A bill before the New Jersey Senate's Labor Committee could have the state joining a wave of states passing pay-transparency laws, though employment lawyers caution that it could result in future litigation over pay inequity and other biases by existing employees.

This week, Assembly bill No. 3937 was before the New Jersey Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee with amendments, which would require employers to disclose the hourly range, salary, or a range of compensation for each job they post. Amendments to the bill would also require employers to make reasonable efforts to notify all current employees of the opportunities for promotion. The committee heard testimony Thursday on the bill but did not take a vote on its passage.

In its current form, the bill would allow the commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to enforce civil penalties of up to $1,000 for the first violation, $5,000 for the second violation, and $10,000 for each subsequent violation. Each failure to include the required information would constitute a separate violation.