Pay Equity Laws
What is pay equity?
Pay equity is a means of eliminating gender and ethnic discrimination in the wage-setting system. In this context, the criteria which employers use to determine wages must be gender- and ethnicity-neutral.
What is pay equity legislation?
The overarching purpose of pay equity legislation is to prohibit employers from discriminating on the basis of gender or ethnicity in the payment of wages. To assist candidates and clients alike throughout the hiring process, we’ve compiled relevant information associated with pay equity legislation enacted around the United States. This webpage includes updated information, including:
- Bill names
- Effective start dates
- Violations and penalties
- Exceptions related to voluntary disclosure and interview guidelines
If a state or territory is not included in the dropdown below, there is no pending legislation.
*This is not intended to be legal advice.
Location
Statewide
Bill
House Bill 1696; House Bill 1905
Effective
7/28/2019; 7/1/2025
Violations
Employers may not rely seek compensation history; require compensation history meet certain criteria. For employers with 15+ employees: fail to provide minimum salary after initial offer upon request of applicant; fail to provide compensation range after transfer offer upon request of employee, or minimum salary if no range exists.
Penalties
Actual damages; statutory damages equal to actual damages or $5000, whichever greater; interest; costs; other relief; reinstatement. Civil penalty up to $500 for first violation; up to $1000 or 10% of damages, whichever greater, for repeat.
Voluntary Disclosure
Employer may confirm compensation history if voluntarily disclosed.
Interview Guidelines
(not addressed)