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Bills Introduced To Amend Pennsylvania Equal Pay Act

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Federal Lilly Ledbetter Equal Pay Act marked its 7th anniversary on Friday.

And that has some Pennsylvania lawmakers shining a spotlight on Pennsylvania's Equal Pay Act, which is ineffectual in comparison.  At least three bills have been introduced to put some teeth into the state's equal pay act, which dates back to 1959.

State Representative Brian Sims, whose district is Center City Philadelphia, says House Bill 1160 would narrow factors that determine what to pay employees.

"It makes sure that when employers are making a determination about whom to pay and what to pay them, that they are only basing that decision on education, training, experience," Sims said.  "That they are not basing it on sex, that they are not basing it on gender."

Sims says American workers overall fear that if they talk about what they are paid, that they will be punished for discussing it. He says pay inequity means women have less to spend on education, health and investments.

He adds that equal pay would mean hundreds of millions of dollars being pumped back into the economy.

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