AR HB1806

Establishes the Arkansas Equal Pay Act of 2019 to require state agencies to pay equal wages to male and female employees for equal work, with exceptions only for bona fide factors such as education, experience, merit, and seniority that are job-related and consistent with business necessity.

Creates a competitive grant program administered by the Department of Labor to fund negotiation skills training for girls and women to help them obtain higher wages and rates of compensation equal to similarly situated male employees.

Establishes the "Arkansas Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace" administered by the Department of Labor to recognize and reward employers who make substantial efforts to eliminate pay disparities between men and women.

Authorizes the Department of Labor to conduct research, provide educational programs, and sponsor a statewide summit to address wage and salary differentials and promote pay equity awareness among employers, labor organizations, and the general public.

Allows state agency employees to bring civil actions in Pulaski County Circuit Court or appropriate circuit courts for equal pay violations, with prevailing employees entitled to compensatory damages, reasonable attorney's fees, and other relief; effective July 1, 2020 and not retroactive.