,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #hge  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #bf1         
#bjae,mrs4 ,fischer introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend the ,fair ,labor      
,standards ,act of #aich to strengthen  
equal pay requirements4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,workplace ,advancement ,act4  #b4      
,findings ,congress makes the following 
findings3 7#a7 ,in #aifc1 ,congress     
passed on a bipartisan basis the ,equal 
,pay ,act of #aifc to prohibit          
discrimination on account of sex in the 
payment of wages for equal work         
performed by employees for employers    
engaged in commerce or in the production
 of goods for commerce4  7#b7 ,following
 the passage of such ,act1 in #aifd1    
,congress passed on a bipartisan basis  
the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifd4  7#c7 
,since the passage of both the ,equal   

,pay ,act of #aifc and the ,civil       
,rights ,act of #aifd1 women have made  
significant strides1 both in the        
workforce and in their educational      
pursuits4  7#d7 ,currently1 according to
 a ,prudential ,research ,study1 #fj    
percent of women are the primary earners
 in their households and the ,bureau of 
,labor ,statistics has found that #dg   
percent of women are members of the     
workforce4  7#e7 ,according to the      
,department of ,education1 women receive
 #eg percent of all college degrees1 a  
#cc percent increase from #aigj4  7#f7  
,women hold the majority of positions in
 the #e fastest growing fields1 and     
women are more likely than men to work  
in professional and related occupations4
  7#g7 ,despite this significant        
progress1 surveys suggest there is a    
concern among ,american women that      
gender-based pay discrimination still   
exists4  7#h7 ,over the last #ae years1 
the ,equal ,employment ,opportunity     
,commission has received on average     

#b1djj complaints annually alleging     
gender-based pay discrimination4 ,this  
represents two to three percent of      
charges filed with the ,commission      
during the same time period4 ,even      
though the ,commission determines that  
no discrimination occurred in a majority
 of these complaints1 the extent to     
which these allegations continue        
underscores there is still progress to  
be made4  7#i7 ,a number of factors     
contribute to differences in total      
compensation1 including variations in   
occupation1 education1 hours worked1    
institutional knowledge1 and other      
business reasons and personal choices   
that shape career paths and earning     
potential4  #c4 ,prohibition on wage    
discrimination ,pursuant to ,federal law
 in effect on the date of enactment of  
this ,act3 7#a7 ,in general ,no employer
 shall discriminate1 within any         
establishment in which employees are    
employed by the employer1 between       
employees on the basis of sex by paying 

wages to employees in such establishment
 at a rate less than the rate at which  
the employer pays wages to employees of 
the opposite sex in such establishment  
for equal work on jobs the performance  
of which requires equal skill1 effort1  
and responsibility1 and which are       
performed under similar working         
conditions1 except where such payment is
 made pursuant to--  7,a7 a seniority   
system2  7,b7 a merit system2  7,c7 a   
system which measures earnings by       
quantity or quality of production2 or   
7,d7 a differential based on any other  
factor other than sex4  7#b7 ,limitation
 ,an employer who is paying a wage rate 
differential in violation of this       
section shall not1 in order to comply   
with the provisions of this section1    
reduce the wage rate of any employee4   
7#c7 ,notice ,every employer1 employment
 agency1 and labor organization1 as the 
case may be1 shall post and keep posted 
in conspicuous places upon its premises 
where notices to employees1 applicants  

for employment1 and members are         
customarily posted1 a notice to be      
prepared or approved by the ,equal      
,employment ,opportunity ,commission    
that sets forth excerpts from1 or       
summaries of1 the pertinent provisions  
of this ,act 7including the amendments  
made by this ,act7 and of title ,,vii of
 the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifd 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #bjjj;e et seq471 and         
information pertinent to the filing of a
 complaint4  #d4 ,enhanced enforcement  
of ,equal ,pay ,act requirements        
,section #ae7;a7 of the ,fair ,labor    
,standards ,act of #aich 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 
#bae7;a77 is amended--  7#a7 in         
paragraph 7#e71 by striking the period  
and inserting 2 or2 and  7#b7 by adding 
at the end the following3  7#f7 to      
discharge or in any other manner        
retaliate against any employee because  
such employee has inquired about1       
discussed1 or disclosed comparative     
compensation information for the purpose
 of determining whether the employer is 

compensating an employee in a manner    
that provides equal pay for equal work1 
except that this paragraph 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 job functions discloses the  
wages of such other employees to an     
individual who does not otherwise have  
access to such information1 unless such 
disclosure is in response to a charge or
 complaint or in furtherance of an      
investigation1 proceeding1 hearing1 or  
action under section #f7;d71 including  
an investigation conducted by the       
employee4  ,nothing in paragraph 7#f7   
shall be construed to limit the rights  
of an employee provided under any other 
provision of law4 4