Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696586716850.pdf (United States)
II 111TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 904 To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 28, 2009 Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KERRY, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. SANDERS, Mrs. BOXER, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. AKAKA) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Edu- cation, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.

SHORT TITLE.

(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair Pay Act of 2009’’.
(b) REFERENCE.—Except as provided in section 8, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C.

201 et seq.).

SEC.

2.


FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following: (1) Wage rate differentials exist between equiv- alent jobs segregated by sex, race, and national ori- gin in Government employment and in industries en- gaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce.
(2) The existence of such wage rate differen- tials— (A) depresses wages and living standards for employees necessary for their health and ef- ficiency; (B) prevents the maximum utilization of the available labor resources; (C) tends to cause labor disputes, thereby burdening, affecting, and obstructing com- merce; (D) burdens commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce; and (E) constitutes an unfair method of com- petition.
•S 904 IS 3 (3) Discrimination in hiring and promotion has played a role in maintaining a segregated work force.

(4) Many women and people of color work in occupations dominated by individuals of their same sex, race, and national origin.
(5)(A) United States Census Bureau data shows that in 2007, women in the United States working full-time, year-round earned roughly 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man working full- time, year-round.
(B) A 2003 study by the General Accountability Office found that even when accounting for key fac- tors generally known to influence earnings such as race, marital status, age and number of children as well as hours worked and time out of the workforce, a 20 percent gap in pay remains which cannot be ac- counted for but may be partially explained by women make less who work in traditionally female domi- nated careers as well as other discrimination in the workplace.
(6) Section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 prohibits discrimination in compensa- tion for ‘‘equal work’’ on the basis of sex.
•S 904 IS 4 (7) Artificial barriers to the elimination of dis- crimination in compensation based upon sex, race, and national origin continue to exist more than 4 decades after the passage of section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C.
2000a et seq.).

Elimination of such barriers would have positive effects, including— (A) providing a solution to problems in the economy created by discrimination through wage rate differentials; (B) substantially reducing the number of working women and people of color earning low wages, thereby reducing the dependence on pub- lic assistance; and (C) promoting stable families by enabling working family members to earn a fair rate of pay.

SEC.

3.

EQUAL PAY FOR EQUIVALENT JOBS.


(a) AMENDMENT.—Section 6 (29 U.S.C.
206) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(h)(1)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), no employer having employees subject to any provision of this section shall discriminate, within any establishment in which such employees are employed, between employees •S 904 IS on the basis of sex, race, or national origin by paying wages to employees in such establishment in a job that is dominated by employees of a particular sex, race, or national origin at a rate less than the rate at which the employer pays wages to employees in such establishment in another job that is dominated by employees of the oppo- site sex or of a different race or national origin, respec- tively, for work on equivalent jobs.
‘‘(B) Nothing in subparagraph (A) shall prohibit the payment of different wage rates to employees where such payment is made pursuant to— ‘‘(i) a seniority system; ‘‘(ii) a merit system; ‘‘(iii) a system that measures earnings by quan- tity or quality of production; or ‘‘(iv) a differential based on a bona fide factor other than sex, race, or national origin, such as edu- cation, training, or experience, except that this clause shall apply only if— ‘‘(I) the employer demonstrates that— ‘‘(aa) such factor— ‘‘(AA) is job-related with respect to the position in question; or ‘‘(BB) furthers a legitimate busi- ness purpose, except that this item •S 904 IS shall not apply if the employee dem- onstrates that an alternative employ- ment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential and that the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice; and ‘‘(bb) such factor was actually applied and used reasonably in light of the as- serted justification; and ‘‘(II) upon the employer succeeding under subclause (I), the employee fails to demonstrate that the differential produced by the reliance of the employer on such factor is itself the result of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, or national origin by the employer.
‘‘(C) The Equal Employment Opportunity Commis- sion shall issue guidelines specifying criteria for deter- mining whether a job is dominated by employees of a par- ticular sex, race, or national origin for purposes of sub- paragraph (B)(iv).

Such guidelines shall not include a list of such jobs.
23 24 ‘‘(D) An employer who is paying a wage rate differen- tial in violation of subparagraph (A) shall not, in order •S 904 IS 7 to comply with the provisions of such subparagraph, re- duce the wage rate of any employee.
‘‘(2) No labor organization or its agents representing employees of an employer having employees subject to any provision of this section shall cause or attempt to cause such an employer to discriminate against an employee in violation of paragraph (1)(A).
‘‘(3) For purposes of administration and enforcement of this subsection, any amounts owing to any employee that have been withheld in violation of paragraph (1)(A) shall be deemed to be unpaid minimum wages or unpaid overtime compensation under this section or section 7.
‘‘(4) In this subsection: ‘‘(A) The term ‘labor organization’ means any organization of any kind, or any agency or employee representation committee or plan, in which employ- ees participate and that exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers con- cerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions of work.
‘‘(B) The term ‘equivalent jobs’ means jobs that may be dissimilar, but whose requirements are equivalent, when viewed as a composite of skills, ef- fort, responsibility, and working conditions.’’.

1 •S 904 IS 8 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 13(a) (29 U.S.C.
213(a)) is amended in the matter before paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘section 6(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 6 (d) and (h)’’.

SEC.

4.

PROHIBITED ACTS.

Section 15(a) (29 U.S.C.
215(a)) is amended— (1) by striking the period at the end of para- graph (5) and inserting a semicolon; and (2) by adding after paragraph (5) the following: ‘‘(6) to discriminate against any individual be- cause such individual has opposed any act or prac- tice made unlawful by section 6(h) or because such individual made a charge, testified, assisted, or par- ticipated in any manner in an investigation, pro- ceeding, or hearing to enforce section 6(h); or ‘‘(7) to discharge or in any other manner dis- criminate against, coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any employee or any other person be- cause the employee inquired about, disclosed, com- pared, or otherwise discussed the employee’s wages or the wages of any other employee, or because the employee exercised, enjoyed, aided, or encouraged any other person to exercise or enjoy any right granted or protected by section 6(h).’’.
•S 904 IS SEC.

5.

REMEDIES.

9 (a) ENHANCED PENALTIES.—Section 16(b) (29 U.S.C.
216(b)) is amended— (1) by inserting after the first sentence the fol- lowing: ‘‘Any employer who violates subsection (d) or (h) of section 6 shall additionally be liable for such compensatory or punitive damages as may be appro- priate, except that the United States shall not be lia- ble for punitive damages.’’; (2) in the sentence beginning ‘‘An action to’’, by striking ‘‘either of the preceding sentences’’ and inserting ‘‘any of the preceding sentences of this subsection’’; (3) in the sentence beginning ‘‘No employees’’, by striking ‘‘No employees’’ and inserting ‘‘Except with respect to class actions brought under sub- section (f), no employee’’; (4) in the sentence beginning ‘‘The court in’’, by striking ‘‘in such action’’ and inserting ‘‘in any action brought to recover the liability prescribed in any of the preceding sentences of this subsection’’; and (5) by striking ‘‘section 15(a)(3)’’ each place it occurs and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (3), (6), and (7) of section 15(a)’’.
•S 904 IS 10 (b) ACTION BY SECRETARY.—Section 16(c) (29 U.S.C.
216(c)) is amended— (1) in the first sentence— (A) by inserting ‘‘or, in the case of a viola- tion of subsection (d) or (h) of section 6, addi- tional compensatory or punitive damages,’’ be- fore ‘‘and the agreement’’; and (B) by inserting before the period the fol- lowing: ‘‘, or such compensatory or punitive damages, as appropriate’’; (2) in the second sentence, by inserting before the period the following: ‘‘and, in the case of a viola- tion of subsection (d) or (h) of section 6, additional compensatory or punitive damages’’; and (3) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘the first sentence’’ and inserting ‘‘the first or second sen- tence’’.
(c) FEES.—Section 16 (29 U.S.C.

216) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(f) In any action brought under this section for a violation of section 6(h), the court shall, in addition to any other remedies awarded to the prevailing plaintiff or plaintiffs, allow expert fees as part of the costs.

Any such action may be maintained as a class action as provided by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.’’.
•S 904 IS SEC.

6.

RECORDS.

11 (a) RECORDS.—Section 11(c) (29 U.S.C.


211(c)) is amended— (1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(c)’’; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(2) Every employer subject to section 6(h) shall pre- serve records that document and support the method, sys- tem, calculations, and other bases used by the employer in establishing, adjusting, and determining the wage rates paid to the employees of the employer.
Every employer subject to section 6(h) shall preserve such records for such periods of time, and shall make such reports from the records to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commis- sion, as shall be prescribed by the Equal Employment Op- portunity Commission by regulation or order as necessary or appropriate for the enforcement of the provisions of sec- tion 6(h) or any regulation promulgated pursuant to sec- tion 6(h).’’.
26 (b) SMALL BUSINESS EXEMPTIONS.—Section 11(c) (as amended by subsection (a)) is further amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(3) Every employer subject to section 6(h) that has 25 or more employees on any date during the first or sec- ond year after the effective date of this paragraph, or 15 or more employees on any date during any subsequent year after such second year, shall, in accordance with reg- •S 904 IS 12 ulations promulgated by the Equal Employment Oppor- tunity Commission under paragraph (8), prepare and sub- mit to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for the year involved a report signed by the president, treasurer, or corresponding principal officer, of the em- ployer that includes information that discloses the wage rates paid to employees of the employer in each classifica- tion, position, or job title, or to employees in other wage groups employed by the employer, including information with respect to the sex, race, and national origin of em- ployees at each wage rate in each classification, position, job title, or other wage group.’’.
(c) PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIALITY.—Section 11(c) (as amended by subsections (a) and (b)) is further amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(4) The rules and regulations promulgated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under para- graph (8), relating to the form of such a report, shall in- clude requirements to protect the confidentiality of em- ployees, including a requirement that the report shall not contain the name of any individual employee.’’.
(d) USE; INSPECTIONS; EXAMINATION; REGULA- TIONS.—Section 11(c) (as amended by subsections (a) through (c)) is further amended by adding at the end the 25 following: •S 904 IS 13 ‘‘(5) The Equal Employment Opportunity Commis- sion may publish any information and data that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission obtains pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3).
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may use the information and data for statistical and research purposes, and compile and publish such studies, analyses, reports, and surveys based on the information and data as the Equal Employ- ment Opportunity Commission may consider appropriate.
‘‘(6) In order to carry out the purposes of this Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shall by regulation make reasonable provision for the inspection and examination by any person of the information and data contained in any report submitted to the Equal Em- ployment Opportunity Commission pursuant to paragraph 16 (3).
‘‘(7) The Equal Employment Opportunity Commis- sion shall by regulation provide for the furnishing of copies of reports submitted to the Equal Employment Oppor- tunity Commission pursuant to paragraph (3) to any per- son upon payment of a charge based upon the cost of the 22 service.
23 24 25 ‘‘(8) The Equal Employment Opportunity Commis- sion shall issue rules and regulations prescribing the form and content of reports required to be submitted under •S 904 IS 14 paragraph (3) and such other reasonable rules and regula- tions as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may find necessary to prevent the circumvention or eva- sion of such reporting requirements.
In exercising the au- thority of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commis- sion under paragraph (3), the Equal Employment Oppor- tunity Commission may prescribe by general rule sim- plified reports for employers for whom the Equal Employ- ment Opportunity Commission finds that because of the 10 size of the employers a detailed report would be unduly 11 burdensome.’’.

12 13 14 SEC.

7.

RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND TECHNICAL ASSIST- ANCE PROGRAM; REPORT TO CONGRESS.

Section 4(d) (29 U.S.C.
204(d)) is amended by add- 15 ing at the end the following: ‘‘(4) The Equal Employment Opportunity Commis- sion shall conduct studies and provide information and technical assistance to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning effective means available to implement the provisions of section 6(h) prohibiting wage rate discrimination between employees performing work in equivalent jobs on the basis of sex, race, or national origin.
Such studies, information, and technical assistance shall be based on and include reference to the objectives of such section to eliminate such discrimination.
In order to •S 904 IS 15 achieve the objectives of such section, the Equal Employ- ment Opportunity Commission shall carry on a continuing program of research, education, and technical assistance including— ‘‘(A) conducting and promoting research with the intent of developing means to expeditiously cor- rect the wage rate differentials described in section 6(h); ‘‘(B) publishing and otherwise making available to employers, labor organizations, professional asso- ciations, educational institutions, the various media of communication, and the general public the find- ings of studies and other materials for promoting compliance with section 6(h); ‘‘(C) sponsoring and assisting State and com- munity informational and educational programs; and ‘‘(D) providing technical assistance to employ- ers, labor organizations, professional associations and other interested persons on means of achieving and maintaining compliance with the provisions of section 6(h).
‘‘(5) The report submitted biennially by the Secretary to Congress under paragraph (1) shall include a separate evaluation and appraisal regarding the implementation of section 6(h).’’.

•S 904 IS 26 16 SEC.
8.

CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

(a) CONGRESSIONAL EMPLOYEES.— (1) APPLICATION.—Section 203(a)(1) of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C.

1313(a)(1)) is amended— (A) by striking ‘‘subsections (a)(1) and (d) of section 6’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (a)(1), (d), and (h) of section 6’’; and (B) by striking ‘‘206 (a)(1) and (d)’’ and inserting ‘‘206 (a)(1), (d), and (h)’’.

(2) REMEDIES.—Section 203(b) of such Act (2 U.S.C.


1313(b)) is amended by inserting before the period the following: ‘‘or, in an appropriate case, under section 16(f) of such Act (29 U.S.C.

216(f))’’.

(b) EXECUTIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEES.— (1) APPLICATION.—Section 413(a)(1) of title 3, United States Code, as added by section 2(a) of the Presidential and Executive Office Accountability Act (Public Law 104–331; 110 Stat.
4053), is amended by striking ‘‘subsections (a)(1) and (d) of section 6’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (a)(1), (d), and (h) of section 6’’.

(2) REMEDIES.—Section 413(b) of such title is amended by inserting before the period the fol- lowing: ‘‘or, in an appropriate case, under section 16(f) of such Act’’.

•S 904 IS SEC.

9.
9.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

17 The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act •S 904 IS