SCR141 - Women’s Equal Pay Day.

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 141 CHAPTER 31 Relative to Women’s Equal Pay Day. [ Filed with Secretary of State April 21, 2026. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 141, Wahab. Women’s Equal Pay Day. This measure would recognize March 26, 2026, as Women’s Equal Pay Day in California, in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text WHEREAS, More than 60 years after the passage of the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963, women, especially women of color, continue to suffer the consequences of unequal pay; and WHEREAS, According to the United States Census Bureau, women who work full time year round make less than $0.81 for every dollar a man is paid; and WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of Labor, the median salary for women in 2024 was $57,520, while men earned a median of salary of $71,090; and WHEREAS, The wage gap for Black, Latina, and Native American women is under $0.66 for every dollar White, non-Hispanic men make; and WHEREAS, Black and Hispanic women have the lowest median salary earnings, with Hispanic women earning an average of $46,380 and Black women earning an average of $51,660; and WHEREAS, Four out of 10 women experience gender discrimination and are much more likely to work a part-time job compared to men; and WHEREAS, Nearly 4 in 10 mothers are the primary breadwinners in their households, and nearly two-thirds of mothers are the primary or significant earners, making pay equity critical to the financial security of their families; and WHEREAS, A lifetime of lower pay means women have less income to save for retirement and less income counted in a social security or pension benefit formula; and WHEREAS, Women continue to be underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and business, as well as in managerial positions, and are overrepresented in teaching, assistant, and childcare occupations; and WHEREAS, Fair pay in California would strengthen the security of individuals and families today, regardless of education or socioeconomic status, while enhancing our statewide economy; and WHEREAS, March 26 symbolizes the day in 2026 when the wages paid to women catch up to the wages paid to males from the previous year nationwide; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature proclaims March 26, 2026, as Women’s Equal Pay Day in California, in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.