Paycheck Fairness Act
The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 12/S.182) would deter wage discrimination by closing loopholes and barring employer retaliation against workers who share salary information with their coworkers. The bill would update the landmark 1963 Equal Pay Act by strengthening protections against gender-based wage discrimination and by holding gender discrimination to the same standard as discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity.
Sponsors
House: Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Senate: Hillary Clinton (formerly D-NY)
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Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (H.R. 11/S.181) reversed a disastrous Supreme Court decision that made it extremely difficult for women to fight for fair pay. In May 2007, the Court ruled in Ledbetter v. Goodyear that, contrary to previous legal practice, a victim of pay discrimination must file a claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act within 180 days of the initial discriminatory pay decision. But in reality, this is almost impossible – because many employers discourage their employees from discussing wages, women are often unaware of a pay discrepancy for months or even years after it begins. The Ledbetter Act, on the other hand, would clarify that an employee may file suit up to 180 days after they are issued their last discriminatory paycheck – a much more reasonable time frame.
Sponsors
House: George Miller (D-CA)
Senate: Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
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