Connecticut Seal

General Assembly

 

Committee Bill No. 5591

January Session, 2017

 

LCO No. 4497

 

*04497HB05591LAB*

Referred to Committee on LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES

 

Introduced by:

 

(LAB)

 

AN ACT CONCERNING PAY EQUITY IN THE WORKFORCE.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 31-75 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):

(a) No employer shall discriminate in the amount of compensation paid to any employee on the basis of sex. Any difference in pay based on sex shall be deemed a discrimination within the meaning of this section.

(b) If an employee can demonstrate that his or her employer discriminates on the basis of sex by paying wages to employees at the employer's business at a rate less than the rate at which the employer pays wages to employees of the opposite sex at such business for equal work on a job, the performance of which requires equal skill, effort and responsibility, and which are performed under [similar] comparable working conditions, such employer must demonstrate that such differential in pay is made pursuant to (1) a seniority system; (2) a merit system; (3) a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; or (4) a differential system based upon a bona fide factor other than sex, such as education, training or experience. Said bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor (A) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, and (B) is job-related and consistent with business necessity. Such defense shall not exist where the employee demonstrates that an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential and that the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice.

(c) No employer shall discharge, expel or otherwise discriminate against any person because such person has opposed any discriminatory compensation practice or because such person has filed a complaint or testified or assisted in any proceeding pursuant to section 31-76.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

Section 1

October 1, 2017

31-75

Statement of Purpose:

To help ensure pay equity in the workforce by requiring employers to provide equal pay to employees in the same workplace.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]

Co-Sponsors:

REP. ARESIMOWICZ, 30th Dist.; REP. RITTER M., 1st Dist.

REP. DILLON, 92nd Dist.; REP. GODFREY, 110th Dist.

REP. SERRA, 33rd Dist.; REP. ORANGE, 48th Dist.

REP. URBAN, 43rd Dist.; REP. BERGER, 73rd Dist.

REP. WALKER, 93rd Dist.; REP. GENTILE, 104th Dist.

REP. HENNESSY, 127th Dist.; REP. GENGA, 10th Dist.

REP. MORIN, 28th Dist.; REP. MORRIS, 140th Dist.

REP. JOHNSON, 49th Dist.; REP. LESSER, 100th Dist.

REP. SANTIAGO, 130th Dist.; REP. SANTIAGO, 84th Dist.

REP. BARAM, 15th Dist.; REP. ROVERO, 51st Dist.

REP. HADDAD, 54th Dist.; REP. LEMAR, 96th Dist.

REP. ROSE, 118th Dist.; REP. ALBIS, 99th Dist.

REP. STALLWORTH, 126th Dist.; REP. ARCE, 4th Dist.

REP. VARGAS, 6th Dist.; REP. D'AGOSTINO, 91st Dist.

REP. ARCONTI, 109th Dist.; REP. SCANLON, 98th Dist.

REP. MCCARTHY VAHEY, 133rd Dist.; REP. ADAMS, 146th Dist.

REP. STAFSTROM, 129th Dist.; REP. GRESKO, 121st Dist.

REP. REYES, 75th Dist.; REP. SLAP, 19th Dist.

REP. WINKLER, 56th Dist.; REP. ZIOGAS, 79th Dist.

REP. ELLIOTT, 88th Dist.; REP. MUSHINSKY, 85th Dist.

REP. RYAN, 139th Dist.; REP. ABERCROMBIE, 83rd Dist.

REP. RILEY, 46th Dist.; REP. LINEHAN, 103rd Dist.

REP. DIMASSA, 116th Dist.; REP. ROSARIO, 128th Dist.

REP. MCGEE, 5th Dist.; REP. CURREY, 11th Dist.

REP. GONZALEZ, 3rd Dist.; REP. MILLER P., 145th Dist.

REP. TERCYAK, 26th Dist.; REP. SOTO, 39th Dist.

SEN. MOORE, 22nd Dist.

H.B. 5591