Senate Bill 2288 Summary

• Establishes Mississippi state minimum wage beginning July 1, 2023, with annual increases: $8.00/hour (2023), $8.75/hour (2024), $9.00/hour (2025), and $10.50/hour (2026).

• Automatically increases state minimum wage to federal minimum wage plus one-half of one percent if federal rate exceeds state rate.

• Exempts employers with fewer than five employees, agricultural employers with limited workers, independent contractors, students, and certain other categories from minimum wage requirements.

• Creates criminal penalties for wage violations: felony charges with fines ranging from $400 to $10,000 and imprisonment up to one year depending on amount of unpaid wages owed.

• Allows municipalities and counties to set minimum wages higher than state minimum but prohibits them from setting wages lower than state minimum, and grants Mississippi Department of Employment Security authority to enforce and administer the law.