Paycheck Fairness Act

Bill: 118-hr-17
Sponsor: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]
Introduced: 2023-03-10 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Business records
Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Contracts and agency
Department of Education
Department of Labor
Employee hiring
Employment and training programs
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Labor standards
Minority employment
Public contracts and procurement
Racial and ethnic relations
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Small business
Temporary and part-time employment
Wages and earnings
Women's employment
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2023-01-06
text: 

Paycheck Fairness Act

 
This bill addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex, which is defined to include pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.
 
Specifically, it limits an employer's defense that a pay differential is based on a factor other than sex to only bona fide job-related factors in wage discrimination claims, enhances nonretaliation prohibitions, and makes it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages. The bill also increases civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. 
 
Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs must train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination. 
The bill directs the Department of Labor to (1) establish and carry out a grant program to provide training in negotiation skills related to compensation and equitable working conditions, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. 
The bill establishes the National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. It also establishes the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to address compliance, public education, and enforcement of equal pay laws. 
Finally, the bill requires the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination. 
 
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2023-03-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2023-03-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2023-03-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2023-03-10
text: Introduced in House