Ohio Chamber of Commerce Legislative Update | February 25, 2026

Ohio Chamber Moves to Interested Party on Ban the Box Bill

The Ohio Senate Workforce Development Committee is currently considering legislation to promote second chance hiring across the state by removing questions about an applicant’s criminal history on initial employment applications. Senate Bill 143, sponsored by Senators Hearcel Craig and Bill Blessing, has received four committee hearings, and the Ohio Chamber recently moved to interested party after adoption of a substitute bill.

Initially, the Ohio Chamber testified as an opponent because the bill did more than “ban the box.” The original bill mandated employers follow a burdensome process for informing applicants about their criminal histories that included allowing applicants to rebut the results of their background check and requiring employers to give job denials in writing that specify why the applicant’s criminal history was disqualifying. The latest substitute bill removes this interactive process from the bill and gives all employers legal protections when hiring reformed citizens. 

These legal protections prevent plaintiff attorneys from using a person’s criminal history as evidence to support a claim of negligent hiring or negligent supervision. The Ohio Chamber believes these protections will give employers a greater incentive to consider hiring reformed citizens since they will not face additional liability should the employee re-offend.

In addition to the legal protections, the substitute bill simplifies Senate Bill 143 by only prohibiting criminal history questions on initial employment applications. Previous versions had also prohibited employers from asking applicants about “arrests not followed by conviction” at any point in the hiring process. This was problematic because most commercial background checks do not differentiate records based upon what happens after the arrest, which means employers would have no ability to know which arrests they could not ask an applicant about in an interview. Also, only a handful of states prohibit asking about arrests not followed by conviction, so this limitation would have made Ohio’s employment laws an outlier and increased compliance burdens for them.

Senate Bill 143 remains pending in the Senate Workforce Development Committee and could receive a committee vote in the coming weeks.

Amended Senate Bill 9 

On Wednesday last week, the Ohio House of Representatives passed amended Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) with a vote of 84-11. However, the vote on the emergency clause contained in the language failed in a separate vote. As a result, the Ohio Senate did not accept the house’s message and SB 9 awaits further action from the Ohio House. 

SB 9, Ohio’s annual tax conformity bill, updates the Ohio Revised Code to align with several federal tax law changes to the Internal Revenue Code since March 7, 2025. Businesses across Ohio benefit significantly when state and federal tax rules match, as it allows them to prepare one consistent set of records rather than maintaining separate calculations for federal and state purposes. Reducing this duplication and unnecessary complexity saves employers both time and money that can instead be invested in the growth and wages of the company. 

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce testified in support of SB 9 and expressed the importance of including the full expensing for research and experimental expenditures, to allow businesses to reinvest in their operations quickly and encourage growth in the state. The Chamber’s testimony also voiced support of the enhancements to the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, which help working families participate in the workforce and support employers facing labor shortages.

Amended House Bill 503

Recently, the Ohio House of Representative Ways and Means Committee reported out House Bill 503 (HB 503) with a vote of 11-2. The bill now sits below the black line waiting for a full vote on the House floor. 

HB 503 adds transparency and fairness to Ohio’s municipal income tax system by requiring voter approval of any change to a city’s reciprocity credit. It also allows voters to initiate changes to their reciprocity credit through petition, ensuring that the people directly affected by these changes have a voice in the decision. HB 503 would ensure a more stable tax environment, allowing companies to plan ahead, retain skilled workers, and stay competitive in Ohio’s job market.