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THE GATEWAY AMERICA HIGH-TECH HIGH-WAGE EMPLOYMENT ACT

(HEIGHT ACT)

(aka. Gen Z-Millennials Act)

PREAMBLE : "An act of the United States Congress for the development of the New America domestic and foreign policy neutrality culture of the Twenty First Century, and for the purpose of promoting the upward work and wage mobility of the New American working class; the legislative intent is to restore the American dream of Middle Class attainment and upward mobility; to change the foreign policy premises of the early 20th Century which have atrophied American resources to an empowering Neutrality; to institute a new American national defense neutrality culture premised on dominance in Gateway Technologies of Peace; to authorize the President of the United States to faithfully execute the provisions of this Act with the Congressional intent to restore and maintain perpetual generational job upward mobility and wage upward mobility in 21st Century New America by shifting domestic and foreign policy resources and goals to this end." 

SECTION 1: The Minimum Wage.   

BE IT ENACTED: 

Section 1. Findings and Declaration 

The Congress of the State of United States finds and declares that: (i) An increase in the United States of America's minimum wage will help ensure a minimum standard of living for the health and well being of every American, (ii) Americans working full-time at the current minimum wage earn far below the federal poverty level for a family of three, (iii) The U.S. States have a wide variety of minimum wages to combat the problem, and  the people of Alaska and Colorado joined states like Washington, Oregon, and California to create higher minimum wages because of the federal government's failure to do so, (iv) A fair national minimum wage indexed to the cost of living will restore to America work and wage upward mobility as a component of the American dream, keeping pace with inflation. 

Section 1(a). Purpose 

The purpose and intent of enacting this legislation is to raise the wages of Americans to a living wage. (a)1.America’s minimum wage shall rise to $18.75 per hour effective January 1, 2025, $20.75 per hour effective January 1, 2026, and thereafter adjusted annually for inflation.

Section 1(b) 

Except as otherwise provided for in law, an employer shall pay to each employee a minimum wage, as established herein, for hours worked in a pay period, whether the work is measured by time, piece, commission or otherwise. An employer may not apply tips or gratuities bestowed upon employees as a credit toward payment of the minimum hourly wage required by this section. Tip credit as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 as amendment does not apply to the minimum wage established by this section. Beginning with the passage of this Act, the minimum wage shall be $18.75 per hour effective January 1, 2025, $20.75 per hour effective January 1, 2026 and thereafter adjusted annually for inflation. The adjustment shall be calculated each September 30, for the proceeding January-December calendar year, by the United States Department of Commerce under UPM provisions, using 100 percent of the rate of inflation based on the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers for the United States, compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor; the department shall round the adjusted minimum hourly wage up to the nearest one cent; the adjusted minimum hourly wage shall apply to work performed beginning on January 1 through December 31 of the year for which it is effective. 

Section 1(c). If the minimum wage determined under Section 3 falls one dollar below the aggregate minimum wage, of 50% of all the states highest minimum wages, it shall be set at one dollar over the states aggregate minimum wage within one year thereafter. This amount shall be adjusted in addition, in subsequent years by the method established in Section 1(a)

Section 1(d). The automatic minimum wage increase pursuant to this act may be delayed in quarterly increments during national economic emergencies. The President of the United States may notify Congress of national economic emergency, and shall have the power by such notification a period of 4 months to delay the annual minimum wage increase.  Congress shall have 30 days to override such delay.  

Section 2:  GATEWAY TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT (GTD): HEIGHT  INTERNSHIPS.

BE IT ENACTED:

Section 2.  Finds and Declarations.  

The Congress of the United States finds and declares that: (i) the school systems throughout the United States have operated on an educational model which develops students without conscious regard to the type of citizen economic culture to result from the educational process; (ii) That too few students graduate high school without the concept of citizen responsibility in career choice development in the high-tech, high-wage fields; (iii) That the United States Educational policy shall be to develop citizens with careers in all Gateway Technologies of Space, Ocean and Green high-tech, high-wage economies of the future; (iv) That a voluntary tracking-to-internship program shall be developed to exist side-by-side with the Nations University System of Education as the means of forming a New America economic culture based on Gateway Technologies from private Space, Ocean, Energy and Green technology firms, or space, ocean, energy and Green Government agencies and departments of the National Government. 

Section 2(a): Purpose

The purpose of this section is to institute the GTD Height Program.  The Tracking-to-Internship program administered by the Department of NASA with the assistance of the Department of Education.

Section 2(b): 

The National Aeronautical Space Administration is hereby elevated to Departmental Status; the President shall appoint a Secretary of NASA to oversee the operations of the Department of NASA and the United States Senate shall advise and consent to said appointment pursuant to Constitutional requirements; The Secretary of NASA may serve for a period of 4 years at the President's discretion. 

Section 2(c): 

The Department of Education shall establish a new national certification in the professional field of Neutrality history, law,  politics and culture.  (i) The Professional Educator of Neutrality (PEN) certification program shall oversee: certification, pay structure, continuing education, and placement throughout the United States. (i1) The pay structure for a Professional Educator in the field of Neutrality shall be equivalent to the average wage of equivalent professions with the title of doctorate of law or other similar professionals. (i2) The Department NASA with the assistance of the Department of Education shall institute a new voluntary tracking internship program for all students, grades 11 and 12 throughout the United States and the tracking to internship program shall be available voluntarily to all students in the several states; (ii) The Department of Education, in oversight of the Neutrality provisions,  shall coordinate with the Department of NASA in developing the Gateway potential space, ocean, energy and green technologies, of high probability, which may be prepared for transfer to the free market and the companies through which said technologies may be developed, refined, and transferred to the free markets, whether of private or governmental origin; (iii) the type of Gateway Technology Tracking To Internship Opportunities may be as follows: the Department of Education and NASA shall coordinate in developing a Space based Solar Energy Platform through which Students Grades 11 and 12 may receive paid internships by means of which United States will provide energy throughout the United States and worldwide to developing countries in an effort to fight globing warming and maintain American dominance in Gateway Solar Technologies; (iv) Students who voluntarily agree to the Tracking-to-Internship program, shall be assessed in the last quarter of the 10th grade in the fields of Gateway technologies best suited to them by the Department of Education in its implementation of the Neutrality provisions, and informed of their potential career tracks based on the assessments results.

Section 2(d):

(i) The Voluntary Tracking-To-Internship HEIGHT program shall be open to all students regardless of race, creed, nationality, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or age grades 11 through 12. (ii) all previous Federal Civil Rights Acts are hereby incorporated into all provisions of HEIGHT. (iv) once passed by the United States Congress and executed by the President of the United States, the HEIGHT provisions shall be the Supreme Law of the Land and no State may opt out of or modify or block any provision of HEIGHT voluntarily available to students without authorization from the Department of Education.  

Section 2(e): 

1. GATEWAY COMMISSION.  Within the Department of Commerce, the President of the United States and the Congress shall appoint a GATEWAY Commission of 9 members. 5 members shall be appointed by the President and 2 Members shall be appointed by the United States States Senate and 2 Members shall be appointed by the House of Representatives.

1. GATEWAY COMMISSION CHAIRPERSON. The President of the United States shall appoint the Chairperson of the GATEWAY Commission with the advise and consent of the United States Senate; (a) The GATEWAY chairperson may serve a term of 4 years upon confirmation at the President's discretion; (b) each other GATEWAY commissioner shall serve a term of two years from the date of appointment. 

1. GATEWAY TECHNOLOGY FIRMS  (i) the GATEWAY Commission shall draw up a list of Gateway Technology Firms (GTF) annually.  (ii) GTFs shall be defined as: any firm in the private market or governmental agency which predominant business or governmental activity involves trending technologies in space, ocean, energy and green sciences; (iii) GTFs may be long established, developmental or start-up firms or governmental agencies; (iv) the GATEWAY commision shall establish the list of GTFs after a period of public comment from the business community, community advocates, scientists, technology ethicists, and political leaders, and private citizens throughout the several states; (v) The GTF list criteria shall be established prior to the comment period of section (iv) based on recommendations from the GATEWAY commission. Among the criteria the commission may consider when establishing the GTF list are: is this trending technology space based, ocean based, green based or energy based; market viability within a reasonable period; infrastructure logistical needs; costs; benefit to society; moral, ethical and constitutional dangers of the technology; environmental impact; feasibility of awarding Internships; and any other reasonable consideration which shall work to establish the New America goals of Gateway Technology competitiveness or dominance.    

1. The GATEWAY Commission shall hold not less than 4 public hearings a year at times and dates set at the Commission's discretion, but each public hearing shall be located in a different geographical quadrant of the United States; (i) Each Commissioner shall have one vote on all binding decisions; (ii) the establishment of the Annual GTF list shall be finalized by binding Commission vote to be held annually in December of the year prior to the new GTF list authorization, which shall take effect in January of the following year; (iii) The Commission may hold as many other non-public meetings or public meetings as it may deem necessary to forward the New America Gateway Technology goals; (iv) the Commission shall post the date, times, and locations of all official meetings whether public or non-public 14 days before said meeting is to convene.  

(5)

GATEWAY COMMISSION POWERS: (a) The Gateway Commission shall have the power to promulgate regulations pursuant to HEIGHT provisions ( The Gateway America High-Tech High-Wage Employment Act); (b) The Commission shall have the sole power to issue Gateway Internship Awards to High School Students throughout the United States, grades 11 through 12; (c) the Commission shall have the sole power to promulgate the annual list of GTFs; (d) the Commission shall have the power to investigate GTFs firms for compliance with the HEIGHT provisions; (e) The Commission shall have the power of censure of GTFs that it affirms by clear and convincing evidence that the GTF has failed to comply with the HEIGHT act or the Commission's regulations; (f) the Commission shall have the power of CERTIFICATION of GTFs and revocation of Certification using the evidentiary standard of clear and convincing; (g) the Commission may appoint at its discretion Administrative Judges and act as the final hearing body for appeals; (h) The Gateway Commission, in consultation with the Department of Commerce and the Department of Treasury, shall have the power to establish annual tax credits, enforceable salary and upward mobility wage scales, sales tax relief, and upward job mobility scales, within the appropriation constraints for GATEWAY ACTS by Congress and the President of the United States; (I) the Commission shall have the power to promulgate and administer the requirements to participate in the Service Employment to Tech Employment or (SETE) program under the Gateway Acts.  

(6)

GATEWAY INTERNSHIP AWARDS: (a)(1) The GATEWAY Commission shall have the sole power to issue GATEWAY ACTS Internship Awards to High School Students throughout the United States, grades 11 through 12; (a)(2) Students grades 11 through 12, who meet the qualifications established by the Commission and are hired by a GTF at the completion of the application Internship Award process, shall obtain a paid two year appointment to a GTF, including room and board; (a)(3) The GTF shall pay the Student a weekly internship stipend toward the full Internship Award amount, divided over 24 months; (a)(4) Each GTF which hires a Gateway Internship Award Student shall be granted a four year sales tax free status for particular and identified Gateway Technology projects the Gateway Student works on by the Department of Treasury upon certification of the Gateway Commission; (a)(5) in the event that the 4 years of sales tax free status do not exceed the cost of hiring the GTF's Gateway Student class, by at least 10%, the GTF may apply for an extension of its sales tax free status for the period necessary to reach the 10% threshold.   

(7)

GATEWAY SETE PROVISIONS:  (a)(1): The Gateway Commission shall design and implement application standards and procedures to participate in the GATEWAY SETE program; (a)(2) Employees, working within the Service Economy of the United States, for a period of five years or more, at the minimum wage or within 10% of the minimum wage, below or above, and students or young adults with some college or undergraduate degree under the 5 year threshold, shall be entitled to apply to participate in the SETE program established by the Gateway Commission; (a)(3): The Commission shall review SETE applications annually for annual SETE candidates for wage and job upward mobility opportunities in the Gateway space, ocean, energy and green technology programs; (a)(4): The Commission shall make educationally appropriate accommodations in designing the SETE program for long term Service Economy Employees upward mobility opportunities in local communities throughout the united states, particularly of a non-scientific nature, in fields such as administrative, communicative, supportive, and other less technical positions which shall be upwardly mobile and non-tech specific opportunities within high-tech high-wage fields of the Gateway Programs; (a)(5) The Commission shall direct GTFs, that in order to participate in Gateway programs, GTFs must design and make available SETE positions within their firms for hiring of long term Service Economy Employees selected in the Gateway application process. (a)(6) The Commission shall direct all start-up GTFs, as a condition for participation in the Gateway Act programs, to provide parallel affordable stock options to SETE candidates under their employ;  (a)(6)(i) The SETE employee may select the percentage of cash-wage to stock-wage, which shall annually be offered from the date of first hire; (a)(6)(ii) All “work-for-hire” non-compete clauses shall be barred under (a)(6) provisions; (a)(6)(iii) Two or more SETE employees may cooperate as a new ownership entity to convert their stock-wage  into a new GTF start up after 5 years in the employ with a Commission designated GTF without prejudice.  

(8)

The Gateway SETE program shall be open to students or young adults with some college or undergraduate degree and all Service Economy Employees of 5 years or more still working at or within 10% of the national minimum wage regardless of race, creed, nationality, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or age. (ii) all previous Federal Civil Rights Acts are hereby incorporated into all provisions of SETE. 

(9)

GATEWAY ARTS:  (a) The Gateway Commission shall develop, plan, market, and recruit American students who have majored in the Arts (Literature, Writing, Acting, Theater, Music, Composition, Painting, Graphics, et al), to all departments GTE’s throughout the SETE program. (b)  The Commission, working with the Department of Education, shall also establish a Neutrality Culture Arts Agency (NCAA), under its supervision, which shall implement a Neutrality through the artistic expression employment program. (c) The NCAA shall provide three work-to-hire contracts to Artists in all fields of artistic expression that clearly and substantially expresses: (1) a culture of peace through neutrality, (2) neutrality and economic progress, (3) neutrality and scientific progress. (d) The NCCAA shall promulgate rules regarding applications for the contracts which shall not narrowly confine artistic expression that achieves substantial expression of the Neutrality Culture through the arts by whatever medium.  

(10)

GATEWAY VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN:  (a) The Gateway Commission shall develop and implement the Alternative Vocational Development Plan(AVDP) for high school students, who having completed their junior year in High School, and have been accepted into the  HEIGHT program pursuant to Article 5 of this Act.  The Commission shall appoint a Guardian Planner (GP) who shall assist the prospective Student Intern in their senior year to develop a career path which may be exclusive of a four or two year collegiate study path, but a reasonable alternative path, under all the surrounding circumstances. (b) The Commission, for purposes of Article 10 AVDP, shall issue HEIGHT GRANTS to students with an approved AVDP equivalent to a two year community college career path or a four year university career path, with the approval of the Student, the Guardian Planner and Student’s parents.(c ) The Commission may promulgate rules and regulations for the AVDP program and the issuing of HEIGHT Two and Four year Grants, except that said rules shall not be of such a nature as to substitute the Commission’s judgment for Student’s career choice.  (d) The Commission may deny HEIGHT GRANTS to Student AVDP on grounds of: violation of the Neutrality Act, violation of Neutrality Principles, Impossibility, Impracticability, unreasonable danger to health and safety, unreasonable risk of poverty and becoming a financial ward of the State upon completion of the AVDP.