70th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--1999 Regular Session

NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .

LC 574

                         House Bill 2592

Sponsored by Representative HARPER (at the request of National
  Federation of Independent Business Coalition)


                             SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.

  Authorizes credit against minimum wage for medical insurance
premiums paid by employer.

                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to determination of minimum wage; amending ORS 653.035.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1. ORS 653.035 is amended to read:
  653.035. (1) Employers may deduct from the minimum wage to be
paid employees under ORS 653.025, 653.030 or 653.261, the fair
market value of lodging, meals or other facilities or services
furnished by the employer for the private benefit of the
employee.
  (2) Employers may include commission payments to employees as
part of the applicable minimum wage for any pay period in which
the combined wage and commission earnings of the employee will
comply with ORS 653.010 to 653.261. In any pay period
 { - where - }   { + when + } the combined wage and commission
payments to the employee do not add up to the applicable minimum
wage under ORS 653.010 to 653.261, the employer shall pay the
minimum rate as prescribed in ORS 653.010 to 653.261.
  (3) Employers, including employers regulated under the Federal
Fair Labor Standards Act, may not include any amount received by
employees as tips in determining the amount of the minimum wage
required to be paid by ORS 653.010 to 653.261.
   { +  (4) In determining the hourly wage of an employee for
whom the employer provides and pays for at least 50 percent of
the premium for medical insurance, the employer may reduce the
wage paid to the employee by an amount that is the lesser of $1
per hour or the employer's actual hourly cost of such insurance
if:
  (a) The reduction does not decrease the hourly wage paid for
any hour of work to less than $6.50; and
  (b) The employer has notified the employee of the provisions of
this subsection before the start of the pay period in which the
employer intends to credit the cost of medical insurance. + }
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