Interstate Fair Pay Standards Act

This Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) by adding a new section 7A, which prohibits any employer covered under FLSA Section 3(s)—those with annual gross sales over $500,000 engaged in interstate commerce or producing goods for commerce—from paying unequal wages to employees for substantially equal work on jobs requiring equal skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions, when the unequal pay is based on sex, race, or national origin. The prohibition applies only to employees engaged in commerce or handling goods produced for commerce, as defined in FLSA Sections 3(b), 3(j), and 3(s). Employers must maintain records of wages, job classifications, and bases for pay differences for 3 years, available for Secretary of Labor inspection. Violations trigger the same enforcement as FLSA minimum wage breaches: employee lawsuits for back wages plus liquidated damages, Department of Labor (DOL) investigations, and civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation. No private right of action for punitive damages; remedies limited to equitable relief. DOL must issue guidance within 90 days clarifying application to covered employers only. States retain full authority over intrastate employers not meeting FLSA commerce thresholds. Annual reports to Congress detail enforcement actions, cases by protected class, and commerce nexus verification.