its implementation. Senate Bill 828, introduced by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, would move back the start date of the increased wages from June 1, 2024, to July 1, 2024, thus pushing the costs and impacts to the state’s finances to the next fiscal year. The measure was introduced May 20 after the bill’s prior language, authored by Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, related to corrections officers was gutted and amended to accommodate the new proposal. Supporters of the newly crafted bill said the proposal will help ensure staffing levels stay at sustainable levels by incentivizing employment within the healthcare industry—noting the approximately 500,000 unfilled positions statewide....