[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 56 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 56
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
October 8, 2025
Ms. Leger Fernandez (for herself, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Castro of Texas,
Ms. Salinas, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Doggett, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Garcia
of Illinois, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Costa, Ms. Escobar,
Ms. Norton, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Chu, Mr. Carbajal, Mr.
Cleaver, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Ruiz, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Adams, Ms.
Rivas, Mr. Correa, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Mrs.
Torres of California, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Tran, and Mr.
Landsman) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and 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 8, 2025, is designated as ``Latina Equal Pay Day'' to observe
the pay gap between Latinas and White, non-Hispanic men;
Whereas, as of 2024, there were 14,421,000 Hispanic women in the labor force,
representing slightly more than 18 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 Latinas
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
Latinas with reported earnings working full-time, part-time, and part-
year is 54 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men;
Whereas Latinas in rural communities are paid, on average, 43 cents for every
dollar made by White, non-Hispanic men and face unique challenges which
contribute to the pay gap, including lack of access to transportation,
childcare, and health care;
Whereas 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the coordinated National Latina Equal
Pay Day Campaign by national organizations working to spread awareness
about and address the pay gap faced by Latinas;
Whereas National Latina Equal Pay Day is vital to acknowledge and understand
Latinas economic reality and the impact that their race, gender
identity, occupation, migration status, and geographic location have on
their earnings;
Whereas increased and further disaggregated data is necessary to understand the
impact of the pay gap within different groups of women of the same
racial or ethnic background;
Whereas the pay gap for Latinas persists across sectors and education levels;
Whereas an analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families of data
from the Bureau of the Census shows that disabled Latinas 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, Latinas
lose over $1,200,000 in potential earnings over a 40-year career to the
wage gap;
Whereas lost wages mean Latinas have less money to support themselves and their
families, save and invest for the future, and spend on goods and
services;
Whereas the lack of access to affordable, quality childcare, paid family and
medical leave, and other family-friendly workplace policies forces many
Latinas 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 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, underemployment, and financial stress resulting
from changing jobs, which lead to long-term consequences for earnings
and career attainment;
Whereas, in 2024, more than 61 percent of workers paid the minimum wage or less
were women;
Whereas the pay disparity Latinas face is part of a wider set of disparities
Latinas face in home ownership, unemployment, poverty, access to
childcare, and the ability to build wealth;
Whereas the underpayment of Latina workers causes businesses and the economy to
suffer;
Whereas true pay equity requires a multifaceted strategy that addresses the
gender and racial injustices that Latinas face daily; and
Whereas many national organizations have designated October 8, 2025, as ``Latina
Equal Pay Day'' to recognize the pay gap between Latinas 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 Latinas 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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