On March 27, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to
pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, an act designed to
amend and strengthen the existing federal Equal Pay Act
("EPA"), 29 U.S.C. § 206(d). The Paycheck Fairness
Act, which passed the House by a vote of 242-187 on a largely
party-line basis, is sponsored by Representative Rosa DeLauro
(D-CT), and would make sweeping changes to existing law.
The EPA currently prohibits gender-based pay disparities unless
they are based on one of the following four bases: (i) a seniority
system; (ii) a merit system; (iii) a system which measures earnings
by the quantity or quality of production; or (iv) a differential
based on any other factor other than sex. The Paycheck Fairness Act
would narrow the fourth "catch-all" basis to "a bona
fide factor other than sex, such as education, training or
experience." The Paycheck Fairness Act further provides that
the "bona fide factor" justifying gender-based pay
disparities would only