2019 Tennessee Code
Title 50 - Employer and Employee
Chapter 2 - Wage Regulations
Part 1 - General Provisions
§ 50-2-112. Restrictions on local government authority regarding requiring private employers to pay wages in excess of federal and state minimum hourly wage laws.
(a)
(1) Notwithstanding any charter, ordinance or resolution to the contrary, no local government, as a condition of doing business within the jurisdictional boundaries of the local government or contracting with the local government, has the authority to require a private employer to pay its employees a hourly wage in excess of the minimum hourly wage required to be paid by such employer under applicable federal or state law.
(2) With respect to construction contracts, a local government has no authority to require a prevailing wage be paid in excess of the wages established by the prevailing wage commission for state highway construction projects in accordance with title 12, chapter 4, part 4 or the Tennessee occupational wages prepared annually by the department of labor and workforce development, employment security division, labor market information for state building projects.
(b) As used in this section, “local government” means a county, including any county having a metropolitan form of government, or municipal government, or any agency or unit thereof or any other political subdivision of the state.
(c) If compliance with this section by a local government relative to a specific contract, project, or program would result in the denial of federal funds that would otherwise be available to the local government, then the local government may require a private employer to pay its employees a wage necessary to meet the federal requirements to obtain the federal funds, but only relative to such contract, project, or program.
