HR 1338 EHRFSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Paycheck Fairness Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Women have entered the workforce in record numbers over the past 50 years.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Despite the enactment of the Equal Pay Act in 1963, many women continue to earn significantly lower pay than men for equal work. These pay disparities exist in both the private and governmental sectors. In many instances, the pay disparities can only be due to continued intentional discrimination or the lingering effects of past discrimination.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) The existence of such pay disparities--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) depresses the wages of working families who rely on the wages of all members of the family to make ends meet;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) undermines women’s retirement security, which is often based on earnings while in the workforce;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) prevents the optimum utilization of available labor resources;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) has been spread and perpetuated, through commerce and the channels and instrumentalities of commerce, among the workers of the several States;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) burdens commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) constitutes an unfair method of competition in commerce;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) leads to labor disputes burdening and obstructing commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(H) interferes with the orderly and fair marketing of goods in commerce; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(I) in many instances, may deprive workers of equal protection on the basis of sex in violation of the 5th and 14th amendments.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4)(A) Artificial barriers to the elimination of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex continue to exist decades after the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) These barriers have resulted, in significant part, because the Equal Pay Act has not worked as Congress originally intended. Improvements and modifications to the law are necessary to ensure that the Act provides effective protection to those subject to pay discrimination on the basis of their sex.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) Elimination of such barriers would have positive effects, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) providing a solution to problems in the economy created by unfair pay disparities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) substantially reducing the number of working women earning unfairly low wages, thereby reducing the dependence on public assistance;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iii) promoting stable families by enabling all family members to earn a fair rate of pay;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iv) remedying the effects of past discrimination on the basis of sex and ensuring that in the future workers are afforded equal protection on the basis of sex; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(v) ensuring equal protection pursuant to Congress’ power to enforce the 5th and 14th amendments.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) The Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have important and unique responsibilities to help ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) The Department of Labor is responsible for--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) collecting and making publicly available information about women’s pay;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) ensuring that companies receiving Federal contracts comply with anti-discrimination affirmative action requirements of Executive Order 11246 (relating to equal employment opportunity);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) disseminating information about women’s rights in the workplace;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) helping women who have been victims of pay discrimination obtain a remedy; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) being proactive in investigating and prosecuting equal pay violations, especially systemic violations, and in enforcing all of its mandates.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is the primary enforcement agency for claims made under the Equal Pay Act, and issues regulations and guidance on appropriate interpretations of the law.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) With a stronger commitment by the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to their responsibilities, increased information about the provisions added by the Equal Pay Act of 1963, wage data, and more effective remedies, women will be better able to recognize and enforce their rights.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) Certain employers have already made great strides in eradicating unfair pay disparities in the workplace and their achievements should be recognized.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT OF EQUAL PAY REQUIREMENTS.

(a) Bona-Fide Factor Defense and Modification of Same Establishment Requirement- Section 6(d)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d)(1)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking ‘No employer having’ and inserting ‘(A) No employer having’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by striking ‘any other factor other than sex’ and inserting ‘a bona fide factor other than sex, such as education, training, or experience’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) by inserting at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) The bona fide factor defense described in subparagraph (A)(v) shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor (i) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation; (ii) is job-related with respect to the position in question; and (iii) is consistent with business necessity. Such defense shall not apply where the employee demonstrates that an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential and that the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) For purposes of subparagraph (A), employees shall be deemed to work in the same establishment if the employees work for the same employer at workplaces located in the same county or similar political subdivision of a State. The preceding sentence shall not be construed as limiting broader applications of the term ‘establishment’ consistent with rules prescribed or guidance issued by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Nonretaliation Provision- Section 15 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 215(a)(3)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘employee has filed’ and all that follows and inserting ‘employee--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) has made a charge or filed any complaint or instituted or caused to be instituted any investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action under or related to this Act, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or has testified or is planning to testify or has assisted or participated in any manner in any such investigation, proceeding, hearing or action or in an investigation conducted by the employer, or has served or is planning to serve on an industry Committee; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) has inquired about, discussed or disclosed the wages of the employee or another employee.’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(c) Subsection (a)(3)(B) shall not apply to instances in which an employee who has access to the wage information of other employees as a part of such employee’s essential job functions discloses the wages of such other employees to individuals who do not otherwise have access to such information, unless such disclosure is in response to a complaint or charge or in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action under section 6(d) or an investigation conducted by the employer. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the rights of an employee provided under any other provision of law.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Enhanced Penalties- Section 16(b) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 216(b)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by inserting after the first sentence the following: ‘Any employer who violates section 6(d) shall additionally be liable for such compensatory damages, or, where the employee demonstrates that the employer acted with malice or reckless indifference, punitive damages as may be appropriate, except that the United States shall not be liable for punitive damages.’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) in the sentence beginning ‘No employees shall’, by striking ‘No employees’ and inserting ‘Except with respect to class actions brought to enforce section 6(d), no employee’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) by inserting after the sentence referred to in paragraph (3), the following: ‘Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal law, any action brought to enforce section 6(d) may be maintained as a class action as provided by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) in the sentence beginning ‘The court in’--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) 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’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by inserting before the period the following: ‘, including expert fees’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Action by Secretary- Section 16(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 216(c)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in the first sentence--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) by inserting ‘or, in the case of a violation of section 6(d), additional compensatory or punitive damages,’ before ‘and the agreement’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by inserting before the period the following: ‘, or such compensatory or punitive damages, as appropriate’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in the second sentence, by inserting before the period the following: ‘and, in the case of a violation of section 6(d), additional compensatory or punitive damages’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) in the third sentence, by striking ‘the first sentence’ and inserting ‘the first or second sentence’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) in the last sentence--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) by striking ‘commenced in the case’ and inserting ‘commenced--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) in the case’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by striking the period and inserting ‘; or’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) in the case of a class action brought to enforce section 6(d), on the date on which the individual becomes a party plaintiff to the class action.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. TRAINING.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, subject to the availability of funds appropriated under section 11, shall provide training to Commission employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving discrimination in the payment of wages.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. NEGOTIATION SKILLS TRAINING FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN.

(a) Program Authorized-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Labor, after consultation with the Secretary of Education, is authorized to establish and carry out a grant program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) GRANTS- In carrying out the program, the Secretary of Labor may make grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities, to carry out negotiation skills training programs for girls and women.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES- To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an entity shall be a public agency, such as a State, a local government in a metropolitan statistical area (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget), a State educational agency, or a local educational agency, a private nonprofit organization, or a community-based organization.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) APPLICATION- To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an entity shall submit an application to the Secretary of Labor at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary of Labor may require.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) USE OF FUNDS- An entity that receives a grant under this subsection shall use the funds made available through the grant to carry out an effective negotiation skills training program that empowers girls and women. The training provided through the program shall help girls and women strengthen their negotiation skills to allow the girls and women to obtain higher salaries and rates of compensation that are equal to those paid to similarly-situated male employees.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Incorporating Training Into Existing Programs- The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall issue regulations or policy guidance that provides for integrating the negotiation skills training, to the extent practicable, into programs authorized under--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in the case of the Secretary of Education, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), and other programs carried out by the Department of Education that the Secretary of Education determines to be appropriate; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in the case of the Secretary of Labor, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.), and other programs carried out by the Department of Labor that the Secretary of Labor determines to be appropriate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Report- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall prepare and submit to Congress a report describing the activities conducted under this section and evaluating the effectiveness of such activities in achieving the purposes of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 6. RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH.

The Secretary of Labor shall conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) conducting and promoting research to develop the means to correct expeditiously the conditions leading to the pay disparities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) publishing and otherwise making available to employers, labor organizations, professional associations, educational institutions, the media, and the general public the findings resulting from studies and other materials, relating to eliminating the pay disparities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) sponsoring and assisting State and community informational and educational programs;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) providing information to employers, labor organizations, professional associations, and other interested persons on the means of eliminating the pay disparities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) recognizing and promoting the achievements of employers, labor organizations, and professional associations that have worked to eliminate the pay disparities; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) convening a national summit to discuss, and consider approaches for rectifying, the pay disparities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 7. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL AWARD FOR PAY EQUITY IN THE WORKPLACE.

(a) In General- There is established the Secretary of Labor’s National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace, which shall be awarded, as appropriate, to encourage proactive efforts to comply with this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Criteria for Qualification- The Secretary of Labor shall set criteria for receipt of the award, including a requirement that an employer has made substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and deserves special recognition as a consequence of such effort. The secretary shall establish procedures for the application and presentation of the award.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Business- In this section, the term ‘employer’ includes--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1)(A) a corporation, including a nonprofit corporation;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) a partnership;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) a professional association;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) a labor organization; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) a business entity similar to an entity described in any of subparagraphs (A) through (D);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) an entity carrying out an education referral program, a training program, such as an apprenticeship or management training program, or a similar program; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) an entity carrying out a joint program, formed by a combination of any entities described in paragraph (1) or (2).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 8. COLLECTION OF PAY INFORMATION BY THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION.

Section 709 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e-8) is amended by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(f)(1) Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Commission shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) complete a survey of the data that is currently available to the Federal Government relating to employee pay information for use in the enforcement of Federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination and, in consultation with other relevant Federal agencies, identify additional data collections that will enhance the enforcement of such laws; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) based on the results of the survey and consultations under subparagraph (A), issue regulations to provide for the collection of pay information data from employers as described by the sex, race, and national origin of employees.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) In implementing paragraph (1), the Commission shall have as its primary consideration the most effective and efficient means for enhancing the enforcement of Federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. For this purpose, the Commission shall consider factors including the imposition of burdens on employers, the frequency of required reports (including which employers should be required to prepare reports), appropriate protections for maintaining data confidentiality, and the most effective format for the data collection reports.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 9. REINSTATEMENT OF PAY EQUITY PROGRAMS AND PAY EQUITY DATA COLLECTION.

(a) Bureau of Labor Statistics Data Collection- The Commissioner of Labor Statistics shall continue to collect data on women workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Initiatives- The Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs shall ensure that employees of the Office--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1)(A) shall use the full range of investigatory tools at the Office’s disposal, including pay grade methodology;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) in considering evidence of possible compensation discrimination--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) shall not limit its consideration to a small number of types of evidence; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) shall not limit its evaluation of the evidence to a small number of methods of evaluating the evidence; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) shall not require a multiple regression analysis or anecdotal evidence for a compensation discrimination case;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) for purposes of its investigative, compliance, and enforcement activities, shall define ‘similarly situated employees’ in a way that is consistent with and not more stringent than the definition provided in item 1 of subsection A of section 10-III of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Compliance Manual (2000), and shall consider only factors that the Office’s investigation reveals were used in making compensation decisions; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) shall reinstate the Equal Opportunity Survey, as required by section 60-2.18 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations, designating not less than half of all nonconstruction contractor establishments each year to prepare and file such survey, and shall review and utilize the responses to such survey to identify contractor establishments for further evaluation and for other enforcement purposes as appropriate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Department of Labor Distribution of Wage Discrimination Information- The Secretary of Labor shall make readily available (in print, on the Department of Labor website, and through any other forum that the Department may use to distribute compensation discrimination information), accurate information on compensation discrimination, including statistics, explanations of employee rights, historical analyses of such discrimination, instructions for employers on compliance, and any other information that will assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) Authorization of Appropriations- There are authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 to carry out this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Prohibition on Earmarks- None of the funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) for purposes of the grant program in section 5 of this Act may be used for a Congressional earmark as defined in clause 9(d) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 11. SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.

(a) Effective Date- This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date that is 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Technical Assistance Materials- The Secretary of Labor and the Commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shall jointly develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses in complying with the requirements of this Act and the amendments made by this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Small Businesses- A small business shall be exempt from the provisions of this Act to the same extent that such business is exempt from the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act pursuant to section 3(s)(1)(A)(i) and (ii) of such Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 12. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

Nothing in this Act, or in any amendments made by this Act, shall affect the obligation of employers and employees to fully comply with all applicable immigration laws, including any penalties, fines, or other sanctions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Passed the House of Representatives July 31, 2008.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Attest:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Clerk.