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Committee advances bill letting Ohio employers post state labor notices online
Summary
The House Commerce and Labor Committee heard sponsor testimony and tabled two floor amendments before voting to favorably report Senate Bill 33, which would permit (but not require) employers to provide required Ohio labor law notices via the internet instead of only on physical workplace postings.
The House Commerce and Labor Committee voted to move Senate Bill 33 forward after hearing sponsor testimony and tabling two proposed amendments.
Senator Wilson, a sponsor appearing in the committee, told members Senate Bill 33 would allow Ohio employers to post required state labor-law notices on the Internet rather than only in a conspicuous physical location at the workplace. He said the bill does not change the content of any notices and is permissive — employers would choose whether to use an online posting, a QR code, a link on an employee portal, or to keep a physical poster. Wilson noted the director of commerce already posts and updates the notices on the department’s website.
Supporters and multiple committee members framed the bill as a modernization step for an increasingly remote workforce. Kevin (witness) placed the bill in context, pointing to prior legislation passed during the COVID-19 era that adjusted worker-related rules, and argued SB33 would reduce compliance friction for employers while extending access to remote employees.
Committee debate centered on enforcement and safeguards to prevent ‘‘bad actors’’ from hiding notices behind multiple website clicks. Representative White and Ranking Member McNally pressed whether employers could already post notices online and how the public or the Department of Commerce would verify compliance. Senator Wilson and witnesses said current law still requires employers to make notices readily available to all employees and that filing complaints or litigation has been the primary enforcement mechanism historically.
Members offered and debated two amendments seeking to require a single-click access path from employer personnel/employee-access sites and to ensure employers keep physical posters posted until the online option was fully operational and employees are notified. Both amendments (amendment 136-0327 and amendment 136-0371) were moved by Ranking Member McNally and later the motions to lay those amendments on the table were carried, removing the amendments from consideration on the floor at this committee.
After tabling the amendments, Vice Chair Lier moved to favorably report Senate Bill 33 and recommend its passage. The committee roll call followed and the motion to recommend passage carried.
The committee record includes prior legislative history cited by the sponsor: the same measure passed a Senate committee 11–0 and passed the Senate 30–0 in the prior General Assembly but did not reach a House floor vote. The bill explicitly preserves employers’ existing obligation under state law to make the content of required notices available to employees; SB33 would add that posting those notices online also satisfies the requirement if the employer chooses that approach.
The committee did not adopt the proposed one-click or transitional-posting amendments, instead tabling them. Committee members repeatedly requested clearer enforcement mechanisms and assurances that employees without regular internet access would continue to receive notices by other means.
No final changes to the bill text were adopted in committee; the measure was favorably reported to the full House for further consideration.
