# 119-hr-8663: Fair Pay Act of 2026

119-hr-8663, Fair Pay Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8663
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8663
- Congress: 119
- Title: Fair Pay Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-05-04
- Sponsor: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Prohibits pay discrimination in equivalent jobs based on sex, race, or national origin.** This bill would add a new anti-discrimination rule to the Fair Labor Standards Act and strengthen enforcement, reporting, and education to close wage gaps. - Workers: Workers would gain broader pay protections that cover "equivalent jobs" that are equal in skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions. The bill adds anti-retaliation protections for opposing discrimination or discussing wages and allows compensatory and punitive damages. - Employers: Employers would need to preserve wage records and file wage-disclosure reports with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Reporting is required for employers with 25 or more employees in the first two years or 15 or more in later years, and they may not lower others' pay to comply. - Enforcement and public transparency: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would write guidance on how to measure "job dominance", publish aggregated data, fund research, and provide technical assistance. Courts could award expert fees and class actions could be maintained under the Federal Rules.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Stronger enforcement and pay protections: benefit, medium. If enacted, employees could recover compensatory damages and, when appropriate, punitive damages for pay discrimination. Courts would allow prevailing plaintiffs to recover expert fees in actions under the new rule and would allow class actions. The Secretary of Labor could seek extra compensatory…
- Workers: ban on pay gaps: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would prohibit employers from paying lower wages for equivalent jobs because of sex, race, or national origin. It would apply inside the same establishment. Employers could not reduce other workers' wages to comply. Employers could defend differences for seniority, merit, or pr…
- EEOC pay equity research and help: benefit, low. If enacted, the EEOC would study pay gaps, publish findings, and run education programs to help employers and workers comply. The agency would provide technical assistance and sponsor state and community programs. The Secretary's biennial report to Congress would include a separate evaluation of th…
- New employer pay reporting rules: mixed, medium. If enacted, employers subject to the new pay rule would keep records on how wages are set and file an annual EEOC report. In years 1 and 2, employers with 25 or more employees on any date must file. After that, employers with 15 or more employees on any date in a year must file. Reports would show…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act
- 119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-8663 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8663)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8870)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10421)
- [119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6900)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8663 (as of 2026-09-21).