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Committee hears bill to clarify gig-style status for health-care shift platforms
Summary
The Ohio Senate Health Committee heard sponsor and proponent testimony on SB 423, which would set criteria for when technology-based staffing platforms can treat licensed health professionals as independent contractors, while members pressed for clarity on worker protections and credentialing.
Sen. Manchester, sponsor of Senate Bill 423, told the Senate Health Committee the bill aims to address staffing shortages by creating "a clear framework" for technology-based workforce platforms and the licensed health professionals who use them.
The bill, Manchester said in sponsor testimony, sets a list of criteria that platforms and professionals must meet for the professionals to be treated as 1099 independent contractors for purposes of Ohio law, while also requiring written acknowledgement of independent-contractor status and that professionals maintain occupational accident and liability insurance.
Regan Parker, submitting testimony on behalf of ShiftKey, said platform flexibility helps keep licensed professionals in the workforce. "The workforce crisis in health care cannot be solved without the kind of flexible, technology-focused workforce model that SB 423 seeks to support," Parker said, and cited national staffing data and platform survey results she said show many workers need schedule flexibility.
Committee members pressed proponents on legal and practical effects. "So there's a lot of things that no longer would need to be done in terms of any employer choosing an employee through this platform should this bill go through. Correct?" asked Sen. Beth Liston, referring to overtime, minimum wage, workers' compensation and unemployment rules. ShiftKey representatives replied the platforms currently treat professionals as independent contractors, said facilities may still hire full-time staff, and said the bill is intended to provide legal clarity so facilities will feel comfortable using the services.
Proponents described platform features designed to support facility oversight: credential and background checks stored on the platform, facility choice of which professionals fill posted shifts, transparent base rates that facilities can adjust by contract, and mechanisms to flag or remove professionals whose licenses are revoked.
Matt Orlins, senior counsel for Clipboard Health, told the committee platform users are typically CNAs, LPNs and RNs and that platforms provide surge capacity for long-term care facilities. He cited Ohio workforce data, saying a 2024 Ohio University estimate found roughly 9,000 unfilled RN positions statewide and that many platform users booked 52 shifts or fewer in 2025.
The committee did not take formal action on SB 423 during the hearing. Proponents asked the committee to advance the bill to provide consistent legal standards while proponents and members of the committee flagged questions about worker protections, classification tests and how the platforms interact with existing labor and licensing rules. The committee noted additional proponent and written testimony on the record and moved on to other agenda items.
