Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages paid to Latina women in comparison to White, non-Hispanic men.

Bill: 119-hconres-56
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
Introduced: 2025-10-08
Latest action: action_date: 2025-10-08
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Summaries:

tv_txt: IV 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. CON. RES. 56 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 8, 2025 Ms. Leger Fernandez (for herself, Ms. Barragán , Mr. Castro of Texas , Ms. Salinas , Ms. Garcia of Texas , Mr. Doggett , Ms. Sánchez , Mr. García of Illinois , Mr. Vargas , Ms. Castor of Florida , Mr. Costa , Ms. Escobar , Ms. Norton , Ms. Bonamici , Mr. Espaillat , Ms. Chu , Mr. Carbajal , Mr. Cleaver , Ms. DeLauro , Mr. Ruiz , Mrs. Ramirez , Ms. Tlaib , Ms. Adams , Ms. Rivas , Mr. Correa , Ms. Velázquez , Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas , Mrs. Torres of California , Ms. Moore of Wisconsin , Mr. Tran , and Mr. Landsman ) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages paid to Latina women in comparison to White, non-Hispanic men.

Whereas October 8, 2025, is designated as Latina Equal Pay Day to observe the pay gap between Latinas and White, non-Hispanic men; Whereas, as of 2024, there were 14,421,000 Hispanic women in the labor force, representing slightly more than 18 percent of all women in the labor force; Whereas section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 ( 29 U.S.C. 206(d) ) (commonly known as the Equal Pay Act of 1963 ) prohibits discrimination in wages on the basis of sex for equal work; Whereas title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ( 42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq. ) prohibits discrimination in compensation because of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex; Whereas, despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 ( Public Law 88–38 ; 77 Stat. 56) more than 6 decades ago, which established that employers shall not discriminate in wages on the basis of sex, but shall provide equal pay for equal work, Bureau of the Census data show that Latinas working full-time and year-round are paid 58 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men, while the average wage differential for all Latinas with reported earnings working full-time, part-time, and part-year is 54 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men; Whereas Latinas in rural communities are paid, on average, 43 cents for every dollar made by White, non-Hispanic men and face unique challenges which contribute to the pay gap, including lack of access to transportation, childcare, and health care; Whereas 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the coordinated National Latina Equal Pay Day Campaign by national organizations working to spread awareness about and address the pay gap faced by Latinas; Whereas National Latina Equal Pay Day is vital to acknowledge and understand Latinas economic reality and the impact that their race, gender identity, occupation, migration status, and geographic location have on their earnings; Whereas increased and further disaggregated data is necessary to understand the impact of the pay gap within different groups of women of the same racial or ethnic background; Whereas the pay gap for Latinas persists across sectors and education levels; Whereas an analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families of data from the Bureau of the Census shows that disabled Latinas are paid 44 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic, nondisabled men; Whereas the National Women’s Law Center has calculated that, on average, Latinas lose over $1,200,000 in potential earnings over a 40-year career to the wage gap; Whereas lost wages mean Latinas have less money to support themselves and their families, save and invest for the future, and spend on goods and services; Whereas the lack of access to affordable, quality childcare, paid family and medical leave, and other family-friendly workplace policies forces many Latinas to choose between their paycheck or job and getting quality care for themselves or their family members, a dynamic that contributes to the wage gap; Whereas workplace harassment forces many women to leave their occupation or industry, or pass up opportunities for advancement, which contributes to the gender wage gap; Whereas targets of workplace harassment are 6.5 times as likely as nontargets to change jobs; Whereas there is a high personal cost for women who have been sexually harassed, including unemployment, underemployment, and financial stress resulting from changing jobs, which lead to long-term consequences for earnings and career attainment; Whereas, in 2024, more than 61 percent of workers paid the minimum wage or less were women; Whereas the pay disparity Latinas face is part of a wider set of disparities Latinas face in home ownership, unemployment, poverty, access to childcare, and the ability to build wealth; Whereas the underpayment of Latina workers causes businesses and the economy to suffer; Whereas true pay equity requires a multifaceted strategy that addresses the gender and racial injustices that Latinas face daily; and Whereas many national organizations have designated October 8, 2025, as Latina Equal Pay Day to recognize the pay gap between Latinas and White, non-Hispanic men in the prior year: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress— (1) recognizes the disparity in wages paid to Latinas and the impact of that disparity on women, families, the economy, and the United States; and (2) reaffirms its support for ensuring equal pay and closing the gender wage gap.