Summary: Bill A 3451 – Relates to the establishment of a wage data clearinghouse
Overview
Bill A 3451 proposes establishing a wage data clearinghouse to collect and manage wage information. The bill is currently in the committee stage, having been referred to the Labor Committee on January 27, 2025. The Assembly sponsor is primary Harry B. Bronson, with William Colton listed as a cosponsor. The bill is part of a broader set of related wage data and labor-focused proposals from prior sessions.
Purpose and Intent
- Create a centralized system (a wage data clearinghouse) intended to improve access to wage information and support wage-related policy, enforcement, and transparency efforts.
- The clearinghouse is expected to provide data that can inform wage equity analyses, detect wage disparity or discrimination, and support enforcement actions or policy-making related to wages and labor standards.
Key Provisions (as inferred from the title and typical structure of wage data clearinghouse bills)
Note: The precise statutory text is not provided here. The following reflects the likely core elements of such a bill and what readers should look for in the full text:
- Establishment: Creation of a wage data clearinghouse within the relevant state labor or workforce agency.
- Data Requirements: Provisions requiring employers or payroll entities to submit wage data (e.g., wage ranges, roles, geographic location, industry, and other demographic or employment data) to the clearinghouse.
- Access and Use: Rules governing who can access the data (e.g., state agencies, researchers, employers for benchmarking, or enforcement personnel) and for what purposes (policy analysis, enforcement, wage gap reporting).
- Privacy and Security: Safeguards to protect worker privacy, data anonymization or aggregation standards, and security measures.
- Reporting and Compliance: Timelines for data submission, penalties or enforcement mechanisms for noncompliance, and potential compliance waivers or exemptions.
- Governance and Funding: Structure for governance, oversight, and potential funding appropriations or ongoing operating costs.
- Reporting to Legislature: Requirements for periodic reports to the Legislature on findings, trends, and impacts.
Affected Parties and Impacts
- Employers and payroll entities: Potential reporting obligations and compliance requirements.
- Workers and job seekers: Improved access to wage data, transparency, and potential for redress or benchmarking.
- State agencies: New data-management responsibilities and analytical capabilities to monitor wage trends and enforce labor laws.
- Researchers and policymakers: Access to wage datasets for analysis and evidence-based policy development.
Procedural and Timeline Aspects
- Status: Referred to the Labor Committee, indicating initial review and potential hearings, amendments, and consideration before any floor vote.
- Introduced: January 27, 2025.
- Legislative actions recorded: Two entries on January 27, 2025, both noting the referral to LABOR (indicating formal committee referral processes).
- Related bills (prior-session): A 2164, A 9933, A 1056, A 2542, A 359. The presence of these related bills suggests ongoing interest in wage data initiatives and potential alignment or consolidation with A 3451’s approach.
Sponsors
- Primary: Harry B. Bronson
- Cosponsor: William Colton
Next Steps / How to Track
- Monitor updates from the Assembly Labor Committee for hearings, amendments, and a potential vote.
- Review the full bill text when available to confirm specifics on data submission requirements, privacy protections, and enforcement mechanisms.
- Consider related bills (A 2164, A 9933, A 1056, A 2542, A 359) for consistency of scope and fiscal impact.
This summary provides a concise, non-partisan overview based on the bill’s available metadata. Access to the full text will enable a more detailed breakdown of provisions and fiscal implications.
