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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1479*
HOUSE BILL 1479
K3, P4, L6 6lr3624
By: Delegates Boafo, Charkoudian, Amprey, Bhandari, Fennell, A. Johnson,
Kaiser, Lehman, Terrasa, Turner, and White Holland
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Labor and Employment – Minimum Wage – Increase 2
(Maryland Raise the Wage Act) 3
FOR the purpose of increasing the State minimum wage rate to a certain amount for certain 4
employers for certain calendar years ; in creasing, except under certain 5
circumstances, the State minimum wage rate in effect for certain periods of time 6
based on annual growth in a certa in consumer price index, as determined by the 7
Commissioner of Labor and Industry; and generally relating to the payment of 8
wages. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Labor and Employment 11
Section 3–413 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2025 Replacement Volume) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Labor and Employment 17
3–413. 18
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 19
(2) “CONSUMER PRICE INDEX” MEANS THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX 20
FOR ALL URBAN CONSUMERS FOR THE WASHINGTON–ARLINGTON–ALEXANDRIA, 21
DC–VA–MD–WV METROPOLITAN AREA OR A SUCCESSOR METROPOL ITAN AREA 22
INDEX PUBLISHED BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. 23
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(3) “Employer” includes a governmental unit. 1
[(3)] (4) “Small employer” means an employer that employs [14] 49 or 2
fewer employees. 3
(b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section and § 3–414 of this subtitle, 4
each employer shall pay: 5
(1) to each employee who is subject to both the federal Act and this subtitle, 6
at least the greater of: 7
(i) the minimum wage for that employee under the federal Act; or 8
(ii) the State minimum wage set under subsection (c) of this section; 9
and 10
(2) to each other employee who is subject to this subtitle, at least the 11
greater of: 12
(i) the highest minimum wage under the federal Act; or 13
(ii) the State minimum wage set under subsection (c) of this section. 14
(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the State 15
minimum wage rate is: 16
(i) [for the 12–month period beginning January 1, 2023, $13.25 per 17
hour; and 18
(ii)] FOR THE 48–MONTH PERIOD beginning January 1, 2024, 19
$15.00 per hour; 20
(II) FOR THE 12–MONTH PERIOD BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2028, 21
$18.00 PER HOUR; AND 22
(III) FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT 12–MONTH PERIOD BEGINNI NG 23
JANUARY 1, 2029, AND EACH JANUARY 1 THEREAFTER, THE RATE DETERMINED BY 24
THE COMMISSIONER UNDER PARAGRAPH (3)(II) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 25
(2) The State minimum wage rate for a small employer is: 26
(i) [for the 12–month period beginning January 1, 2023, $12.80 per 27
hour; and 28
HOUSE BILL 1479 3
(ii) beginning] FOR THE 60–MONTH PERIOD BEGINNING January 1
1, 2024, $15.00 per hour; 2
(II) FOR THE 12–MONTH PERIOD BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2029, 3
$18.00 PER HOUR; AND 4
(III) FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT 12–MONTH PERIOD BEGINNI NG 5
JANUARY 1, 2030, AND EACH JANUARY 1 THEREAFTER, THE RATE DETERMINED BY 6
THE COMMISSIONER UNDER PARAGRAPH (3)(II) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 7
(3) (I) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (III) OF THIS 8
PARAGRAPH AND SUBJEC T TO SUBPARAGRAPH (IV) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , THE 9
STATE MINIMUM WAGE RATE SHALL BE INCREASED BY THE AMOUNT, ROUNDED TO 10
THE NEAREST 5 CENTS, THAT EQUALS THE PRODUCT OF: 11
1. A. FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING THE WAGE 12
RATE IN EFFECT UNDER PARAGRA PH (1)(III) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE STATE 13
MINIMUM WAGE RATE IN EFFECT FOR THE IMMED IATELY PRECEDING 12–MONTH 14
PERIOD UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION; OR 15
B. FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING THE WAGE RATE 16
IN EFFECT UNDER PARAGRAPH (2)(III) OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE STATE MINIMUM 17
WAGE RATE IN EFFECT FOR THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING 12–MONTH PERIOD 18
UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION; AND 19
2. THE AVERAGE PERCENT GROWTH IN THE CONSUMER 20
PRICE INDEX FOR THE IMMEDIA TELY PRECED ING 12–MONTH PERIOD , AS 21
DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER UNDER SU BPARAGRAPH (II)1 OF THIS 22
PARAGRAPH. 23
(II) 1. SUBJECT TO SUBSUBPARA GRAPH 2 OF THIS 24
SUBPARAGRAPH, EACH SEPTEMBER 1, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DETERMINE AND 25
ANNOUNCE: 26
A. THE AVERAGE PERCENT GROWTH, IF ANY , IN THE 27
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX BASED ON THE IM MEDIATELY PRECEDING 12–MONTH 28
PERIOD FOR WHICH DATA ARE AVAILABLE ON MAY 1; AND 29
B. THE STATE MINIMUM WAGE RA TE THAT WILL BE 30
EFFECTIVE FOR THE 12–MONTH PERIOD BEGINNING THE FOLLOWING JANUARY 1. 31
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2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL MA KE THE 1
ANNOUNCEMENT REQUIRE D UNDER SUBSUBPARAGR APH 1 OF THIS 2
SUBPARAGRAPH: 3
A. FOR THE STATE MINIMUM WAGE RATE THAT WILL BE 4
IN EFFECT UNDER PARAGRAPH (1)(III) OF THIS SUBSECTION, BEGINNING 5
SEPTEMBER 1, 2028; AND 6
B. FOR THE STATE MINIMUM WAGE RATE THAT WILL BE 7
IN EFFECT UNDER PARAGRAPH (2)(III) OF THIS SUBSECTION, BEGINNING 8
SEPTEMBER 1, 2029. 9
(III) IF THE COMMISSIONER DETERMIN ES THAT THERE IS A 10
DECLINE OR NO GROWTH IN THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, THE STATE MINIMUM 11
WAGE RATE SHALL REMAIN THE SAME AS THE RA TE THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE 12
IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING 12–MONTH PERIOD. 13
(IV) 1. AN INCREASE IN THE MI NIMUM WAGE RATE 14
DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH MAY NOT EXCEED 15
5% OF THE MINIMUM WAGE RATE IN EFFECT FOR THE IMMED IATELY PRECEDING 16
12–MONTH PERIOD. 17
2. THE COMMISSIONER MAY NOT TEMPORARILY 18
SUSPEND AN INCREASE TO THE MINIMUM WAGE RATE REQUIRED UNDER THIS 19
SECTION FOR ANY REASON. 20
(d) An employer may pay an employee a wage that equals a rate of 85% of the 21
State minimum wage established under this section if the employee is under the age of 18 22
years. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
October 1, 2026. 25