Fair Wages for Incarcerated Workers Act of 2026

Progress

Timeline

• Mar 19Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summary

**What it does:** This bill would extend federal minimum wage and overtime protections to people who work while incarcerated in prisons and jails. **Who it affects:** - Incarcerated individuals who perform work while serving their sentences - Prison systems and facilities that employ incarcerated workers - Companies that contract with prisons for labor **What would change:** Currently, incarcerated workers are not covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, meaning they can be paid far below minimum wage (often $0.20-$1.00 per hour) for jobs like kitchen work, laundry, manufacturing, or maintenance. If passed, this bill would require that incarcerated workers receive at least federal minimum wage and overtime pay when working more than 40 hours per week, similar to other workers. **Current status:** The bill is in committee, meaning it's being reviewed but hasn't been voted on by the full Senate yet.

How This Affects You