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House narrowly passes bill to modernize equal pay law after heated floor debate
Summary
House Bill 630, a modernization of Pennsylvania’s equal pay law, passed final passage on the House floor by a single vote (102–101) after extended debate that included concerns about regulatory burden and changes to comparable-work standards.
House Bill 630, described on the floor as modernizing the Commonwealth’s equal pay law and creating new protections and penalties for violations, passed final passage after extended debate and a narrow recorded vote.
Representative Gleim (Cumberland) opposed the bill on the floor, arguing that the proposed law adopted a “vague and subjective comparable work standard,” increased penalties up to $5,000 and created new private litigation opportunities with uncapped punitive damages. Gleim said federal and existing state law already prohibit discrimination and that the bill “is in search of a problem.”
Representative Schusterman, the bill’s sponsor from Chester County, said Pennsylvania must be competitive with neighboring states and cited a 2023 Department of Labor estimate that women were paid 80.9% of what men were paid, framing the bill as a business and workforce retention measure. The clerk recorded final passage with 102 yeas and 101 nays; the bill passes the House finally and will be sent to the Senate for concurrence.
The transcript captures substantial floor argument on both sides but does not include a detailed fiscal note or implementation timeline in the floor exchange.
