DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of
the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of
the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Stokes HB No. 956
Abstract: Provides that pay inequality in employment is a discriminatory practice.
Present law provides that it is unlawful discrimination in employment for an employer to
intentionally refuse to hire, discharge an individual, or otherwise discriminate against an
individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Present law prohibits employers from intentionally segregating, limiting, or classifying
individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in any way that would
deprive the individual of employment opportunities.
Proposed law provides that it shall be unlawful to pay an individual less than another individual
on the basis of sex, when both individuals work on jobs that require equal skill, effort, and
responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions.
Proposed law requires that an employer may not reduce the wages of any other employee in order
to comply with proposed law.
Present law provides that pay differentials based on a merit or seniority system, or a system that
measures earnings by quantity or quality are not unlawful.
Present law further provides that it is not unlawful discrimination to pay employees differently
based on location.
Present law provides that as long as the differences in present law are not as a result of
intentional discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, the pay
differential is not unlawful.
Proposed law adds to the list of factors that constitute discrimination outlined in present law, any
other differential based on any factor other than sex.
(Amends R.S. 23:332(A) and (H)(3))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations to
the original bill. 1. Added a provision that it shall not be unlawful discrimination for an employer to
apply different standards of pay if the differences are not the result of an intention to
discriminate because of any other differential based on any factor other than sex.