Senate Bill No. 639 (Introduced by Senator Duranzo on February 19, 2021 and signed into law)
This bill was introduced by Senator Duranzo on February 19, 2021. Existing law establishes a minimum wage for all industries and makes it a crime to pay an employee less than the minimum wage fixed by the Industrial Welfare Commission. The bill would make the above-described provision authorizing a lesser minimum wage for an employee who is mentally or physically disabled inoperative on January 1, 2024. The bill, commencing January 1, 2024, would prohibit an employee with a disability from being paid less than the legal minimum wage. In 2021, Governor Newsom signed SB 639 into law, which phases out sheltered workshops with the subminimum wage being completely phased out effective January 1, 2025. Beginning on that date, disabled workers must be paid at least the state’s minimum wage.