Introduction of the Salary Transparency Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Salary Transparency Act, which would require employers to provide the salary range for jobs in advertisements and interviews and to existing employees.

Several states have enacted laws relating to salary range disclosure, and the federal government should follow their lead and make this a nationwide requirement. Salary transparency is an important tool to combat the gender and race wage gap. Salary secrecy facilitates both intentional and unintentional pay discrimination and perpetuates the wage gap.

Studies have consistently shown that when women negotiate for their salaries, they negotiate for less than similarly situated men. Frequently, this is because the salary they request is a certain percentage higher than their current salary. Because women on average make less than men, this practice perpetuates the wage gap. The same is true for people of color, who earn less on average than their White counterparts. Requiring employers to disclose the salary range for a position will help eliminate this harmful portion of the negotiation and lead to a reduction in the wage gap for women and minorities.

This is the third pay equity bill I have introduced this Congress. My Pay Equity for All Act, which passed the House last year as part of the Paycheck Fairness Act, would prohibit employers from asking job applicants about their salary history, and my Fair Pay Act would require that men and women doing comparable work be paid comparable wages.

I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

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