A freshman House Democrat has proposed legislation that would make it illegal for any company to ask a job applicant about his or her salary history during the hiring process.
The bill from Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., said it would be “unlawful” for companies to ask about salary history, or to “seek information” about how much a prospective employee earns, while they are considering hiring that person.
“[I]t shall be an unlawful employment practice for any employer to make inquiries of an applicant for employment or otherwise seek information about such an applicant … relating to such applicant’s salary history,” the bill read.
The only time a company could ask about salary history is after the company has already made an offer to the applicant. In that case, companies would have to ask the applicant for permission, and the applicant would have to volunteer that information.
Read Watson Coleman’s bill, the Fair SHARE Act, below:
