Recognizing the disparity in wages paid to Latinas and the impact of that disparity on women, families, the economy, and the United States.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 123 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 123

 Recognizing the disparity in wages paid to Latinas and the impact of 
 that disparity on women, families, the economy, and the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 6, 2026

    Ms. Leger Fernandez (for herself, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Barragan, Ms. 
   Bonamici, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Cisneros, Mr. 
    Correa, Ms. Crockett, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Garcia of 
Illinois, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms. Mejia, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. 
  Randall, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Velazquez, and Ms. 
Wilson of Florida) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
        was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
 Recognizing the disparity in wages paid to Latinas and the impact of 
 that disparity on women, families, the economy, and the United States.

Whereas October 8, 2026, is designated as ``Latina Equal Pay Day'' to observe 
        the pay gap between Latinas and White, non-Hispanic men;
Whereas as of 2025, there were 15,276,000 Hispanic women in the labor force, 
        representing approximately 19 percent of all women in the labor force;
Whereas section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d)) 
        (commonly known as the ``Equal Pay Act of 1963'') prohibits 
        discrimination in wages on the basis of sex for equal work;
Whereas title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.) 
        prohibits discrimination in compensation because of race, color, 
        religion, national origin, or sex;
Whereas despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (Public Law 88-38; 77 
        Stat. 56) more than 6 decades ago, which established that employers 
        shall not discriminate in wages on the basis of sex, but shall provide 
        equal pay for equal work, Bureau of the Census data show that Latinas 
        working full-time and year-round are paid 60 cents for every dollar paid 
        to White, non-Hispanic men, while the wage gap for all Latinas with 
        reported earnings working full-time, part-time, and part-year is 53 
        cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men;
Whereas an analysis by Justice for Migrant Women shows that Latinas in rural 
        communities are paid, on average, 43 cents for every dollar made by 
        white, non-Hispanic men and face unique challenges which contribute to 
        the pay gap, including lack of access to transportation, child care, and 
        health care;
Whereas National Latina Equal Pay Day is vital to acknowledge and understand 
        Latinas' economic reality and the impact that their race, gender 
        identity, occupation, migration status, and geographic location have on 
        their earnings;
Whereas increased and further disaggregated data is necessary to understand the 
        impact of the pay gap within different groups of women of the same 
        racial or ethnic background;
Whereas the pay gap for Latinas persists across sectors and education levels;
Whereas an analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families of data 
        from the Bureau of the Census shows that disabled Latinas are paid 46 
        cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic, nondisabled men;
Whereas the National Women's Law Center has calculated that, on average, Latinas 
        lose over $1,311,200 in potential earnings over a 40-year career to the 
        wage gap;
Whereas lost wages due to the wage gap mean Latinas have less money to support 
        themselves and their families, save and invest for the future, and spend 
        on goods and services;
Whereas the lack of access to affordable, quality child care, paid family and 
        medical leave, and other family-friendly workplace policies forces many 
        Latinas to choose between their paycheck or job and getting quality care 
        for themselves or their family members, a dynamic that contributes to 
        the wage gap;
Whereas if the annual wage gap were eliminated, on average, a Latina woman would 
        have enough money to pay for nearly 30 months of child care, 39 months 
        of food, or more than 8,200 gallons of gas;
Whereas workplace harassment forces many women to leave their occupation or 
        industry, or pass up opportunities for advancement, which contributes to 
        the gender wage gap;
Whereas there is a high personal cost for women who have been sexually harassed, 
        including unemployment, under-employment, and financial stress resulting 
        from changing jobs, which leads to long-term consequences for earnings 
        and career attainment;
Whereas in 2024, more than 61 percent of the low-paid workforce were women;
Whereas the pay disparity Latinas face is part of a wider set of disparities 
        Latinas face in homeownership, unemployment, poverty, access to 
        childcare, and the ability to build wealth;
Whereas the underpayment of Latina workers causes businesses and the economy to 
        suffer;
Whereas true pay equity requires a multifaceted strategy that addresses the 
        gender and racial injustices that Latinas face daily; and
Whereas many national organizations have designated October 8, 2026, as ``Latina 
        Equal Pay Day'' to recognize the pay gap between Latinas and White, non-
        Hispanic men in the prior year: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the disparity in wages paid to Latinas and 
        the impact of that disparity on women, families, the economy, 
        and the United States; and
            (2) reaffirms its support for ensuring equal pay and 
        closing the gender wage gap.
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