HB 321: Vincent Fort Living Wage Act; enact

Georgia's current state minimum wage law (O.C.G.A. § 34-4-3) sets a wage floor of $5.15 per hour, a figure that has long been superseded in practice by the higher federal minimum wage for most workers. This bill rewrites that state law to raise the minimum to $15.00 per hour for every hour worked by covered employees. The bill gives itself a short title, the "Vincent Fort Living Wage Act," naming it after former state senator Vincent Fort. Beyond changing the dollar figure, the bill does not add new exemptions, enforcement mechanisms, or phase-in schedule; the increase would apply as soon as the amended Code section takes effect. It also repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new wage floor.

• Raises the state minimum wage set in Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 34-4-3) from $5.15 per hour to $15.00 per hour for covered employees.
• Applies to every employer, whether an individual, firm, or corporation, that is covered by the state minimum wage law.
• Names the bill the "Vincent Fort Living Wage Act" as its official short title.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with the new $15.00 per hour minimum wage requirement.

Georgia employers of all types, including individuals, firms, and corporations, that are covered by the state minimum wage law, and the employees they pay who fall under that law's coverage rather than being paid solely under federal minimum wage rules.

If enacted, workers covered by Georgia's state minimum wage law would see their wage floor nearly triple, from $5.15 to $15.00 per hour. Employers covered by this state law would need to adjust pay to meet the new minimum, changing labor costs for those businesses.

• Section 1 gives the bill the short title "Vincent Fort Living Wage Act."
• Section 2 rewrites subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 34-4-3 to change the minimum wage figure from $5.15 to $15.00 per hour for covered employees.
• Section 3 repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this new minimum wage requirement.
• The bill does not specify a delayed effective date or phase-in period beyond standard enactment.

1. 2025-02-11House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-10House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-06House Hopper (House)

• El-Mahdi Holly (D, HD-116)Primary sponsor
• Dewey McClain (D, HD-109)
• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
• Spencer Frye (D, HD-122)
• Gabriel Sanchez (D, HD-042)

• minimum wage
• labor law
• workers pay
• employment law