Vermont H 149: An act relating to the valuation of landlocked parcels

Bill Text

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VT LEG #379124 v.1
H.149 1
Introduced by Representative Stevens of Waterbury 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Labor; fair employment practices, equal pay 5
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to extend equal 6
pay protections to individuals in all protected classes. 7
An act relating to expanding equal pay protections 8
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 9
Sec. 1. 21 V.S.A. § 495 is amended to read: 10
§ 495. UNLAWFUL EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE 11
(a) It shall be unlawful employment practice, except where a bona fide 12
occupational qualification requires persons of a particular race, color, religion, 13
national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, place of birth, 14
age, crime victim status, or physical or mental condition: 15
* * * 16
(7) For any employer, employment agency, labor organization, or 17
person seeking employees to discriminate between employees on the basis of 18
sex, race, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, color, religion, 19
ancestry, place of birth, age, or crime victim status or against a qualified 20

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VT LEG #379124 v.1
individual with a disability by paying wages to employees of one sex, race, 1
national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, color, religion, ancestry, 2
place of birth, age, or crime victim status or an employee who is a qualified 3
individual with a disability at a rate less than the rate paid to employees of the 4
other sex or a different race, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender 5
identity, color, religion, ancestry, place of birth, age, or crime victim status or 6
without the physical or mental condition of the qualified individual with a 7
disability for equal work that requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility and 8
is performed under similar working conditions. An employer who is paying 9
wages in violation of this section shall not reduce the wage rate of any other 10
employee in order to comply with this subsection. 11
(A) An employer may pay different wage rates under this subsection 12
(a) when the differential wages are made pursuant to: 13
(i) A seniority system. 14
(ii) A merit system. 15
(iii) A system in which earnings are based on quantity or quality 16
of production. 17
(iv) A bona fide factor other than sex, race, national origin, sexual 18
orientation, or gender identity, color, religion, ancestry, place of birth, age, 19
crime victim status, or physical or mental condition. An employer asserting 20
that differential wages are paid pursuant to this subdivision (7)(A)(iv) shall 21

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VT LEG #379124 v.1
demonstrate that the factor does not perpetuate a differential in compensation 1
based on sex, race, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, color, 2
religion, ancestry, place of birth, age, crime victim status, or physical or mental 3
condition; is job-related with respect to the position in question; and is based 4
upon a legitimate business consideration. 5
* * * 6
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 7
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 8