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HR 377 113th Congress House

Paycheck Fairness Act

Official title: 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.

Introduced: January 23, 2013 Introduced by: DeLauro, Rosa L. Democratic · Connecticut See on congress.gov
Labor and Employment Civil actions and liabilityEmployment discrimination and employee rightsGovernment information and archivesGovernment studies and investigations
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Public contracts and procurementRacial and ethnic relationsSex, gender, sexual orientation discriminationSmall businessWages and earningsWomen's employment
This bill died when the 113th Congress ended
It never became law before the 113th Congress (2013–2014) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 23, 2013
Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
Apr 11, 2013
Motion to Discharge Committee filed by Ms. DeLauro. Petition No: 113-1. (Discharge petition text with signatures.)
Jan 23, 2013
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Jan 23, 2013
Introduced in House
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 Latest action April 23, 2013

Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages.

Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience.

States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Makes such defense inapplicable where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice.

Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer.

Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages.

States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent.

Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action.

Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination.

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments.

Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women.

Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women.

Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination.

Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public.

Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner [sic] of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.

 Related & companion bills 2
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 131
D
Clark, Katherine M.
Massachusetts · Dec 12, 2013
MCINTYRE, MIKE
· Apr 24, 2013
Barrow, John
· Apr 18, 2013
D
Doggett, Lloyd
Texas · Apr 18, 2013
Grayson, Alan
· Apr 18, 2013
D
Kelly, Robin L.
Illinois · Apr 18, 2013
D
Ruiz, Raul
California · Apr 17, 2013
D
Sewell, Terri A.
Alabama · Apr 17, 2013
D
Neal, Richard E.
Massachusetts · Apr 15, 2013
D
Cuellar, Henry
Texas · Apr 12, 2013
Vela, Filemon
· Apr 12, 2013
Lipinski, Daniel
· Mar 14, 2013
D
Peters, Scott H.
California · Mar 14, 2013
D
Quigley, Mike
Illinois · Mar 11, 2013
D
Bera, Ami
California · Feb 27, 2013
D
Duckworth, Tammy
Illinois · Feb 27, 2013
D
Horsford, Steven
Nevada · Feb 27, 2013
D
Veasey, Marc A.
Texas · Feb 27, 2013
D
Jeffries, Hakeem S.
New York · Feb 25, 2013
PETERSON, COLLIN
· Feb 25, 2013
D
Bishop, Sanford D.
Georgia · Feb 14, 2013
CROWLEY, JOSEPH
· Feb 14, 2013
D
Markey, Edward J.
Massachusetts · Feb 14, 2013
O'Rourke, Beto
· Feb 14, 2013
D
Thompson, Bennie G.
Mississippi · Feb 14, 2013
D
Vargas, Juan
California · Feb 14, 2013
D
Huffman, Jared
California · Feb 6, 2013
D
Takano, Mark
California · Feb 6, 2013
D
Castro, Joaquin
Texas · Feb 4, 2013
D
Davis, Danny K.
Illinois · Feb 4, 2013
Maffei, Daniel
· Feb 4, 2013
D
Brownley, Julia
California · Feb 1, 2013
D
Foster, Bill
Illinois · Feb 1, 2013
Gabbard, Tulsi
· Feb 1, 2013
Owens, William
· Feb 1, 2013
D
Titus, Dina
Nevada · Feb 1, 2013
ANDREWS, ROBERT
· Jan 23, 2013
D
Beatty, Joyce
Ohio · Jan 23, 2013
BECERRA, XAVIER
· Jan 23, 2013
D
Bonamici, Suzanne
Oregon · Jan 23, 2013
BRADY, ROBERT
· Jan 23, 2013
Braley, Bruce
· Jan 23, 2013
CAPPS, LOIS
· Jan 23, 2013
CAPUANO, MICHAEL
· Jan 23, 2013
D
Carson, André
Indiana · Jan 23, 2013
D
Castor, Kathy
Florida · Jan 23, 2013
D
Chu, Judy
California · Jan 23, 2013
D
Clarke, Yvette D.
New York · Jan 23, 2013
CLAY, WM.
· Jan 23, 2013
D
Cleaver, Emanuel
Missouri · Jan 23, 2013
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 377: Paycheck Fairness Act. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-377/
MLA
"H.R. 377: Paycheck Fairness Act." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-377/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 377, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-377/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 377: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-377/)
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