But will the governor sign it?
TRENTON -- Legislation looking to close the wage gap between men and women in New Jersey is headed to Gov. Chris Christie's desk after passing both houses in the Legislature.
The state Assembly on Monday approved a bill (A2750) that would strengthen protections for women in the state's Law Against Discrimination (LAD). Under the changes, it would be illegal for employers to pay workers of different genders different rates for doing substantially similar work.
The bill's supporters, including Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and Senate President Steve Sweeney, both Democrats, say the measure is modeled on the federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
"It is unacceptable that women still earn less than men across the country and in New Jersey," said Weinberg in a statement Monday.
Christie supports equal pay in N.H.
The governor has vetoed bills with similar language in the past -- most recently in 2014, citing concerns that its requirements and penalties were too broad. It is also opposed by business interest groups in the state on similar grounds.
"Let's be clear: Women should receive equal pay for equal work," said Michele Siekerka, the head of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, when the Senate version of the bill passed last month.
But, Siekerka said, a provision that would require public contractors to provide gendered pay data, for example, would be "another unnecessary mandate that would increase the cost of doing business in New Jersey."
According to the lawmakers who sponsored the bill, an employer can still pay a different rate of compensation for employees as long as they demonstrate the discrepency is based on reasons under than gender -- including seniority, education and experience, or productivity.
Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden), an Assembly sponsor, said the bill "will help us monitor discriminatory pay practices so we can crack down on blatant violators and ensure a more equitable workplace in New Jersey."
Christie has not staked out a position on the current legislation, but during his failed campaign for the Republican nomination for president, the governor told a young girl at a New Hampshire town hall "make sure that your paycheck looks no different than (a man's) when you go home every two weeks."
S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.