On March 8, 2017, Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares signed the Puerto Rico Equal
Pay Act (“PREPA” or Law No. 16:2017). This new law aims to address and eradicate
pay disparities between men and women in the government and private sector
workplace. However, the regulatory scheme adopted goes far beyond the requirements
of the federal Equal Pay Act. As such, PREPA imposes new restrictions on employer policies and practices related to inquiring about a job applicant’s prior salary data and prohibiting employees
from discussing their wages.
While inspired by similar legislation recently approved in California, Connecticut, New
York, Maryland, Oregon, Delaware and Massachusetts, PREPA establishes more
restrictions on employer practices and entails greater monetary exposure than any of its
counterparts in the states.

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