October 3, 2007

The Ohio House of Representatives is considering several employment related bills:

- House Bill 95 would specify conditions under which a claimant’s unemployment compensation benefits would not be reduced by the amount of social security benefits currently received.  The bill is currently before the House Commerce and Labor Committee.  The text of the bill may be found here.

- House Bill 242 would prohibit private employers from requiring employees to join or pay dues to any employee organization.  The bill establishes civil and criminal penalties for private employers who violate these prohibitions and is currently before the House Commerce and Labor Committee.  The text of the bill may be found here. 

- House Bill 316 is a bill that would amend the Ohio Smoking Ban, which was enacted May 3, 2007and prohibits smoking in any “public place” or “place of employment.”  The amendment allows smoking in cigar bars and in outdoor seating areas of restaurants that are at least 20 feet from an entrance, exit, or window of the establishment.  The text of the bill can may be found here.

- House Bill 308 would require employers to verify the immigration status of employees and applicants.  In addition to specifying acceptable unexpired forms of identification, the bill exempts employers from liability, investigation, or legal action if the employer enrolls in and uses a status verification system to verify the employment eligibility of its employees.  Additionally, the bill prohibits termination of employees based on immigration status if the employer currently employs other unauthorized workers.  The bill can be found here.

In addition, the Ohio Senate is considering a bill that establishes additional employment rights for private sector employees serving in the military.  The bill permits an employee aggrieved under the federal "Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act" to file a claim against an employer or individual in state court.  The bill is currently before the Committee on Judiciary Civil Justice and the text of the bill may be found here.