Sponsors (3)
The bill increases pay transparency and legal protections for workers—helping reduce pay gaps—while imposing compliance costs, litigation risk, and administrative burdens that fall most heavily on small employers.
Job applicants and current employees (especially women and racial/ethnic minorities) will receive clear wage ranges for openings and on request, increasing pay transparency so workers can make better job and salary decisions.
Workers who discuss or request pay information are protected from employer retaliation and can sue for relief, making it safer to challenge pay disparities and enforce equal-pay norms.
Affected employees can recover statutory damages ($1,000–$10,000) or actual damages plus attorneys’ fees for violations, increasing enforcement incentives and potential compensation for harmed workers.
Small businesses will face new compliance costs and potential fines (starting at $5,000, up to $10,000 for violations), which could strain finances and hiring capacity.
Employers may face increased litigation exposure from collective suits and higher legal costs, which could be passed on to workers through lower wages, reduced hiring, or higher prices.
Employers and state governments may need to revise hiring and pay policies, imposing administrative burdens and risking pay compression that could limit wage growth or internal pay flexibility.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires employers to post and disclose wages/wage ranges, bans retaliation for using wage information, and creates civil penalties and a private right of action.
Official title: To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to require an employer providing an employment opportunity to disclose the wage range for such employment opportunity to employees and applicants for employment, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 10, 2025 by Eleanor Holmes Norton · Last progress March 10, 2025
Requires employers to post and disclose wages or wage ranges for all job opportunities, to provide wage information to applicants and employees on request (and at hire and annually), and to bar employer retaliation for exercising these rights. Adds civil penalties for violations, statutory damages for affected applicants/employees, attorneys’ fees, injunctive relief, and a private right of action for similarly situated individuals.