Ohio Senate approves ameloblastoma awareness day, allows online labor notices and OKs veterans poster

The Ohio Senate on March 4 passed three measures that lawmakers said would boost public awareness of a rare disease, modernize certain employer posting options, and promote veterans' access to benefits.

Senate Bill 27, sponsored by Senator Johnson, passed on a roll call. "Ameloblastoma is a rare condition where a cancerous tumor develops in the jaw," Senator Johnson said during floor remarks, noting that most tumors are benign but can require complex surgery and grafting. Johnson told colleagues the federal- and state-level incidence is small—"roughly 300 cases... across the United States and around 12 cases... in Ohio annually"—and asked the chamber to designate March 20 as Ameloblastoma Awareness Day to mark a constituent's recovery. The bill passed by voice and roll call and was reported as passed, 32 yeas and 0 nays.

The chamber also approved Senate Bill 33, a permissive change to existing posting requirements that allows employers to post certain Department of Commerce labor-law notices on the internet instead of (or in addition to) maintaining physical workplace postings. "If an employer believes that posting these notices on the Internet makes sense for their business... then the legislation will allow them to do so," Senator Wilson said while explaining the bill's intent to preserve content requirements while giving employers an alternate option for delivery.

Senator Ingram offered amendment 136-0192 to require the Department of Commerce to ensure that, when employers post notices online, employees are given a clear method for accessing them (for example, a regular email or an onsite instruction). Ingram argued the amendment would prevent an "out of sight, out of mind" outcome for remote or otherwise hard-to-reach staff. The Senate laid that amendment on the table on a motion by Senator Reineke; the motion to table was adopted, 23 ayes and 9 nays. After further floor consideration, SB33 passed with a recorded vote reported as 29 yeas and 3 nays.

Senate Bill 39, sponsored by Senator Craig with Senator Johnson as a co-sponsor, would create and encourage the display of a poster containing information about benefits and services for veterans in workplaces. "This bill would encourage employers to display these posters in the workplace so that veterans might learn more about the opportunities available to them," Senator Craig said. The Senate passed SB39 by voice and roll call, reported as 32 yeas and 0 nays.

The Senate also introduced several bills for first consideration and announced committee meetings before adjourning. Senators moved to adjourn the session until March 11.