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S 2199 113th Congress Senate

Paycheck Fairness Act

Official title: A bill 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: April 7, 2014 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 19 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 15, 2014
Cloture on the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 - 40. Record Vote Number: 262. (consideration: CR S5579-5580; text: CR H5579)
Sep 11, 2014
Cloture motion on the bill presented in Senate. (consideration: CR S5530; text: CR S5530)
Sep 11, 2014
Motion by Senator Reid to commit to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions with instructions to report back forthwith with amendment SA 3802 made in Senate. (consideration: CR S5530)
Sep 11, 2014
Measure laid before Senate by motion. (consideration: CR S5530)
Sep 11, 2014
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S5530)
Sep 11, 2014
Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S5524, S5528-5529-5530)
Sep 10, 2014
Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S5487-5488, S5495-5497)
Sep 10, 2014
Upon reconsideration, cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 73 - 25. Record Vote Number: 260. (consideration: CR S5487-5488; text: CR S5488)
Sep 10, 2014
Motion by Senator Reid to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to the measure (Record Vote No. 103) agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S5487)
Sep 10, 2014
Motion to proceed to consideration of the motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to the measure (Record Vote No. 103) agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S5487-5488)
Apr 9, 2014
Motion by Senator Reid to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to the measure (Record Vote No. 103) entered in Senate. (consideration: CR S2299)
Apr 9, 2014
Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 44. Record Vote Number: 103. (consideration: CR S2299; text: CR S2299)
Apr 9, 2014
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (consideration: CR S2293-2299, S2299-2300, S2305-2307, S2316-2317, S2318)
Apr 8, 2014
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (consideration: CR S2203, S2203-2204, S2205, S2206-2207, S2208-2210, S2210-2223, S2227)
Apr 7, 2014
Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (consideration: CR S2179; text: CR S2179)
Apr 7, 2014
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (consideration: CR S2179-2180, S2181-2184)
Apr 2, 2014
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 345.
Apr 1, 2014
Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
Apr 1, 2014
Introduced in Senate
 Amendments to this bill 16

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

AmendmentSponsorPurposeStatusLatest action
SAMDT 3,804 – Of a perfecting nature. Pending Sep 11, 2014
SAMDT 3,803 – Of a perfecting nature. Pending Sep 11, 2014
SAMDT 3,802 – Of a perfecting nature. Pending Sep 11, 2014
SAMDT 3,801 – Of a perfecting nature. Pending Sep 11, 2014
SAMDT 3,800 – Of a perfecting nature. Pending Sep 11, 2014
SAMDT 3,808 – – Pending –
SAMDT 3,806 – – Pending –
SAMDT 3,805 McConnell, Mitch – Pending –
SAMDT 3,799 – – Pending –
SAMDT 2,968 – – Pending –
SAMDT 2,967 – – Pending –
SAMDT 2,966 Lee, Mike – Pending –
SAMDT 2,965 – – Pending –
SAMDT 2,964 Thune, John – Pending –
SAMDT 2,963 Fischer, Deb – Pending –
SAMDT 2,962 McConnell, Mitch – Pending –
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 Latest action September 15, 2014

Cloture on the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 - 40. Record Vote Number: 262. (consideration: CR S5579-5580; text: CR H5579)

 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 3
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 2199: Paycheck Fairness Act. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-2199/
MLA
"S. 2199: Paycheck Fairness Act." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-2199/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 2199, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-2199/.
Markdown link
[S. 2199: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-2199/)
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