Bill Text: DE HCR11 | 2015-2016 | 148th General Assembly | Draft

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Bill Title: Designating April 14, 2015 As “equal Pay Day” In The State Of Delaware.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-03-24 - Passed by Senate. Votes: Passed 21 YES 0 NO 0 NOT VOTING 0 ABSENT 0 VACANT [HCR11 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2015-HCR11-Draft.html

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SPONSOR:	Rep. Bolden & Rep. Longhurst, on behalf of all Representatives & Sen. Poore & Sen. Henry, on behalf of all Senators

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.

DESIGNATING APRIL 14, 2015 AS "EQUAL PAY DAY" IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, more than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, women, especially minority women, continue to suffer the consequences of unequal pay; and

WHEREAS, according to U.S. Census Bureau Statistics for 2013, women in Delaware working full-time, year-round earned on average only 83% of the earnings of men working full-time, year-round, a gap of 17 percentage points, indicating inadequate progress in pay equity; and

WHEREAS, an analysis by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics data in over 300 classifications showed that women earn less in every occupational classification for which enough data are available, including occupations traditionally dominated by women; and

WHEREAS, an analysis by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) found that just one year out of college, working women are paid on average just 82% of what their male colleagues are paid; and

WHEREAS, by the age of 65, the average woman will have lost approximately $431,000 in wages as a result of the gender earnings gap; and

WHEREAS, women of color in Delaware face aneven greater wage gap, such that in 2013, African American women were paid 67% of what white men earned, and Hispanic and Latina Delaware women earned only 56% of what white men earned; and

WHEREAS, nearly four in ten mothers are primary breadwinners in their households, and nearly two-thirds are significant earners, making pay equity critical to families' economic security; and

WHEREAS, fair pay equity policies can be implemented simply and without undue cost or hardship in both the public and private sectors; and

WHEREAS, over five years ago, in 2009, the Lilly Ledbetter Act was signed into law, which restored protection against pay discrimination, while now legislative bodies should pass a Paycheck Fairness Act, which would ensure effective remedies for wage discrimination and strengthen enforcement of equal pay laws; and

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama highlighted the problem of women's wage gap in his 2015 State of the Union Address; and

WHEREAS, April 14th symbolizes the point in the year when the wages paid to American women catch up to the wages paid to men from the previous year;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 148th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that April 14, 2015, is designated as "Equal Pay Day" in the State of Delaware.

SYNOPSIS

This Concurrent Resolution designates April 14, 2015, as "Equal Pay Day" in the State of Delaware.