Appendix Table 2
Recently created state and local wage or standards boards, in order of enactment date
| State or local policy | Year enacted | End date (if specified) | Makeup of board | Scope of board authority | Notable outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Seattle (WA) Domestic Workers | 2018 | 13-member board, including four domestic workers or worker organization representatives, two domestic workers who are not worker organization representatives, four hiring entities or their representatives, two individuals who contract with or hire domestic workers, and one community representative; mayor and city council each appoint six members (city council must approve mayor’s appointments), and board appoints remaining member. | Consider, analyze, and make recommendations to City on legal protections, benefits, and working conditions for domestic worker industry standards | ||
| New York Farm Laborers Wage Board | 2019 | 2022 | Three-person board, including one representative of farm bureau, one representative of state AFL-CIO, and one representative appointed by state Labor Commissioner | Receive testimony and recommend whether and how to reduce minimum number of hours a farmworker must work per week before receiving overtime pay | Board’s 2022 recommendations were adopted by state in 2023, starting 10-year phase in to lower the current 60-hour threshold for farmworker overtime pay to 40 hours per week by January 1, 2032 |
| City of Philadelphia Domestic Workers Standards and Implementation Task Force | 2019 | Nine-person board, including chair of City Council Committee on Law and Government, representatives from Councilwoman Sánchez’ Office, Mayor’s Office of Labor, Domestic Workers Alliance, and Community Legal Services, plus remaining members representing domestic workers and domestic worker employers (recommended by mayor and appointed by city council) | Consider, analyze, and make recommendations to City Council Committee of Law and Government and Mayor’s Office of Labor regarding legal protections, benefits, and working conditions for domestic workers. | ||
| Colorado Agricultural Work Advisory Committee | 2021 | 2031 | Nine-member board, including two agricultural workers and two workers’ rights advocates (appointed by Director of Dept. of Labor and Employment), plus three representatives of agriculture employers and two from Migrant Farm Worker Division of CO Legal Services (appointed by Commissioner of Agriculture) | Gather and analyze data and information regarding wages and working conditions of agricultural workers; report findings and any legislative recommendations to general assembly | |
| City of Detroit Industry Standards Board ordinance | 2021 | Once triggered (by petition from at least 150 workers in a given industry), ordinance requires creation of nine-person board including three employees or employee representatives (one appointed by mayor and two by city council), three members from management or employer associations (one appointed by mayor and two by city council), one appointee from mayor’s office, one appointee from city council, and one member from public at large (appointed by city council) | Boards established for a particular industry have authority to conduct outreach, investigate local working conditions, and report recommendations to City Council. | The first board created under the ordinance for Sports Arena Workers issued its recommendations to the council in November, 2025. | |
| Michigan Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization Council | 2021 | 2023 | Nursing home workers, employers, and residents, along with members of government. | Review existing policy and offer recommendations for legislation and administrative action for increasing nursing home staffing, improving career development, and raising standards. | |
| Nevada Home Care Employment Standards Board | 2021 | 2022 | 10-person board chaired by Health and Human Services Director; voting members include state Labor Commissioner plus nine members appointed by HHS Director: three representatives of home care employers; three representatives of home care employees; and three persons who receive or represent persons who receive home care services | Review, investigate, and make recommendations to state Dept of Health and Human Services for improvement of working conditions in home care industry | Board recommendations in 2022 helped pave way for 2023 legislation setting $16 min wage for home care workers and increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates. |
| Harris County (TX) Essential Workers Board | 2021 | 13-member board of “low-in-come essential workers from Harris County,” including at least one worker from each of the following sectors: Airport or Transportation; Construction; Domestic Work or Home Care; Education or Childcare; Grocery, Convenience, or Drug Store; Healthcare or Public Health; Janitorial; Food Services, Hospitality or Leisure Services; Retail. Five initial members appointed by Commissioners Court then recommend appointments for remaining eight board members | Provide feedback and recommendations to Dept of Economic Equity and Opportunity and other appropriate County departments on programs and policies that recognize and support Essential Workers; board may also serve in advisory capacity to Commissioners Court on such programs and policies | ||
| California Fast Food Council | 2023 | 2029 | Nine-member board (“council”) including two representatives of fast-food industry, two representatives of franchisees/owners, two representatives of fast-food employees, one unaffiliated member of the public (all appointed by the Governor) plus two representatives for advocates of fast-food employees (appointed by Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Committee on Rules). | Increase fast food wages by annualized CPI-W or 3.5%, whichever is lower, and develop other minimum fast food employment standards on working conditions and training; for standards that fall under the jurisdiction of OSHA or the Civil Rights Council, the council must petition these agencies to consider adopting recommended standards. | Council has not yet used authority to set new wage rates beyond the $20/ hr fast food min wage established by statute and has not met since chair resigned in June, 2025 (as of publication the governor had not appointed a new council chair) |
| Colorado Direct Care Workforce Stabilization Board | 2023 | 2029 | 15-member board including four members representing direct care employers or employer organizations; four representing direct care workers or worker organizations; four representing direct care consumers (all appointed by director of Dept. of Labor, with at least one in each category from a rural or frontier area), and three representing state government (one each from Dept. of Labor, Dept. of Health Care Policy, and Dept. of Public Health) | Develop and deliver recommendations to legislature for direct care employment standards every two years, starting in 2024; areas recommendations must address include wages and benefits, Medicaid reimbursement rates, working conditions, exploration of other industry models, and impacts of racial and economic injustice | 2024 board recommendations laid groundwork for 2025 legislation including min wage of $17 for direct care workers (board recommendation was $25/hr by 2026) and new “know your rights” training requirements |
| Minnesota Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board | 2023 | Nine-member board, including commissioners of state Dept of Labor, Dept of Health, and Dept of Human Services, plus six members appointed by governor: three representing nursing home workers or worker organizations and three representing nursing home employers or employer organizations | Investigate workforce challenges, discuss solutions, and enact regulations that “protect the health and welfare of nursing home workers.” Board must adopt rules every two years starting in 2024, has rulemaking authority for broad set of compensation-related matters, and can issue recommendations on safety. Board also charged with setting requirements for workforce-wide “know your rights” training on new standards, to be delivered by “certified worker organizations” selected by board | First set of rules issued by board in 2024 included 1.5x pay for designated holidays, min wage of $19 in 2026 and $20.50 in 2027 (pending federal approval), and one hour of required “know your rights” training every two years. | |
| Washington Child Care Workforce Standards Board | 2026 | 10-member board appointed by governor, including three members representing child care workers (one from “largest org representing family child care providers,” one from “largest org representing child care center workers,” and one representing “workers in school-age programs”); three representing employers; one representing professional development programs; one representing parents; plus secretary of Dept. of Children, Youth, and Families, and director of Dept of Labor | Make recommendations to director of state labor agency on wages and working conditions for child care workers |
Source: EPI analysis of state and local wage and workforce standards boards.
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