Senator Cortese Bill to Study Gender Equity in Worker's Compensation Clears First Committee

A bill by Senator Dave Cortese to study gender pay equity under California’s workers’ compensation system cleared its first committee hearing on Wednesday. The Senate Labor Committee advanced SB 631, which would commission the University of California, Berkeley, to study gender-based monetary disparities in workers’ compensation. Results would be presented to the Legislature by late 2024.

“No one should be afraid of what happens next after they are injured on the job. For California to lead on equal pay and gender equity, our next step is ensuring worker’s compensation is fair and equitable for all,” said Senator Cortese (D-San Jose), chair of the Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee. “We need to address the root causes of gender inequity in workers’ compensation. Though the need is apparent, quantifying these inequities is vital to achieving reform.”

Throughout his career, Senator Cortese has helped lift up and advance women's policy issues. As a Santa Clara County Supervisor, he initiated the county’s Gender and Ethnicity Pay Equity Ordinance, the landmark Anti-Human Trafficking Team, and a first-of-its kind review of Title IX policies for K-12 and higher education institutions. Last year, Senator Cortese authored SB 1210, a law that seeks to prevent online sexual exploitation, non-consensual sharing of obscene images, and provides survivors of online trafficking avenues for relief, recourse and recovery.

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