Bill > HB270

This bill amends Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) 337.275 to gradually increase the state's minimum wage for most employees from its current rate to $15 per hour by July 1, 2030, starting with $9.50 per hour upon the bill's effective date, and then incrementally to $11 per hour on July 1, 2027, $12.50 per hour on July 1, 2028, and $14 per hour on July 1, 2029. It also mandates that if the federal minimum wage increases beyond the state's set rate, the state minimum wage will automatically match the federal rate on the same date. For employees who customarily and regularly receive more than $30 per month in tips, the bill raises the minimum hourly wage an employer can pay to $5 per hour upon the bill's effective date, with a similar provision to match any federal minimum wage increase for tipped employees. Employers must maintain records to ensure that when tips are added to wages paid, employees receive at least the state's minimum wage, and employers cannot use an employee's tips to meet this minimum wage requirement.