BOSTON — Senator DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to tackle pay inequities in the state, which significantly and disproportionately impact women and people of color across the Commonwealth. The bill targets these inequities by empowering employees with salary information, including when they are seeking jobs and receiving promotions, and by giving the state new data tools to track employment trends.

“Passing this policy has great significance for our state, and especially for the women and people of color in my district who are too often losing out on wages because of their identity,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “Equipping workers with salary information is the first step in preventing discrimination and moving us towards equal pay for all our state’s workers. I want to thank Senate President Karen Spilka and my colleagues for approving this important legislation that will empower workers throughout the Commonwealth.

“This is simple: everyone deserves equal pay for equal work, regardless of your gender, race, ethnicity, or background,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland), who sponsored previous pay equity legislation that was enacted into law in 2016. “It is far too common for women and people of color to be paid less than their coworkers nationwide, and we are not immune to this discrepancy here. By passing this bill, the Senate stands united behind every worker—and with every business—in Massachusetts in our steadfast commitment to the fundamental principle that every person has the right to be treated and compensated fairly in the workplace.”

The bill—S.2468, also known as the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act—empowers job applicants by requiring employers with 25 or more employees to include salary range information in job postings. It also requires employers to provide salary ranges to employees offered a promotion or a transfer, as well as to employees currently working in a position, should they ask.

If signed into law by the Governor, the legislation would boost Massachusetts’ ability to track pay discrepancies. It requires employers with 100 or more employees to file annual employment data reports, including information on employee demographics and salaries, with the state. In addition, the bill directs the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to track compensation data and file an annual report on data showing the Commonwealth’s progress toward equal pay for equal work.

The bill marks another step forward for pay equity in a state with a long history on the topic. Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to pass pay equity legislation in 1945, and most recently passed legislation in 2016, when the legislature passed An Act to Establish Pay Equity, which barred employers from asking prospective employees about their salary history and guaranteed the right of workers to discuss salary with other employees. The Governor signed the bill later that year.

According to a report from the National Women’s Law Center, women in Massachusetts who are employed full-time earn 85.7 cents for every dollar that men make. Women of color face even steeper inequities: Black women make 58.1 cents per dollar; Hispanic women make 53 cents; Native American women make 66 cents; and Asian women make 91 cents.[1]

The legislation would boost awareness of the rights it guarantees employees, by directing the Attorney General to begin an outreach and awareness campaign. It would also give the Attorney General new authority to enforce the law among employers in the state.

The effort to boost salary transparency has robust support from businesses and industry advocates.

A previous version of this bill having passed the House of Representatives, the two branches will now reconcile the differences between the bills, before sending it to the Governor’s desk.

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[1] Report issued in March 2023, based on NWLC survey data from 2021, https://nwlc.org/resource/wage-gap-state-by-state/

BOSTON — Senator Sal DiDomenico testified in support of his Healthy Youth Act bill before the Joint Committee on Education. This fall, the state's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education unanimously adopted a new health education framework that includes comprehensive standards for sex education. While this was welcome news, Senator DiDomenico emphasized that we still need to pass the Healthy Youth Act to deliver lasting progress for students in the Commonwealth.

“It was inspiring to highlight the importance of my Healthy Youth Act bill alongside passionate parents, students, educators, health care providers, and advocates from across our state,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico, lead sponsor of the Senate bill. “This common-sense proposal is popular throughout Massachusetts and will ensure our children can access medically accurate and age-appropriate sex and relationship education.”

Passage of the Healthy Youth Act will strengthen the impact of the new health education framework that the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved in September by:

1) Ensuring that if sex and relationship education is taught in Massachusetts public schools, it is taught using a comprehensive curriculum that adheres to the framework. 

2) Requiring the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to collect data on sex education taught in public schools.

3) Requiring DESE to review and update the framework at least every ten years to ensure the sex education guidelines remain comprehensive and are meeting the needs of students.

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BOSTON — Latinos for Education presented Senator Sal DiDomenico with their annual Educator Diversity Champion Award at the State of Latino Education event. The Educator Diversity Champion Award honors two legislators, one Representative, and one Senator, who has shown unwavering commitment to ensuring every student sees themselves represented in the classroom and to promoting equitable education policy. Dr. Almi G. Abeyta, Superintendent of Chelsea Schools, presented the award to Senator DiDomenico and shared her appreciation for his leadership on this issue and for students throughout his district.

Senator DiDomenico also presented citations to celebrate three outstanding educators in his district, Camilo Machado, Obed Morales, and Jeanette Velez.

DiDomenico has long been a champion for supporting teachers of all backgrounds and fighting for more educator diversity in our schools:

• DiDomenico was proud to support and fight for the Student Opportunity Act which invested $1.5 billion into high quality education for all children regardless of income or zip code. The Senator successfully pushed to include targeted investments for lower income student populations to be included in this legislation.

• He filed a bill this session (S267, An Act fulfilling the promise of education reform) which will create a Commission tasked with studying all matters concerning education in the 21st Century, including but not limited to educator pipeline (including recruitment, career development, and retention), educator diversity and more. This will lay out a blueprint for our schools to attract and support educators of all races and backgrounds in our schools.

• Senator DiDomenico helped get permanent funding for Universal School Meals in this year’s state budget after advocating for this program as lead Senate sponsor of the Universal School Meals bill for years. Free breakfast and lunch for all will now ensure no student has to deal with the discomfort and distraction from hunger and can focus on getting the most out of their class time and time with friends.

“I am honored to receive this award from an organization of advocates that are tirelessly working to support our youngest generation,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “As State Senator to one of the most diverse districts in the Commonwealth, I strive to increase diversity in the ranks of our educators, so they reflect the students they teach. I will continue to fight for more funding and legislation that creates a pipeline for teachers of all backgrounds and supports the talented and diverse educators we already have in our schools.”

The 2023 State of Latino Education brings together educators, non-profit leaders, and state leaders to celebrate Latino excellence and leadership in the education sector. The organization honored Latino educators, as well as legislators for their commitment to Latino students and highlighting the policy and practice solutions needed to continue furthering educational equity.

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