A resolution recognizing the significance of equal pay and the pay disparity between disabled women and both disabled and nondisabled men.

Bill: 118-sres-825
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Introduced: 2024-09-18
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text: CR S6148-6149)

Summaries:

tv_txt: III 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 825 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 18, 2024 Mrs. Murray (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal , Mr. Casey , Ms. Cortez Masto , Ms. Duckworth , Ms. Hirono , Mr. Markey , Mr. Padilla , Mr. Sanders , and Mr. Whitehouse ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions RESOLUTION Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the pay disparity between disabled women and both disabled and nondisabled men.

Whereas, more than 60 years after Congress enacted the Equal Pay Act of 1963 ( 29 U.S.C. 206 note; Public Law 88–38 ), an analysis of data from the Bureau of the Census shows that disabled women workers overall are paid an average of 50 cents for every dollar paid to nondisabled men; Whereas an analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families of data from the Bureau of the Census shows that— (1) for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic, nondisabled men— (A) disabled Asian-American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women are paid 55 cents; (B) disabled White, non-Hispanic women are paid 45 cents; (C) disabled Black women are paid 45 cents; (D) disabled American Indian and Alaska Native women are paid 45 cents; and (E) disabled Latinas are paid 44 cents; (2) disabled women are paid an average of 72 cents for every dollar paid to disabled men; (3) disabled people overall are paid an average of 68 cents for every dollar paid to nondisabled people; and (4) while disabled people overall experience a wage gap, disabled women, particularly disabled women of color, experience a more significant wage gap; Whereas, of the 6 types of disability assessed in the American Community Survey— (1) disabled women workers with each type of disability face a wage gap, as compared to nondisabled men; and (2) the wage gap is largest for disabled women workers who have difficulty living independently, who are paid just 36 cents for every dollar paid to nondisabled men workers; Whereas disabled women veterans are paid an average of 62 cents for every dollar paid to nondisabled veteran men; Whereas the wage gap remains large for disabled women with more education, as disabled women workers with 4 years of college education are typically paid $41,600 per year, which is less than nondisabled men workers with a high school degree as their highest level of education; Whereas disabled women experience occupational segregation and are overrepresented in low-paid health care, clerical, and social service jobs; Whereas disabled women and men workers who live in institutional group quarters are paid an average of just $9,000 per year for disabled women workers and $11,000 per year for disabled men workers, respectively, while nondisabled men overall are typically paid an average of $50,000 per year; Whereas segregated workplaces and the subminimum wage for disabled employees stifle competitive integrated employment for disabled women; Whereas many systemic barriers affect access to livable wages and employment opportunities for disabled women, including— (1) discrimination; (2) public benefits work disincentives; (3) a broken health care infrastructure; (4) increased employment-related costs; (5) inadequate vocational rehabilitation services; and (6) a lack of access to supported employment services; and Whereas LGBTQI+ disabled people face additional barriers to employment, and more inclusive data on LGBTQI+ disabled workers is needed to determine the added impact on wages and workforce participation, particularly for trans and nonbinary disabled people who are often excluded from data: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1) recognizes the pay disparity between disabled women and both disabled and nondisabled men and the impact of that pay disparity on women, families, and the United States; and (2) reaffirms its commitment to supporting equal pay for disabled women, narrowing the gender, disability, and racial wage gaps, and addressing the systemic barriers that drive those inequities.