H.R. 2243: Fair Pay Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-03-26 · Labor and Employment · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-03-26 · official record
Who proposed it: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Fair Pay Act of 2021

Plain summary

Fair Pay Act of 20 21 This bill requires employers to provide equal pay to employees for comparable or equivalent work. Specifically, employers may not discriminate against employees on the basis of sex, race, or national origin with respect to payment of wages or other conditions of employment for jobs that, although dissimilar, the requirements of which are equivalent, when viewed as a composite of skills, effort, responsibility, and working conditions. However, employers may pay different wages in accordance with seniority systems, merit systems, systems that measure earnings by quantity or quality of production, or factors that the employer demonstrates are reasonably job-related, or further legitimate business interests. The bill allows compensatory or punitive damages for violations of this prohibition. The bill prohibits an employer from (1) discriminating against any individual who opposes any act or practice made illegal by this bill or for assisting in an investigation, or (2) discharging or discriminating against any employee who inquires about or discusses another employee's wages. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must assist employers, labor organizations, and the general public in implementing these provisions.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Fair Pay Act of 2021

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)

Sponsor's campaign money: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] reported raising $53,775 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117hr2243.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>

Record fed-us-cong117-hr2243 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117