2007 House Bill 4626

Repeal “disproportional/detrimental” gender work assignment law

Introduced in the House

April 19, 2007

Introduced by Rep. Pam Byrnes (D-52)

To repeal potentially redundant language in an existing law prohibiting paying females less than males for the same job. The language that would be stricken also prohibits assigning tasks to a female that are “disproportionate to her strength, or detrimental to her morals, her health or potential capacity for motherhood." The bill is ”tie-barred" to House Bill 4825, meaning it cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4625 would impose "comparable worth" mandates on employers, which would make the language this bill proposes to strike obsolete.

Referred to the Committee on Labor

May 8, 2007

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

April 22, 2008

Substitute offered

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that increases the fines for paying a differential wage solely on the basis of sex if an employer has more than 15 employees.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Passed in the House 59 to 48 (details)

Received in the Senate

April 23, 2008

Referred to the Committee on Commerce and Tourism