Bill > HB524

This bill modifies Hawaii's minimum wage law by capping the minimum wage at $15 per hour beginning January 1, 2026, instead of the previously proposed $16 per hour, and removes the planned future increase to $18 per hour in 2028. The bill also adjusts the tip credit provision, which allows employers to pay tipped employees a lower base wage if their tips make up the difference. Specifically, it changes the tip credit to $1.50 per hour beginning January 1, 2026 (instead of 2028), while maintaining the requirement that the combined amount of base wage and tips must be at least 50 cents more than the applicable minimum wage. This continues Hawaii's progressive approach to gradually increasing the minimum wage, which has seen incremental increases from $6.25 per hour in 2003 to the current trajectory, with the goal of providing workers with a more livable wage while balancing potential economic impacts on employers.

Labor and Employment

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=524&year=2026