HB394: HB394 Labor and industrial relations; minimum wage for certain state employees; increase

Georgia's minimum wage law (O.C.G.A. § 34-4-3) currently sets a state minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, far below the federal minimum wage that most employers actually follow. This bill rewrites that section to set Georgia's own minimum wage at $15.00 per hour for all covered employees. The bill also adds a new section of law specifically covering full-time state government employees who are paid by the hour. It defines who counts as a full-time state employee (someone working at least 30 hours a week in an ongoing job, paid directly by a state agency) and excludes the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia from the definition of state agency. Starting January 1, 2026, those eligible full-time state employees would have to be paid at least $15.00 per hour. The bill repeals any conflicting laws.

• Rewrites Georgia's minimum wage law (O.C.G.A. § 34-4-3) to raise the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $15.00 per hour for covered employees.
• Creates a new Code section (34-4-3.2) setting a $15.00 per hour minimum wage specifically for eligible full-time state employees.
• Defines 'eligible full-time state employee' as someone who works full time and is paid hourly for actual hours worked.
• Defines 'full-time state employee' as a person working at least 30 hours per week in an ongoing job, paid directly by a state agency.
• Excludes the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia from the definition of 'state agency' for this new wage requirement.
• Sets January 1, 2026 as the date the $15.00 hourly floor for eligible full-time state employees would begin.

Employers and workers covered by Georgia's minimum wage law, and full-time hourly state government employees across executive, judicial, and legislative branch agencies. Employees of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia are excluded from the new state-employee wage floor.

If enacted, covered workers under Georgia's minimum wage law and full-time hourly state employees would see a guaranteed pay floor rise sharply, from $5.15 to $15.00 an hour. That would directly affect paychecks for lower-wage state workers and any employers still relying on the old state minimum wage.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 34-4-3(a) to change the minimum wage employers must pay covered employees from $5.15 to $15.00 per hour.
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 34-4-3.2, defining 'eligible full-time state employee,' 'full-time state employee,' and 'state agency' for purposes of the new wage rule.
• Section 2 also sets a $15.00 per hour minimum wage for eligible full-time state employees starting January 1, 2026.
• Section 2 specifically excludes the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia from the definition of 'state agency.'
• Section 3 repeals any existing laws that conflict with the bill's changes.

1. 2025-02-13House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-12House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-11House Hopper (House)

• Dewey McClain (D, HD-109)Primary sponsor
• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
• Kimberly Alexander (D, HD-066)
• Sheila Jones (D, HD-060)
• Derrick Jackson (D, HD-068)
• Gabriel Sanchez (D, HD-042)

• minimum wage
• state employees
• labor law
• wage increase