H.R. 7 · 117th Congress

Paycheck Fairness Act

Introduced on Jan 28, 2021 by Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-3). 225 cosponsors, 3 of them from another party. Latest action (Jun 8, 2021): Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 50. Record Vote Number: 227. (CR S3981)

Stage
Passed one chamber
Introduced
Jan 28, 2021
Cosponsors
225
3 from the other party
Policy area
Labor and Employment
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Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. 4Passed both chambers
  5. 5Sent to the President
  6. 6Became law

Official title

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Administrative law and regulatory procedures
  • Business records
  • Civil actions and liability
  • Congressional oversight
  • Contracts and agency
  • Department of Education
  • Department of Labor
  • Employee hiring
  • Employment and training programs
  • Employment discrimination and employee rights
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
  • Government information and archives
  • Government studies and investigations
  • Labor standards
  • Minority employment
  • Public contracts and procurement
  • Racial and ethnic relations
  • Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
  • Small business
  • Temporary and part-time employment
  • Wages and earnings
  • Women's employment
  • Youth employment and child labor

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Passed House, Apr 15, 2021). Public domain.

Paycheck Fairness Act

This bill addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex, which is defined to include pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.

Specifically, it limits an employer's defense that a pay differential is based on a factor other than sex to only bona fide job-related factors in wage discrimination claims, enhances nonretaliation prohibitions, and makes it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages. The bill also increases civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions.

Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs must train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination. The bill directs the Department of Labor to (1) establish and carry out a grant program to provide training in negotiation skills related to compensation and equitable working conditions, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The bill establishes the National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. It also establishes the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to address compliance, public education, and enforcement of equal pay laws. Finally, the bill requires the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Rosa L. DeLauroD-CT-3Sponsor

Democrats · 222

Republicans · 3

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

  1. On Agreeing to the Amendment
    Apr 15, 2021· House· Amendments· Agreed to 216–207
  2. On Agreeing to the Amendment
    Apr 15, 2021· House· Amendments· Failed 183–244
  3. On Passage
    Apr 15, 2021· House· Passage· Passed 217–210
  4. On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed
    Jun 8, 2021· Senate· Cloture· Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected 49–50

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Jan 28, 2021Introduced in House
  2. Jan 28, 2021Introduced in House
  3. Jan 28, 2021 · HouseReferred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
  4. Mar 24, 2021 · HouseCommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  5. Mar 24, 2021 · HouseOrdered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 22.
  6. Apr 5, 2021Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Labor. H. Rept. 117-13.
  7. Apr 5, 2021 · HouseReported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Labor. H. Rept. 117-13.
  8. Apr 5, 2021 · HousePlaced on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 2.
  9. Apr 13, 2021 · HouseRules Committee Resolution H. Res. 303 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7 and H.R. 1195. Rule provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 7 and provides one motion to recommit. Rule also provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 1195 and provides one motion to recommit.
  10. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseConsidered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 303. (consideration: CR H1799-1825)
  11. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseRule provides for consideration of H.R. 7 and H.R. 1195. Rule provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 7 and provides one motion to recommit. Rule also provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 1195 and provides one motion to recommit.
  12. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 7.
  13. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseDEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 303, the House proceeded with 20 minutes of debate on the Scott (VA) amendment en bloc No. 1.
  14. Apr 15, 2021 · HousePOSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Scott (VA) amendment en bloc No. 1, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Ms. Foxx demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
  15. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseDEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 303, the House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Miller-Meeks amendment No. 4.
  16. Apr 15, 2021 · HousePOSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Miller-Meeks amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Ms. Foxx demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
  17. Apr 15, 2021 · HousePOSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - Pursuant to clause 1(c) of Rule XIX, further consideration of H.R. 7 was postponed until a time to be announced.
  18. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H1826-1829)
  19. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table. Agreed to without objection.
  20. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table. Agreed to without objection.
  21. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseThe previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  22. Apr 15, 2021Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 217 - 210 (Roll no. 108).House · Roll call 108
  23. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseOn passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 217 - 210 (Roll no. 108).House · Roll call 108
  24. Apr 15, 2021 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  25. Apr 19, 2021 · SenateReceived in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
  26. Apr 20, 2021 · SenateRead the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 46.
  27. May 28, 2021 · SenateMotion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (CR S3928)
  28. May 28, 2021 · SenateCloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (CR S3928)
  29. Jun 8, 2021 · SenateCloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 50. Record Vote Number: 227. (CR S3981)Senate · Roll call 227

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Who lobbied on it

Organizations whose lobbying reports (LD-2) name this measure. Spending is what they reported for those quarters on all issues, not on this measure alone.

  1. AFL-CIO2 reports
    $1.1M reported (all issues)Federal contractor: AFL-CIO WORKING FOR AMERICA INSTITUTE, INC. (THE)AI match · 92%

Reports filed in 2024.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.
  • Money and votes are shown side by side; neither explains the other.