CaliforniaEmployment: payment of wages.
What it does
Existing law imposes varying requirements upon employers to share the pay scale for a position with an applicant or in a job posting, as provided. Existing law defines "pay scale" as the salary or hourly wage range that the employer reasonably expects to pay for the position.
More detail
This bill would revise the definition of "pay scale" to mean an estimate of this expected wage range that an employer reasonably expects to pay for the position upon hire and is made in good faith.
Existing law prohibits an employer from paying its employees at wage rates less than the rates paid to employees of the opposite sex or another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work, except under specified circumstances. Existing law requires a civil action to recover wages for a violation of those provisions to be commenced no later than 2 years after the cause of action occurs or, if the cause of action arises out of a willful violation, no later than 3 years after the cause of action occurs.
This bill would prohibit an employer from paying employees at wage rates less than the rates paid to employees of another sex instead of the opposite sex, and would require a civil action to recover wages to be commenced no later than 3 years after the last date the cause of action occurs. The bill would provide that an employee is entitled to obtain relief for the entire period of time in which a violation of its provisions exists, but not to exceed 6 years.
This bill would specify that a cause of action occurs when an alleged unlawful compensation decision or practice is adopted, when an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice, or when an individual is affected by the application of the decision or practice. The bill would provide that its provisions do not prohibit the application of prescribed legal doctrine. The bill would define "wages," "wage rates," and "sex" for purposes of those provisions, and would specify that its provisions shall not be construed to define these terms for other purposes.
Where do you stand?
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 8Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 468, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 8Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 17Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 9Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 10. Page 2717.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB642 Limón et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 8In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 642 Limón Senate Third Reading By Kalra. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 8Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 58. Noes 15. Page 3007.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Sep 3Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 2Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 29).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 20August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Jul 9From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 9Coauthors revised.
- Jul 8
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 26From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Jun 25
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 9Referred to Coms. on L. & E. and JUD.Minor
- Jun 4In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Jun 3Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1448.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- May 27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 23Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- May 23From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1208.) (May 23).Major
- May 20Set for hearing May 23.
- May 19May 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- May 9Set for hearing May 19.
- May 1Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Apr 30From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 942.) (April 29).Major
- Apr 29
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 870.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 10From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.Major
- Apr 9Set for hearing April 29 in JUD. pending receipt.
- Apr 4Set for hearing April 23.
- Mar 12Referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and JUD.Minor
- Feb 21From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
- Feb 20Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced