A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to allow a local government to set the minimum wage within its jurisdiction and to provide for the automatic adjustment of that wage.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 95‑25.3 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(a1)	A city or county may by ordinance establish a minimum wage within its jurisdiction that is higher than the wage set by subsection (a) of this section. The city or county minimum wage adopted under this subsection shall be increased on January 1, 2016, and on January 1 of successive years by the increase in the cost of living. The increase in the cost of living shall be measured by the percentage increase of the Consumer Price Index (all urban consumers, U.S. city average for all items), CPI‑U, or its successor index, as calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor for the 12 months preceding the previous September 1. The Commissioner of Labor shall calculate the indexed minimum wage rate. The indexed minimum wage rate shall be calculated to the nearest cent (1¢)."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.