HB 598 Summary

• Establishes Mississippi state minimum wage starting July 1, 2020, with tiered rates based on employer size: employers with 30 or fewer employees begin at $8.00/hour, while employers with more than 30 employees begin at $8.50/hour, with annual increases through July 1, 2025.

• Increases minimum wage to $10.50/hour (small employers) and $15.00/hour (larger employers) by July 1, 2025, with $0.50-$1.50 incremental increases each year depending on employer size.

• Exempts tipped employees from state minimum wage requirements; instead requires employers to pay tipped employees a minimum of $3.62/hour, increasing by $1.50/hour on the same schedule as the regular minimum wage.

• Establishes overtime pay requirements at 1.5 times the regular rate for employees earning $455 or less per week, and mandates overtime eligibility for manual laborers, law enforcement, and employees whose primary duties are not management or advanced intellectual work.

• Prohibits counties and municipalities from setting their own minimum wage or mandatory leave policies, reserving such decisions for the state legislature to maintain consistent wage standards statewide.