[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 131 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 131
Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages
paid to Latina women in comparison to White, non-Hispanic men.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 25, 2024
Ms. Leger Fernandez (for herself, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Castro of Texas,
Ms. Salinas, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms. Caraveo, Mr. Doggett, Ms.
Sanchez, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr.
Costa, Ms. Escobar, Ms. Norton, Ms. Porter, Ms. Bonamici, Mr.
Espaillat, Ms. Chu, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Ruiz,
Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Carson, Mr. Gomez, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Adams, Mr.
Cardenas, Mr. Correa, and Mr. Gottheimer) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education
and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages
paid to Latina women in comparison to White, non-Hispanic men.
Whereas October 3, 2024, is designated as ``Latina Equal Pay Day'' to observe
the pay gap between Latina women and White, non-Hispanic men;
Whereas, as of 2024, there are 13,907,000 Hispanic women in the labor force,
representing slightly more than 17 percent of all women in the labor
force;
Whereas section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d))
(commonly known as the ``Equal Pay Act of 1963'') prohibits
discrimination in wages on the basis of sex for equal work;
Whereas title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.)
prohibits discrimination in compensation because of race, color,
religion, national origin, or sex;
Whereas, despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (Public Law 88-38; 77
Stat. 56) more than 6 decades ago, which established that employers
shall not discriminate in wages on the basis of sex, but shall provide
equal pay for equal work, Bureau of the Census data show that Latina
women working full-time and year-round are paid 58 cents for every
dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men, while the average wage
differential for all Latina women with reported earnings working full-
time, part-time, and part-year is 51 cents for every dollar paid to
White, non-Hispanic men;
Whereas an analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families of data
from the Bureau of the Census shows that disabled Latina women are paid
44 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic, nondisabled men;
Whereas the National Women's Law Center has calculated that, on average, Latina
women lose over $1,200,000 in potential earnings over a 40-year career
to the wage gap;
Whereas, at the rate observed in 2023, Latina women will not reach equal pay
with White non-Hispanic men for 182 years after the date of enactment of
this resolution;
Whereas, in 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of the Census
reported the median annual pay for all Latina women in the United States
working full-time, part-time, and part-year was $32,410, compared to the
median annual pay of $63,210 for White, non-Hispanic men;
Whereas lost wages mean Latina women have less money to support themselves and
their families, save and invest for the future, and spend on goods and
services;
Whereas, approximately 51 percent of Latina women are unable to earn sick days
through their jobs;
Whereas the lack of access to affordable, quality child care, paid family and
medical leave, and other family-friendly workplace policies forces many
Latina women to choose between their paycheck or job and getting quality
care for themselves or their family members, a dynamic that contributes
to the wage gap;
Whereas, if the annual wage gap were eliminated, on average, a Latina woman
working full-time and year-round would have enough money to pay for
nearly 3 years of childcare, 37 months of food, or more than 16 months
of mortgage and utility payments;
Whereas workplace harassment forces many women to leave their occupation or
industry, or pass up opportunities for advancement, which contributes to
the gender wage gap;
Whereas targets of workplace harassment are 6.5 times as likely as nontargets to
change jobs;
Whereas there is a high personal cost for women who have been sexually harassed,
including unemployment, under-employment, and financial stress resulting
from changing jobs, which lead to long-term consequences for earnings
and career attainment;
Whereas, in 2023, nearly 70 percent of workers paid the minimum wage or less
were women, and there was a disproportionate concentration of women of
color in low-wage and tipped jobs;
Whereas the pay disparity Latina women face is part of a wider set of
disparities Latina women face in homeownership, unemployment, poverty,
access to childcare, and the ability to build wealth;
Whereas the underpayment of Latina women workers causes businesses and the
economy to suffer;
Whereas true pay equity requires a multifaceted strategy that addresses the
gender and racial injustices that Latina women face daily; and
Whereas many national organizations have designated October 3, 2024, as ``Latina
Equal Pay Day'' to recognize the pay gap between Latina women and White,
non-Hispanic men in the prior year: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress--
(1) recognizes the disparity in wages paid to Latina women
and the impact of that disparity on women, families, the
economy, and the United States; and
(2) reaffirms its support for ensuring equal pay and
closing the gender wage gap.
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