The House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor passed a bill to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2024.

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor passed a bill Wednesday to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2024.

The Raise the Wage Act would gradually raise the minimum wage. Increasing the minimum wage would give roughly 40 million Americans a raise.

Once the Act is fully phased in, it would translate into an annual pay increase of about $3,500 for the average affected worker.

Congressman Bobby Scott is the chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor.

"Today, the Committee on Education and Labor took an important step toward lifting millions of American workers out poverty by raising the minimum wage for the first time in nearly a decade. Research and experience show that gradually raising the minimum wage is not only good for workers, it is good for businesses and good for the economy. I am proud that we have advanced a bill that will benefit workers and communities across the country," said Bobby Scott.

The bill will go up for a vote in the House of Representatives in the coming weeks.