Several states have enacted legislation this summer to close the pay gap between men and women.

This week Massachusetts made it illegal for job seekers to tell potential employers their current salary. Instead, employers must make an offer first, based on the individual’s worth to the company. It is the first state to enact this type of law.

Earlier this year Maryland lawmakers passed legislation that requires equal pay for what they call comparable work. Last year California began requiring employers to prove that pay was equal for men and women who are doing similar jobs.

Massachusetts and 12 other states also require companies to allow employees to discuss with each other how much they are paid.

Federal law currently prohibits companies from paying one gender more than the other. But, that type of discrimination is difficult to prove. And even with extra efforts by lawmakers, the gap between men and women’s paycheck can be found in almost every type of job.

The United States Census Bureau reports that women are paid 79 cents for every dollar that men earn.  African-American women earn 64 cents and Latina women earn 56 cents for every dollar earned by a non-Hispanic man.

Nationally, Congress has tried to pass the national anti-secrecy law, the Paycheck Fairness Act. However, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly blocked the bill from becoming law.

Some employers have taken the matter into their own hands.

In June, 28 businesses across the U.S. signed the Equal Pay Pledge, promoted by the White House. The pledge requires the companies to audit salaries annually to find gaps in pay by gender. Companies who signed the commitment include Dow Chemical Company, Amazon and PepsiCo.

To read more about the Equal Pay Pledge, please visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/06/14/businesses-taking-equal-pay-pledge