A resolution recognizing the significance of equal pay and the pay disparity between disabled women and both disabled and nondisabled men.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 825 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 825

Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the pay disparity between 
         disabled women and both disabled and nondisabled men.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 18, 2024

Mrs. Murray (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Casey, Ms. Cortez Masto, 
 Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Markey, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Sanders, and 
Mr. Whitehouse) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
       to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the pay disparity between 
         disabled women and both disabled and nondisabled men.

Whereas, more than 60 years after Congress enacted the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (29 
        U.S.C. 206 note; Public Law 88-38), an analysis of data from the Bureau 
        of the Census shows that disabled women workers overall are paid an 
        average of 50 cents for every dollar paid to nondisabled men;
Whereas an analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families of data 
        from the Bureau of the Census shows that--

    (1) for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic, nondisabled men--

    G    (A) disabled Asian-American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific 
Islander women are paid 55 cents;

    G    (B) disabled White, non-Hispanic women are paid 45 cents;

    G    (C) disabled Black women are paid 45 cents;

    G    (D) disabled American Indian and Alaska Native women are paid 45 
cents; and

    G    (E) disabled Latinas are paid 44 cents;

    (2) disabled women are paid an average of 72 cents for every dollar 
paid to disabled men;

    (3) disabled people overall are paid an average of 68 cents for every 
dollar paid to nondisabled people; and

    (4) while disabled people overall experience a wage gap, disabled 
women, particularly disabled women of color, experience a more significant 
wage gap;

Whereas, of the 6 types of disability assessed in the American Community 
        Survey--

    (1) disabled women workers with each type of disability face a wage 
gap, as compared to nondisabled men; and

    (2) the wage gap is largest for disabled women workers who have 
difficulty living independently, who are paid just 36 cents for every 
dollar paid to nondisabled men workers;

Whereas disabled women veterans are paid an average of 62 cents for every dollar 
        paid to nondisabled veteran men;
Whereas the wage gap remains large for disabled women with more education, as 
        disabled women workers with 4 years of college education are typically 
        paid $41,600 per year, which is less than nondisabled men workers with a 
        high school degree as their highest level of education;
Whereas disabled women experience occupational segregation and are 
        overrepresented in low-paid health care, clerical, and social service 
        jobs;
Whereas disabled women and men workers who live in institutional group quarters 
        are paid an average of just $9,000 per year for disabled women workers 
        and $11,000 per year for disabled men workers, respectively, while 
        nondisabled men overall are typically paid an average of $50,000 per 
        year;
Whereas segregated workplaces and the subminimum wage for disabled employees 
        stifle competitive integrated employment for disabled women;
Whereas many systemic barriers affect access to livable wages and employment 
        opportunities for disabled women, including--

    (1) discrimination;

    (2) public benefits work disincentives;

    (3) a broken health care infrastructure;

    (4) increased employment-related costs;

    (5) inadequate vocational rehabilitation services; and

    (6) a lack of access to supported employment services; and

Whereas LGBTQI+ disabled people face additional barriers to employment, and more 
        inclusive data on LGBTQI+ disabled workers is needed to determine the 
        added impact on wages and workforce participation, particularly for 
        trans and nonbinary disabled people who are often excluded from data: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the pay disparity between disabled women and 
        both disabled and nondisabled men and the impact of that pay 
        disparity on women, families, and the United States; and
            (2) reaffirms its commitment to supporting equal pay for 
        disabled women, narrowing the gender, disability, and racial 
        wage gaps, and addressing the systemic barriers that drive 
        those inequities.
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