Tennessee Senate Bill SB1190

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 23; Title 12, Chapter 4, Part 4 and Title 50, Chapter 2, relative to minimum wage.

Summary

SB1190 would establish a new Tennessee minimum wage floor of the greater of the federal minimum wage or $20.00 per hour. It also requires overtime pay at one and one-half times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, while preserving exemptions that already exist under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The bill defines key terms such as employer, employee, and wages, and allows the commissioner of labor and workforce development to adopt rules to carry out the law. The bill also creates a private right of action for employees to recover unpaid minimum wages. If an employee prevails in court, the employer would owe the unpaid wages, an equal amount as liquidated damages, plus court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees. The measure directs the department of labor and workforce development to cooperate with federal wage-and-hour authorities and limits rulemaking to existing departmental resources. The effective date is January 1, 2026, except that rulemaking authority takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Impact

SB1190 would substantially raise Tennessee’s state wage floor above the current federal minimum wage by setting a $20 hourly minimum for covered employees, unless the federal minimum wage is higher. It would also codify overtime protections and enforcement remedies in state law, affecting employers not involved in interstate commerce as defined in the bill and employees covered by the new section. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 50, Chapter 2, Part 1, and references related titles in the caption, but its operative changes are centered on wage-and-hour law.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal legislative support/opposition in the materials supplied. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a pro-worker, wage-increase policy approach, with a strong enforcement structure intended to ensure compliance. The absence of recorded discussion means sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s substantive direction.

Contention

The main likely point of contention is the size of the wage increase, since setting a $20 minimum wage would significantly raise labor costs for many employers. Employers may also object to the liquidated damages, attorneys’ fees, and court-cost provisions, which strengthen employee enforcement rights. Another possible issue is the bill’s scope and exemptions: it applies to employers not involved in interstate commerce and incorporates federal exemptions, which may prompt questions about coverage, compliance burdens, and how the state standard interacts with federal wage law.