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HB 3158

HIGHER ED-MIN EMPLOYEE SALARY

104th Regular Session Introduced by Katie Stuart

HB 3158 would set a minimum hourly wage for Illinois public higher-ed employees (custodial, food service, TAs, etc.) starting at $22 in 2025–26 and auto-adjust by CPI-U thereafter.

Referred to Rules Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 3158

Summary — HB 3158 (Higher Ed — Minimum Employee Salary)

Status: Introduced Feb 18, 2025; companion SB 2122. As of May 9, 2025 the bill had been reported from committee as substituted, placed on the General State Calendar, read a second time, and laid on the table subject to call.

Purpose

HB 3158 would establish a statutory minimum hourly pay rate for employees of Illinois public institutions of higher education and require annual automatic increases tied to inflation after the initial scheduled raises. The intent is to raise and stabilize pay for campus support and auxiliary staff.

Key provisions

  • Adds Section 7 to the Public Higher Education Act (110 ILCS 167).
  • Defines “employee” as an employee of a public institution of higher education who provides educational support services, including (but not limited to) custodial staff, transportation employees, food service providers, teaching assistants, and administrative staff.
  • Sets minimum hourly rates:
    • $22.00 for the 2025–2026 academic year;
    • $23.00 for the 2026–2027 academic year;
    • $24.00 for the 2027–2028 academic year.
  • For each academic year after 2027–2028, the minimum hourly rate would equal the previous year’s minimum increased by the percentage change (if any) in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI‑U, all items) published by the U.S. Department of Labor for the previous academic year.
  • Effective date: becomes effective upon becoming law.

Who would be affected

  • All public institutions of higher education in Illinois (e.g., state universities, community colleges, other public colleges).
  • Employees classified under the bill’s definition (custodial, transportation, food service, teaching assistants, administrative staff, and similar support roles).
  • Governing boards (administrations) of public institutions — they would be required to set salaries to meet the floor.
  • Potentially contractors or third‑party service providers if their workers are considered employees of the public institution under applicable contracts or law (the bill does not explicitly address contractor employees).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Introduced by Rep. Katie Stuart (first reading 2/18/2025).
  • Committee hearings and substitute occurred in March–April 2025; reported favorably as substituted and placed on the General State Calendar in early May 2025; subsequently laid on the table subject to call (May 9, 2025).

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Directly increases payroll costs for public colleges and universities beginning in the 2025–2026 academic year; institutions will need to budget for the higher wage floor.
  • May affect use of contracted services, staffing practices, and collective bargaining agreements depending on how institutions implement the requirement and how contractor employees are treated.
  • Automatic CPI‑U indexing provides ongoing adjustment for inflation but could create future budget pressures during periods of high inflation.
  • The bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms, funding sources, or transitional cost support from the State; those operational details would be left to institutions or subsequent legislation.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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