HJR 1485 Summary

• Proposes constitutional amendment to Section 24 of Article X establishing Florida's minimum wage at $6.15 per hour six months after enactment, increasing to $10.00 on September 30, 2021, then by $1.00 annually until reaching $15.00 per hour on September 30, 2026.

• After September 30, 2027, the Agency for Workforce Innovation shall annually adjust the minimum wage by the inflation rate using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), effective January 1st each year.

• Authorizes the legislature to enact statutes reducing the minimum wage for prisoners in the state correctional system, recently incarcerated employees, employees under 21 years of age, and other hard-to-hire employees.

• Provides enforcement mechanisms allowing aggrieved persons to sue for back wages plus equal liquidated damages, attorney's fees, costs, and reinstatement; willful violators face a $1,000 fine per violation with a four-year statute of limitations (five years for willful violations).

• Prohibits employer retaliation against employees exercising rights under the amendment, including filing complaints or informing others about wage law violations; allows class action lawsuits under Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.