Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, who ascended to the corner office when former Governor Gina Raimondo was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Commerce under the Biden administration, last week signed legislation mandating equal pay across the Ocean State. The Pay Equity Act prohibits an employer from paying wages to any employees at a rate less than what it pays to employees of another “race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or expression, disability, age or country of ancestral origin for “comparable work”. bill into law. The law, which does not take effect until January 1, 2023, applies to all employers in the state and offers a safe harbor from wage discrimination claims to employers who undertake a self-evaluation and fix any pay equity problems identified. In addition, the law prohibits employers from using a worker’s wage history as justification for lower pay and affirms employees’ rights to discuss wages with others.