House Bill 600
By: Representatives Jackson of the 68th, McClain of the 109th, Holly of the 116th, Sanchez
of the 42nd, Alexander of the 66th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to labor and industrial
relations, so as to increase the minimum wage for certain employees and to provide for grants
to certain employers; to provide for definitions; to increase the minimum wage for
agricultural workers and state employees; to provide for the Department of Labor to
implement a grant program for certain employers; to provide for criteria; to provide for
annual reporting; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for related matters; to
provide for a short title; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for
other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Minimum Wage and Second Chance Act
of 2025."
SECTION 2.
Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to labor and industrial relations,
is amended in Chapter 4, relating to minimum wage law, by revising Code Section 34-4-3,
relating to amount of minimum wage to be paid by employers and employers and employees
covered by the chapter, as follows:
"34-4-3.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Code section <ins>and Code Sections 34-4-7
and 34-4-8,</ins> every employer, whether a person, firm, or corporation, shall pay to all covered
employees a minimum wage which shall be not less than $5.15 per hour for each hour
worked in the employment of such employer.
(b) This chapter shall not apply with respect to:
(1) Any employer that has sales of $40,000.00 per year or less;
(2) Any employer having five employees or less;
(3) Any employer of domestic employees;
(4) <del>Any employer who is a farm owner, sharecropper, or land renter</del> <ins>Reserved;
</ins> (5) Any employee whose compensation consists wholly or partially of gratuities;
(6) Any employee who is a high school or college student;
(7) Any individual who is employed as a newspaper carrier; or
(8) Any individual who is employed by a nonprofit child-caring institution or long-term
care facility serving children or mentally disabled adults who are enrolled in such
institution and reside in residential facilities of the institution, if such employee resides
in such facilities, receives without cost board and lodging from such institution, and is
compensated on a cash basis at an annual rate of not less than $10,000.00.
(c) This chapter shall not apply to any employer who is subject to the minimum wage
provisions of any act of Congress as to employees covered thereby if such act of Congress
provides for a minimum wage which is greater than the minimum wage which is provided
for in this Code section."
SECTION 3.
Said title is further amended in said chapter by adding new Code sections to read as follows:
<ins>"34-4-7.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Agricultural industry' means any business in this state that is centered on the
processing, packing, or storage of agricultural products, including preparing crops and
livestock for consumption, sale, and distribution.
(2) 'Covered employee' means an individual who works for salary, wages, or other
remuneration for a covered employer in the agricultural industry.
(3) 'Covered employer' means an individual or legal entity that employs ten or more
covered employees in the agricultural industry.
(b) A covered employer in the agricultural industry shall pay a covered employee a
minimum wage for each hour worked in the employment of such employer which shall be
not less than $15.00 per hour from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026; $18.00 per hour from
July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027; $21.00 per hour from July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028; and
$27.00 per hour on or after July 1, 2028.
34-4-8.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'State agency' means any agency, authority, department, institution, board, bureau,
commission, committee, office, or instrumentality of the executive, legislative, or judicial
branch of government of this state.
(2) 'State employee' means an officer, official, employee, or independent contractor of
a state agency.
(b) A state agency shall pay to a state employee a minimum wage which shall be not less
than $20.00 per hour for each hour worked in the employment of such agency.
34-4-9.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
</ins>
<ins>(1) 'Qualifying employer' means an employer in this state that has employed a
rehabilitated offender as a full-time employee for at least one year.
(2) 'Rehabilitated offender' means an individual who was convicted of a certain
misdemeanor or felony as determined by the department and who is hired not more than
five years after release from prison for such offense.
(3) 'Second chance grant' means a grant to a qualifying employer that has employed a
rehabilitated offender as a full-time employee for at least one year.
(b) Subject to appropriations, the department shall establish a grant program for the
purpose of compensating qualifying employers that have employed rehabilitated offenders
as full-time employees for at least one year.
(c) The department shall:
(1) Establish criteria for determining any restrictions on permitted offenses committed
by rehabilitated offenders;
(2) Certify rehabilitated offenders for employment;
(3) Establish criteria for the second chance grant;
(4) Implement an application process; and
(5) Distribute any second chance grants to qualifying employers.
(d) No later than December 31, 2026, and annually thereafter, the department shall submit
a report to the chairpersons of the House Committee on Industry and Labor and the Senate
Insurance and Labor Committee on the effect and implementation of this Code section,
including the number and amount of grants distributed, the number of rehabilitated
offenders employed, the number and names of qualifying employers, the types of positions,
the industry impacted, and any recommendations for improving the program.
(e) The department shall promulgate such rules and regulations that are necessary to
implement the provisions of this Code section."
</ins>
SECTION 4.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 5.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.