Assemblyman James Skoufis says he played a part in passing legislation to help close the gender wage gap in the state.

Skoufis was one of the members who voted to pass the New York State Fair Pay Act, which will help enforce pay equity as well as strengthen equal pay protections for women and minority in the workplace. The package also included legislation prohibiting employers from requesting prospective employees' salary history as well as a state policy for wage equality for state workers.

In a statement, Skoufis says, "This package of bills will help lead the way in addressing the persistent pay disparity that has held women back for far too long. ... I’ll keep fighting to ensure gender is never used to limit a person’s economic security."

Currently, women only earn 80 percent for every dollar a man makes. The gap is even greater for African-American and Hispanic women.