Senate Bill No. 205, introduced by Senator Carter, aims to enhance employment practices related to wage history, wage disclosure, and retaliation in Louisiana. The bill prohibits employers from inquiring about or relying on an applicant's wage history during the hiring process. Specifically, it makes it unlawful for employers to screen applicants based on their current or prior wages, to use wage history in determining salary or benefits, and to retaliate against applicants who refuse to disclose their wage history. Additionally, the bill protects employees from discrimination or retaliation for discussing their wages or the wages of others, with certain exceptions for employees who have access to wage information as part of their job functions.

The bill amends existing law to clarify that it is unlawful for employers to interfere with employees' rights regarding wage discussions and disclosures. It retains the current protections against discrimination and retaliation while adding a provision that these protections do not apply if an employee discloses wage information to unauthorized individuals, unless required by law. The proposed changes are set to take effect on August 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
SB205 Original: 23:664(D)