This bill amends the Wage and Hour Act in Nebraska by updating the minimum wage provisions and introducing a youth minimum wage. The minimum wage will increase incrementally, starting at $9 per hour and reaching $15 per hour by January 1, 2026. After that, the minimum wage will be adjusted annually by one and three-quarters percent. Additionally, the bill establishes a youth minimum wage of $13.50 per hour for employees aged 14 to 15, with scheduled increases every five years starting in 2030.

The bill also modifies the training wage provisions for new employees aged 16 to 19, allowing employers to pay a training wage for up to 180 days, with the rate set at $13.50 per hour through 2026 and increasing by one and one-half percent annually thereafter. Importantly, employers are prohibited from reducing the hours of existing employees or laying 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 The original sections of the law being amended are repealed as part of this legislative update.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