This bill establishes a state minimum wage and outlines a schedule for incremental increases over the next few years. It repeals and reenacts RSA 279:21, which sets the minimum hourly rate that employers can pay their employees. The new minimum wage will start at $12.00 per hour on September 1, 2026, and will increase to $14.00 on January 1, 2027, $15.50 on January 1, 2028, and finally $17.00 on January 1, 2029. The bill specifies that the minimum wage must be at least the greater of the state minimum wage or the federal minimum wage, as amended.

Additionally, the bill includes a provision that each new minimum wage rate will supersede the previous rate and will remain in effect until further amended by the general court. The effective date for this act is set for July 1, 2026. The language that is deleted from current law is the previous minimum wage provisions, while the new legal language establishes the incremental increases and the specific rates for the upcoming years.