An Act Establishing a State Minimum Hourly Wage for
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0655
Sponsors: BRENNAN, FECTEAU

Legislative Document
No. 655
H.P. 423
House of Representatives, February 25, 2025
An Act Establishing a State Minimum Hourly Wage for 
Agricultural Workers
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 20, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Labor pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BRENNAN of Portland.
Cosponsored by Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, DHALAC of South Portland, 
DODGE of Belfast, Speaker FECTEAU of Biddeford, SALISBURY of Westbrook, SKOLD of 
Portland, STOVER of Boothbay, Senator: PIERCE of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA c. 7, sub-c. 2-B is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 2-B
AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYEE MINIMUM HOURLY WAGE AND RELATED 
PROVISIONS
§651. Definitions
As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings.
1. Employ. "Employ" means to suffer or permit to work.
2. Employee. "Employee" means an individual employed to perform agricultural labor 
as defined in the Employment Security Law and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, 
except that members of the family of the employer who reside with and are dependent upon 
the employer are exempt from this subchapter.
3. Employer. "Employer" means a person or entity that directly or indirectly engages 
the services or permits the work of an individual employed to perform agricultural labor or 
an individual employed in certain activities related to agriculture.
4. Wages. "Wages" means compensation paid to an employee in the form of legal 
tender of the United States and checks on banks convertible into cash on demand and 
includes the reasonable cost to the employer that furnishes the employee board or lodging. 
"Wages" also includes compensation paid through a direct deposit system, automated teller 
machine card or other means of electronic transfer as long as the employee either can make 
an initial withdrawal of the entire net pay without additional cost to the employee or the 
employee can choose another means of payment that involves no additional cost to the 
employee.
§652. Minimum hourly wage
An employer may not employ an employee at a rate less than the rates required by this 
section.
Beginning January 1, 2026, the minimum hourly wage for an employee is $14.65 per 
hour. On January 1, 2027 and each January 1st thereafter, the minimum hourly wage then 
in effect must be increased by the increase, if any, in the cost of living. The increase in the 
cost of living must be measured by the percentage increase, if any, as of August of the 
previous year over the level as of August of the year preceding that year in the Consumer 
Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, CPI-W, for the Northeast 
Region, or its successor index, as published by the United States Department of Labor, 
Bureau of Labor Statistics or its successor agency, with the amount of the minimum hourly 
wage increase rounded to the nearest multiple of 5¢. If the highest federal minimum hourly 
wage is increased in excess of the minimum hourly wage in effect under this section, the 
minimum hourly wage under this section is increased to the same amount, effective on the 
same date as the increase in the federal minimum hourly wage, and must be increased in 
accordance with this section thereafter.
§653. Records; retention, examination, copies
An employer subject to this subchapter shall keep a true and accurate record of the 
hours worked by each employee and of the wages paid, such records to be preserved by the 
employer for a period of at least 3 years, and shall furnish to each employee with each 
payment of wages a statement that clearly shows the date of the pay period, the hours, total 
earnings and itemized deductions. An employer making payment by direct deposit or other 
means of electronic transfer shall provide each employee with an accurate record of the 
transfer, including the date of the pay period, the hours, total earnings and itemized 
deductions, when the transfer is made.  If the record is provided in an electronic format, the 
employer shall provide a method by which the employee may have ready access to the 
information and print it without cost to the employee.  The Director of the Bureau of Labor 
Standards within the Department of Labor or the director's authorized representative may, 
and upon written complaint shall, enter the place of business or employment of an employer 
or employee for the purpose of examining and inspecting such records and copy any such 
records as the director or the director's authorized representative determines necessary or 
appropriate. All information received is considered confidential and may not be divulged 
to any other person or agency, except as may be necessary for the enforcement of this 
subchapter.
§654. Employee remedies
An employer is liable to an employee for the amount of any unpaid minimum hourly 
wages under this subchapter. Upon a judgment being rendered in favor of an employee in 
any action brought to recover unpaid minimum hourly wages under this subchapter, the 
judgment must include, in addition to the unpaid minimum hourly wages adjudged to be 
due, an additional amount equal to the unpaid minimum hourly wages as liquidated 
damages and costs of suit, including a reasonable attorney's fee.
The Department of Labor has exclusive authority to bring an action for unpaid wages 
on behalf of an employee or employees under this section.
§655. Penalties
An employer that violates this subchapter is subject to a fine of not less than $50 and 
not more than $200.
An employer that discharges or in any other manner discriminates against an employee 
because the employee makes a complaint to the Director of the Bureau of Labor Standards 
within the Department of Labor or to a district attorney concerning a violation of this 
subchapter is subject to a fine of not less than $50 and not more than $200.
In the event of a violation of this subchapter, the Attorney General may bring an action 
in the Superior Court to enjoin further violation of this subchapter.
§656. Unfair contracts
An employer may not be exempted from this subchapter by special contract with an 
employee or by any other means.
SUMMARY
This bill provides that individuals employed to perform agricultural labor may not be 
paid at a rate less than the state minimum hourly wage of $14.65 per hour and that, on 
January 1, 2027 and each January 1st thereafter, the minimum hourly wage then in effect 
must be increased by the increase in the cost of living. It also provides that employers that 
employ individuals to perform agricultural labor are required to keep a true and accurate 
record of the hours worked by each employee and the wages paid to each employee. The 
bill also provides remedies for employees and penalties for employers for unpaid minimum 
hourly wage violations.