This bill amends the Wage and Hour Act in Nebraska by updating the minimum wage and introducing a youth minimum wage. The minimum wage will increase incrementally, starting from $10.50 per hour in 2023 to $15.00 per hour by 2026, with subsequent annual increases of one and three-quarters percent beginning in 2027. Additionally, the bill establishes a youth minimum wage of $13.50 per hour for employees aged 14 to 15, which will also increase by one and one-half percent every five years starting in 2030.

The bill also modifies the provisions regarding training wages for new employees. It allows employers to pay a training wage to new employees aged 16 to 19, with the rate set at $13.50 per hour through 2026, and increasing by one and one-half percent annually thereafter. The bill stipulates that employers cannot reduce the hours of existing employees or lay them off to replace them with new employees receiving the training wage. The original sections of the law being amended are repealed as part of this legislative update.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 48-1203, 48-1203.01
Final Reading: 48-1203, 48-1203.01