This bill proposes an increase in the state minimum hourly wage and establishes a new base rate for tipped employees. The introductory paragraph of RSA 279:21 is amended to set the minimum hourly rate at $10.00 per hour effective September 1, 2025, increasing to $12.50 per hour on January 1, 2026, $14.00 per hour on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2028. Additionally, the bill modifies the base rate for tipped employees, changing the percentage from 45% to 50% of the applicable minimum hourly rate. It also stipulates that if an employee's wages do not meet the minimum hourly rate for all hours worked, the employer must compensate the difference.

Furthermore, the bill includes a contingency clause stating that the provisions will take effect when the federal minimum wage reaches $15 per hour or when New Hampshire's minimum wage is increased to that amount, whichever occurs first. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025. The Office of Legislative Budget Assistant has indicated that this bill will have no fiscal impact on state, county, or local expenditures or revenue.