Labor & Employment (Minimum Wage)

SB 655 requires employee leasing companies and their client companies to ensure leased workers have workers' compensation coverage. It mandates that either the leasing company or client company must purchase and maintain this insurance, with options for one policy (voluntary market) or two policies (one voluntary, one residual market). The bill clarifies that both parties share the same legal protections under workers' compensation law and neither is vicariously liable for the other's workplace actions. This directly affects employee leasing businesses and their client employers in New Hampshire. The law takes effect 60 days after passage.

HB 1484 establishes a new state minimum wage in New Hampshire, starting at $12.00 per hour on September 1, 2026, and increasing incrementally to $14.00 in 2027, $15.50 in 2028, and $17.00 in 2029. It directly affects employers and workers across the state by requiring that all hourly pay meets the higher of the federal minimum wage or these new state rates. The bill sets specific effective dates for each rate increase, with each new rate replacing the previous one until amended by future legislation. The law takes effect on July 1, 2026, with the first rate change beginning September 1, 2026.

HB 1188 prohibits employers from requiring low-wage employees - defined as those earning an hourly rate of 500% or less of the federal minimum wage - to sign noncompete agreements. It voids any existing noncompete agreements for these workers and limits the duration of any such agreement to a maximum of 12 months. The bill directly affects low-wage workers in New Hampshire, removing legal barriers that previously restricted their ability to change employers. This policy change increases job mobility for workers in low-paying positions by preventing employers from using noncompete clauses to limit their employment options.