United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 45 D · 2 I cosponsors

S 1115 — Paycheck Fairness Act

Last action — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 25, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 47 sponsors

    1 primary, 46 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (45 D · 2 I) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

Sections of law this bill changes

6 sections in 2 laws

From the bill's own amending language, matched to the official United States Code (current through Public Law 119-121).

Fair labor standards · 29 U.S.C. ch. 8 4 sections Amends the act as a whole 1 repealed
  • § 206 Minimum wage Amends

    29 U.S.C. § 206 — at 206(d)(1)

    The law today

    (a) Employees engaged in commerce; home workers in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands; employees in American Samoa; seamen on American vessels; agricultural employees Every employer shall pay to each of his employees who in any workweek is engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, or is employed in an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, wages at the following rates: (1) except as otherwise provided in this section, not less than— (A) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after May 25, 2007; (B) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (C) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day; (2) if such employee is a home worker in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands, not less than the minimum piece rate prescribed by regulation or order; or, if no such minimum piece rate is in effect, any piece rate adopted by such employer which shall yield, to the proportion or class of employees prescribed by regulation or order, not less than the applicable minimum hourly wage rate. Such minimum piece rates or employer piece rates shall be commensurate with, and shall be paid in lieu of, the minimum hourly wage rate applicable under the provisions of this section. The Administrator, or his authorized representative, shall have power to make such regulations or orders as are necessary or appropriate to carry out any of the provisions of this paragraph, including the power without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to define any operation or occupation which is performed by such home work employees in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands; to establish minimum piece rates for any operation or occupation so defined; to prescribe the method and procedure for ascertaining and promulgating minimum piece rates; to prescribe standards for employer piece rates, including the proportion or class of employees who shall receive not less than the minimum hourly wage rate; to define the term “home worker”; and to prescribe the conditions under which employers, agents, contractors, and subcontractors shall cause goods to be produced by home workers; (3) if such employee is employed as a seaman on an American vessel, not less than the rate which will provide to the employee, for the period covered by the wage payment, wages equal to compensation at the hourly rate prescribed by paragraph (1) of this subsection for all hours during such period when he was actually on duty (including periods aboard ship when the employee was on watch or was, at the direction of a superior officer, performing work or standing by, but not including off-duty periods which are provided pursuant to the employment agreement); or (4) if such employee is employed in agriculture, not less than the minimum wage rate in effect under paragraph (1) after December 31, 1977. (b) Additional applicability to employees pursuant to subsequent amendatory provisions Every employer shall pay to each of his employees (other than an employee to whom subsection (a)(5) 1 applies) who in any workweek is engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, or is employed in an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, and who in such workweek is brought within the purview of this section by the amendments made to this chapter by the Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1966, title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 [20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.], or the Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1974, wages at the following rate: Effective after December 31, 1977, not less than the minimum wage rate in effect under subsection (a)(1). (c) Repealed. Pub. L. 104–188, [title II], § 2104(c), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1929 (d) Prohibition of sex discrimination (1) No employer having employees subject to any provisions of this section shall discriminate, within any establishment in which such employees are employed, between employees on the basis of sex by paying wages to employees in such est...

    85 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

  • § 210 Court review of wage orders in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Repeals

    29 U.S.C. § 210

    The law today

    (a) Any person aggrieved by an order of the Secretary issued under section 208 1 of this title may obtain a review of such order in the United States Court of Appeals for any circuit wherein such person resides or has his principal place of business, or in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, by filing in such court, within 60 days after the entry of such order a written petition praying that the order of the Secretary be modified or set aside in whole or in part. A copy of such petition shall forthwith be transmitted by the clerk of the court to the Secretary, and thereupon the Secretary shall file in the court the record of the industry committee upon which the order complained of was entered, as provided in section 2112 of title 28. Upon the filing of such petition such court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to affirm, modify (including provision for the payment of an appropriate minimum wage rate), or set aside such order in whole or in part, so far as it is applicable to the petitioner. The review by the court shall be limited to questions of law, and findings of fact by such industry committee when supported by substantial evidence shall be conclusive. No objection to the order of the Secretary shall be considered by the court unless such objection shall have been urged before such industry committee or unless there were reasonable grounds for failure so to do. If application is made to the court for leave to adduce additional evidence, and it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that such additional evidence may materially affect the result of the proceeding and that there were reasonable grounds for failure to adduce such evidence in the proceedings before such industry committee, the court may order such additional evidence to be taken before an industry committee and to be adduced upon the hearing in such manner and upon such terms and conditions as to the court may seem proper. Such industry committee may modify the initial findings by reason of the additional evidence so taken, and shall file with the court such modified or new findings which if supported by substantial evidence shall be conclusive, and shall also file its recommendation, if any, for the modification or setting aside of the original order. The judgment and decree of the court shall be final, subject to review by the Supreme Court of the United States upon certiorari or certification as provided in section 1254 of title 28. (b) The commencement of proceedings under subsection (a) shall not, unless specifically ordered by the court, operate as a stay of the Administrator’s order. The court shall not grant any stay of the order unless the person complaining of such order shall file in court an undertaking with a surety or sureties satisfactory to the court for the payment to the employees affected by the order, in the event such order is affirmed, of the amount by which the compensation such employees are entitled to receive under the order exceeds the compensation they actually receive while such stay is in effect.

    22 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

  • § 215 Prohibited acts; prima facie evidence Amends

    29 U.S.C. § 215

    The law today

    (a) After the expiration of one hundred and twenty days from June 25, 1938, it shall be unlawful for any person— (1) to transport, offer for transportation, ship, deliver, or sell in commerce, or to ship, deliver, or sell with knowledge that shipment or delivery or sale thereof in commerce is intended, any goods in the production of which any employee was employed in violation of section 206 or section 207 of this title, or in violation of any regulation or order of the Secretary issued under section 214 of this title; except that no provision of this chapter shall impose any liability upon any common carrier for the transportation in commerce in the regular course of its business of any goods not produced by such common carrier, and no provision of this chapter shall excuse any common carrier from its obligation to accept any goods for transportation; and except that any such transportation, offer, shipment, delivery, or sale of such goods by a purchaser who acquired them in good faith in reliance on written assurance from the producer that the goods were produced in compliance with the requirements of this chapter, and who acquired such goods for value without notice of any such violation, shall not be deemed unlawful; (2) to violate any of the provisions of section 206 or section 207 of this title, or any of the provisions of any regulation or order of the Secretary issued under section 214 of this title; (3) to discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any employee because such employee has filed any complaint or instituted or caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to this chapter, or has testified or is about to testify in any such proceeding, or has served or is about to serve on an industry committee; (4) to violate any of the provisions of section 212 of this title; (5) to violate any of the provisions of section 211(c) of this title, or any regulation or order made or continued in effect under the provisions of section 211(d) of this title, or to make any statement, report, or record filed or kept pursuant to the provisions of such section or of any regulation or order thereunder, knowing such statement, report, or record to be false in a material respect; and (6) to violate any of the provisions of section 218d of this title. (b) For the purposes of subsection (a)(1) proof that any employee was employed in any place of employment where goods shipped or sold in commerce were produced, within ninety days prior to the removal of the goods from such place of employment, shall be prima facie evidence that such employee was engaged in the production of such goods.

    54 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

  • § 216 Penalties Amends

    29 U.S.C. § 216 — at 216(b) and 216(c)

    The law today

    (a) Fines and imprisonment Any person who willfully violates any of the provisions of section 215 of this title shall upon conviction thereof be subject to a fine of not more than $10,000, or to imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. No person shall be imprisoned under this subsection except for an offense committed after the conviction of such person for a prior offense under this subsection. (b) Damages; right of action; attorney’s fees and costs; termination of right of action Any employer who violates the provisions of section 206 or section 207 of this title shall be liable to the employee or employees affected in the amount of their unpaid minimum wages, or their unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, and in an additional equal amount as liquidated damages. Any employer who violates the provisions of section 215(a)(3) or 218d of this title shall be liable for such legal or equitable relief as may be appropriate to effectuate the purposes of section 215(a)(3) or 218d of this title, including without limitation employment, reinstatement, promotion, and the payment of wages lost and an additional equal amount as liquidated damages. Any employer who violates section 203(m)(2)(B) of this title shall be liable to the employee or employees affected in the amount of the sum of any tip credit taken by the employer and all such tips unlawfully kept by the employer, and in an additional equal amount as liquidated damages. An action to recover the liability prescribed in the preceding sentences may be maintained against any employer (including a public agency) in any Federal or State court of competent jurisdiction by any one or more employees for and in behalf of himself or themselves and other employees similarly situated. No employee shall be a party plaintiff to any such action unless he gives his consent in writing to become such a party and such consent is filed in the court in which such action is brought. The court in such action shall, in addition to any judgment awarded to the plaintiff or plaintiffs, allow a reasonable attorney’s fee to be paid by the defendant, and costs of the action. The right provided by this subsection to bring an action by or on behalf of any employee, and the right of any employee to become a party plaintiff to any such action, shall terminate upon the filing of a complaint by the Secretary of Labor in an action under section 217 of this title in which (1) restraint is sought of any further delay in the payment of unpaid minimum wages, or the amount of unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, owing to such employee under section 206 or section 207 of this title by an employer liable therefor under the provisions of this subsection or (2) legal or equitable relief is sought as a result of alleged violations of section 215(a)(3) or 218d of this title. (c) Payment of wages and compensation; waiver of claims; actions by the Secretary; limitation of actions The Secretary is authorized to supervise the payment of the unpaid minimum wages or the unpaid overtime compensation owing to any employee or employees under section 206 or section 207 of this title, and the agreement of any employee to accept such payment shall upon payment in full constitute a waiver by such employee of any right he may have under subsection (b) of this section to such unpaid minimum wages or unpaid overtime compensation and an additional equal amount as liquidated damages. The Secretary may bring an action in any court of competent jurisdiction to recover the amount of unpaid minimum wages or overtime compensation and an equal amount as liquidated damages. The right provided by subsection (b) to bring an action by or on behalf of any employee to recover the liability specified in the first sentence of such subsection and of any employee to become a party plaintiff to any such action shall terminate upon the filing of a complaint by the Secretary in an action under this subsection in which a reco...

    109 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

Civil rights · 42 U.S.C. ch. 21 1 section
  • § 2000e-8 Investigations Amends

    42 U.S.C. § 2000e-8

    The law today

    (a) Examination and copying of evidence related to unlawful employment practices In connection with any investigation of a charge filed under section 2000e–5 of this title, the Commission or its designated representative shall at all reasonable times have access to, for the purposes of examination, and the right to copy any evidence of any person being investigated or proceeded against that relates to unlawful employment practices covered by this subchapter and is relevant to the charge under investigation. (b) Cooperation with State and local agencies administering State fair employment practices laws; participation in and contribution to research and other projects; utilization of services; payment in advance or reimbursement; agreements and rescission of agreements The Commission may cooperate with State and local agencies charged with the administration of State fair employment practices laws and, with the consent of such agencies, may, for the purpose of carrying out its functions and duties under this subchapter and within the limitation of funds appropriated specifically for such purpose, engage in and contribute to the cost of research and other projects of mutual interest undertaken by such agencies, and utilize the services of such agencies and their employees, and, notwithstanding any other provision of law, pay by advance or reimbursement such agencies and their employees for services rendered to assist the Commission in carrying out this subchapter. In furtherance of such cooperative efforts, the Commission may enter into written agreements with such State or local agencies and such agreements may include provisions under which the Commission shall refrain from processing a charge in any cases or class of cases specified in such agreements or under which the Commission shall relieve any person or class of persons in such State or locality from requirements imposed under this section. The Commission shall rescind any such agreement whenever it determines that the agreement no longer serves the interest of effective enforcement of this subchapter. (c) Execution, retention, and preservation of records; reports to Commission; training program records; appropriate relief from regulation or order for undue hardship; procedure for exemption; judicial action to compel compliance Every employer, employment agency, and labor organization subject to this subchapter shall (1) make and keep such records relevant to the determinations of whether unlawful employment practices have been or are being committed, (2) preserve such records for such periods, and (3) make such reports therefrom as the Commission shall prescribe by regulation or order, after public hearing, as reasonable, necessary, or appropriate for the enforcement of this subchapter or the regulations or orders thereunder. The Commission shall, by regulation, require each employer, labor organization, and joint labor-management committee subject to this subchapter which controls an apprenticeship or other training program to maintain such records as are reasonably necessary to carry out the purposes of this subchapter, including, but not limited to, a list of applicants who wish to participate in such program, including the chronological order in which applications were received, and to furnish to the Commission upon request, a detailed description of the manner in which persons are selected to participate in the apprenticeship or other training program. Any employer, employment agency, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee which believes that the application to it of any regulation or order issued under this section would result in undue hardship may apply to the Commission for an exemption from the application of such regulation or order, and, if such application for an exemption is denied, bring a civil action in the United States district court for the district where such records are kept. If the Commission or the court, as the case may be, f...

    12 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

Also cites: 29 U.S.C. § 203, 29 U.S.C. § 207

How this bill changes current law

10 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill enhances the Fair Labor Standards Act by providing stricter provisions against wage discrimination based on sex, expanding employee protections and remedies.

  • 29 U.S.C. 206(d)(1)

    No employer having → (A) No employer having

    Changes initial wording to introduce a subparagraph structure.

  • 29 U.S.C. 206(d)(1)

    any other factor other than sex → a bona fide factor other than sex, such as education, training, or experience

    Refines the defense against pay discrimination to require justifiable factors for pay differentials.

  • 29 U.S.C. 206(d)(1)

    (B) The bona fide factor defense described in subparagraph (A)(iv) shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor (i) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation; (ii) is job-related with respect to the position in question; (iii) is consistent with business necessity; and (iv) accounts for the entire differential in compensation at issue. Such defense shall not apply 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.

    Establishes strict criteria for employers to justify pay differences based on non-sex factors.

  • 29 U.S.C. 206(d)(1)

    (C) For purposes of subparagraph (A), employees shall be deemed to work in the same establishment if the employees work for the same employer at workplaces located in the same county or similar political subdivision of a State. The preceding sentence shall not be construed as limiting broader applications of the term `establishment' consistent with rules prescribed or guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

    Clarifies the definition of establishment to facilitate sex discrimination claims.

  • 29 U.S.C. 215(a)(3)

    employee has filed → employee-- (A) has made a charge or filed any complaint or instituted or caused to be instituted any investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action under or related to this Act, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or has testified or is planning to testify or has assisted or participated in any manner in any such investigation, proceeding, hearing or action, or has served or is planning to serve on an industry committee; or (B) has inquired about, discussed, or disclosed the wages of the employee or another employee (such as by inquiring or discussing with the employer why the wages of the employee involved are set at a certain rate or salary);

    Broadens the protections against retaliation for employees discussing wages or participating in wage discrimination investigations.

  • 29 U.S.C. 215(a)(7)

    to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver that would prohibit the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages.

    Prohibits employers from compelling employees to sign contracts that restrict disclosure of wage information.

  • 29 U.S.C. 216(b)

    the preceding sentences → any of the preceding sentences of this subsection

    Clarifies that all preceding sentences regarding liability apply uniformly.

  • 29 U.S.C. 216(b)

    No employees shall → Except with respect to class actions brought to enforce section 6(d), no employee

    Makes provisions for class actions in cases of wage discrimination.

  • 29 U.S.C. 216(b)

    Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal law, any action brought to enforce section 6(d) may be maintained as a class action as provided by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

    Explicitly allows for class actions in enforcing rights related to pay discrimination.

  • 29 U.S.C. 215(c)

    the first sentence → or, in the case of a violation of section 6(d), additional compensatory or punitive damages, as described in subsection (b),

    Introduces the possibility of compensatory and punitive damages for violations specific to wage discrimination.

Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 46 co-sponsors · 500 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (46)

Not signed on (500)

500 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

civil-rights labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors S 1115?
S 1115 is sponsored by Murray, Patty (Democratic), Sanders, Bernard (Independent), Alsobrooks, Angela D. (Democratic), Baldwin, Tammy (Democratic), Bennet, Michael F. (Democratic), Blumenthal, Richard (Democratic), Blunt Rochester, Lisa (Democratic), Booker, Cory A. (Democratic), Cantwell, Maria (Democratic), Coons, Christopher A. (Democratic), Cortez Masto, Catherine (Democratic), Duckworth, Tammy (Democratic), Durbin, Richard J. (Democratic), Fetterman, John (Democratic), Gallego, Ruben (Democratic), Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (Democratic), Hassan, Margaret Wood (Democratic), Heinrich, Martin (Democratic), Hickenlooper, John W. (Democratic), Hirono, Mazie K. (Democratic), Kaine, Tim (Democratic), Kelly, Mark (Democratic), Kim, Andy (Democratic), King, Angus S., Jr. (Independent), Klobuchar, Amy (Democratic), Luján, Ben Ray (Democratic), Markey, Edward J. (Democratic), Merkley, Jeff (Democratic), Murphy, Christopher (Democratic), Ossoff, Jon (Democratic), Padilla, Alex (Democratic), Peters, Gary C. (Democratic), Reed, Jack (Democratic), Rosen, Jacky (Democratic), Schatz, Brian (Democratic), Schiff, Adam B. (Democratic), Schumer, Charles E. (Democratic), Shaheen, Jeanne (Democratic), Slotkin, Elissa (Democratic), Smith, Tina (Democratic), Van Hollen, Chris (Democratic), Warner, Mark R. (Democratic), Warnock, Raphael G. (Democratic), Warren, Elizabeth (Democratic), Welch, Peter (Democratic), Whitehouse, Sheldon (Democratic), and Wyden, Ron (Democratic).
What is the current status of S 1115?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 25, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 1115?
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