Employment Discrimination Bill Reaches the Finish Line; Contract Reform Stalls

During the conclusion of the rapid-fire lame duck session, the Ohio House failed to muster enough votes to accept an emergency clause on House Bill 352, legislation to bring Ohio’s employment discrimination laws in line with their federal counterparts, thereby creating a more predictable and consistent system for both employers and employers.

The Senate had amended HB 352 with House Bill 251, which would shorten from eight to six years the statute of limitations for actions brought against written contracts, while also shortening from six to four years the period of limitations on verbal contracts.

Because the House failed to concur with the Senate amendments, the Senate — in a rare procedural move — receded its changes to the House version of HB 352. This essentially killed the contract reforms, while the employment discrimination provisions were left in place and have been sent to the governor for his signature. 12/23/2020