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Creating the Senate Study Committee on Equal Pay; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, women and people of color continue to suffer wage discrimination; and

WHEREAS, women earn 72¢ for every dollar earned by men, and African Americans are paid 78¢ and Latinos 67¢ for every dollar paid to white workers; and

WHEREAS, the gender gap alone results in an average annual loss of more than $4,000.00 per American family; and

WHEREAS, three-quarters of women and more than six in ten men believe that women are paid less than men for the same work, and they strongly support a solution; and

WHEREAS, a study should be undertaken to evaluate and address the structural problem of equal pay and to find remedies to wage discrimination.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that there is created the Senate Study Committee on Equal Pay to be composed of 12 members as follows:
(1) Three members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate;
(2) Two representatives of business in the state who are appointed from among individuals nominated by state business organizations and business trade associations;
(3) Two representatives of labor organizations;
(4) Two representatives of organizations whose objectives include the elimination of pay disparities between men and women and minorities and nonminorities and who have undertaken advocacy or educational or legislative initiatives in pursuit of that objective; and
(5) Three individuals drawn from higher education or research institutions who have experience and expertise in the collection and analysis of data concerning such pay disparities and whose research has already been used in efforts to promote the elimination of those disparities.

Each of the nonlegislative members of the committee shall be appointed by the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall appoint a Senator from the three Senate members on the committee to serve as chairperson of the committee.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall make a full and complete study of:
(1) The extent of wage disparities in the public and private sector, between men and women, and between minorities and nonminorities;
(2) Those factors which cause, or which tend to cause, such disparities, including segregation between women and men and between minorities and nonminorities across and within occupations, payment of lower wages for work in female dominated occupations, child-rearing responsibilities, and education and training;
(3) The consequences of such disparities on the economy and families affected; and
(4) Actions, including proposed legislation, that are likely to lead to the elimination and prevention of such disparities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. The legislative members of the study committee shall receive the allowances authorized for legislative members of interim committees but shall receive the same for not more than ten days unless additional days are authorized. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the Senate. No allowance shall be paid for other members of the committee. The study committee shall make a preliminary report of its findings and recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, prior to December 1, 2001. The study committee shall make a final report of its findings and recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, prior to September 1, 2002. The study committee shall stand abolished on September 1, 2002.