BILL ANALYSIS Ó ACR 155 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 4, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES Gordon, Chair ACR 155 (Campos) - As Introduced March 28, 2016 SUBJECT: Equal Pay Day SUMMARY: Proclaims April 12, 2016, as Equal Pay Day in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all. Specifically, this resolution makes the following legislative findings: 1)More than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, women, especially minority women, continue to suffer the consequences of unequal pay. 2)According to an October 2014 report by the National Partnership for Women & Families, women in California earned a median of $0.84 for each dollar earned by men and the United States Census Bureau reported women working full time, year round in 2013, typically earned 78 percent of what men earned, which indicates little change or progress in pay equity. 3)Nearly one in four mothers is a primary breadwinner in their households and nearly two-thirds are primary or significant earners, making pay equity critical to families' economic security. ACR 155 Page 2 4)In 2009, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was signed into law, which gives back to employees their day in court to challenge a pay gap, and now we must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would amend the Equal Pay Day Act by closing loopholes and improving the law's effectiveness. 5)In 2015, California passed SB 253, strengthening the state's existing Equal Pay Act by eliminating loopholes that prevent effective enforcement of gender-based discrimination and empowering employees to discuss pay without fear of retaliation, providing one more tool to tackle the problem. 6)Fair pay strengthens the security of families today and eases future retirement costs while enhancing America's economy. FISCAL EFFECT: None REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION: Support None on file Opposition None on file Analysis Prepared by:Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800 ACR 155 Page 3