House Bill 1372 Summary

• Establishes Mississippi state minimum wage at $7.50/hour beginning January 1, 2016, increasing to $8.00/hour on January 1, 2017, and $8.50/hour on January 1, 2018, applying to employers with at least four employees.

• Exempts tipped employees from minimum wage requirements if they receive at least $3.62/hour plus gratuities, with a base wage floor of $2.63/hour when tips are insufficient.

• Allows full-time students to earn 85% of minimum wage when working no more than 20 hours weekly during school or 40 hours during breaks.

• Requires employers to pay overtime compensation at 1.5 times the regular wage rate for work exceeding 40 hours per week, with employer record-keeping and Department of Labor posting requirements.

• Prohibits counties and municipalities from establishing independent minimum wage or mandatory leave policies, reserving such authority exclusively for the state legislature.