H.R.7: Paycheck Fairness Act

The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7) would address wage discrimination on the basis of sex by amending equal pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to (1) restrict the use of the bona fide factor defense to wage discrimination claims, (2) enhance nonretaliation prohibitions, (3) make it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee’s wages, and (4) increase civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions.

The bill would also direct the Department of Labor to establish and carry out a grant program for negotiation skills training programs to address pay disparities, including through outreach to women and girls, conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women; and make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination.

Additionally, the bill would require the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (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.

S.270 is the Senate companion bill.