Bill > SB2495

This bill establishes a new state minimum wage in Tennessee, requiring employers to pay employees at least $20 per hour starting January 1, 2027, which will be the greater of this amount or the federal minimum wage. The state minimum wage will then be adjusted annually based on changes in the consumer price index (CPI-U), a measure of inflation, as determined by the commissioner of labor and workforce development, with the adjusted rate published by October 1st each year and rounded to the nearest five-cent interval, and the rate will not decrease even if the CPI-U falls. The bill also mandates that employers pay employees one and a half times their regular wage for any hours worked over 40 in a week, requires employers to post a summary of these wage rules in a visible location, and outlines civil liability for violations, allowing employees to recover unpaid wages plus an equal amount in damages, along with court costs and attorney fees, with a two-year statute of limitations for recovery actions, extended to three years if the violation is found to be willful. Importantly, this bill does not prevent employees from collectively bargaining for wages higher than the minimum, and it exempts employees who are already excluded under federal law from this new state minimum wage requirement.

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https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/Default?BillNumber=SB2495&ga=114