SB 369 Summary

• Requires employers with 50+ full-time employees or 1,500+ aggregate weekly work hours to notify the Ohio Director of Commerce at least 120 days before relocating a call center or major facility (30%+ of operations) to a foreign country, with civil penalties up to $10,000 per day for non-compliance.

• Mandates the Director of Commerce compile and publicly release a list every six months of call center employers that relocate operations abroad, with employers remaining on the list for up to three years; employers can be removed if they return operations to the United States.

• Prohibits employers on the relocation list from receiving any direct or indirect state grants, guaranteed loans, tax benefits, or other financial support until removal from the list, with limited waivers available if relocation threatens state/national security, causes substantial job loss, or harms the environment.

• Requires call center employees in foreign locations to disclose their physical location to U.S. consumers at the start of each customer service call, unless the employee is in the United States or the consumer initiated contact knowing the agent was located abroad.

• Mandates call centers transfer consumers to U.S.-based agents upon request and ensures relocated workers retain eligibility for unemployment compensation, disability benefits, and worker retraining benefits.