| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 46 1019 |
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| 2 | 2 | | Senate Bill 273 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Senators Wicks of the 34th, Jones II of the 22nd, Jackson of the 41st, Parent of the 44th, |
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| 4 | 4 | | Orrock of the 36th and others |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | To amend Chapter 4 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1 |
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| 9 | 9 | | minimum wage, so as to revise certain provisions regarding the minimum wage law; to2 |
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| 10 | 10 | | provide for an increase in the minimum wage; to provide for annual minimum wage3 |
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| 11 | 11 | | increases to match the rising cost of living; to provide a credit toward the minimum wage for4 |
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| 12 | 12 | | employers of tipped workers; to eliminate various eligibility exemptions from the minimum5 |
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| 13 | 13 | | wage; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws;6 |
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| 14 | 14 | | and for other purposes.7 |
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| 15 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SECTION 1.9 |
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| 17 | 17 | | Chapter 4 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to minimum wage,10 |
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| 18 | 18 | | is amended by revising Code Section 34-4-3, relating to amount of minimum wage to be paid11 |
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| 19 | 19 | | by employers, as follows:12 |
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| 20 | 20 | | "34-4-3.13 |
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| 21 | 21 | | (a)(1) |
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| 22 | 22 | | Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, every employer, whether a14 |
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| 23 | 23 | | person, firm, or corporation, shall pay to all covered employees a minimum wage which15 |
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| 24 | 24 | | S. B. 273 |
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| 25 | 25 | | - 1 - 25 LC 46 1019 |
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| 26 | 26 | | shall be not less than $5.15 $22.00 per hour for each hour worked in the employment of16 |
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| 27 | 27 | | such employer.17 |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2)(A) On January 1, 2026, and on January 1 of each successive year thereafter, the18 |
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| 29 | 29 | | minimum wage shall be adjusted upward to reflect the increase in the cost of living, if19 |
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| 30 | 30 | | any, as determined by the Georgia Department of Labor pursuant to subparagraph (B)20 |
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| 31 | 31 | | of this paragraph.21 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (B) On September 30, 2025, and on September 30 of each year thereafter, the Georgia22 |
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| 33 | 33 | | Department of Labor shall measure any change or note the lack of change in the cost23 |
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| 34 | 34 | | of living from the preceding July over July of the immediately preceding year. In24 |
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| 35 | 35 | | making such determination, the Georgia Department of Labor may utilize the25 |
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| 36 | 36 | | Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers or such successor26 |
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| 37 | 37 | | index as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department27 |
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| 38 | 38 | | of Labor or its successor agency.28 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (C) Each adjusted minimum wage rate calculated pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this29 |
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| 40 | 40 | | paragraph shall be published and shall take effect on the following January 1 of each30 |
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| 41 | 41 | | successive year.31 |
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| 42 | 42 | | (b) Employers of employees who meet the eligibility requirements for the tip credit under32 |
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| 43 | 43 | | the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, 29 U.S.C. Section 203(t), may33 |
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| 44 | 44 | | credit tips toward the satisfaction of up to 50 percent of the minimum wage provided by34 |
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| 45 | 45 | | this Code section.35 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (b)(c) This chapter shall not apply with respect to:36 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (1) Any employer that has sales of $40,000.00 $50,000.00 per year or less;37 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (2) Any employer having five employees or less;38 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (3) Any employer of domestic employees;39 |
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| 50 | 50 | | (4) Any employer who is a farm owner, sharecropper, or land renter;40 |
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| 51 | 51 | | (5) Any employee whose compensation consists wholly or partially of gratuities;41 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (6)(3) Any employee who is a high school or college student;42 |
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| 53 | 53 | | S. B. 273 |
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| 54 | 54 | | - 2 - 25 LC 46 1019 |
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| 55 | 55 | | (7)(4) Any individual who is employed as a newspaper carrier; or43 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (8)(5) Any individual who is employed by a nonprofit child-caring institution or44 |
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| 57 | 57 | | long-term care facility serving children or mentally disabled adults who are enrolled in45 |
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| 58 | 58 | | such institution and reside in residential facilities of the institution, if such employee46 |
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| 59 | 59 | | resides in such facilities, receives without cost board and lodging from such institution,47 |
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| 60 | 60 | | and is compensated on a cash basis at an annual rate of not les s48 |
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| 61 | 61 | | than $10,000.00 $15,000.00.49 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (c)(d) This chapter shall not apply to any employer who is subject to the minimum wage50 |
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| 63 | 63 | | provisions of any act of Congress as to employees covered thereby if such act of Congress51 |
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| 64 | 64 | | provides for a minimum wage which is greater than the minimum wage which is provided52 |
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| 65 | 65 | | for in this Code section."53 |
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| 66 | 66 | | SECTION 2.54 |
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| 67 | 67 | | This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2026.55 |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 3.56 |
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| 69 | 69 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.57 |
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| 70 | 70 | | S. B. 273 |
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| 71 | 71 | | - 3 - |
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