S.B. No. 218 Summary

• Enacts the "Fair and Acceptable Income Required (FAIR) Act" to address wage discrimination and equal pay protections in Ohio

• Expands protected classes in wage discrimination prohibitions to include ancestry, sexual orientation, and gender identity in addition to existing protections for race, color, religion, sex, age, and national origin

• Establishes that employers cannot reduce employee wages to comply with equal pay requirements and prohibits retaliation against employees who inquire about or disclose wages for discrimination investigation purposes

• Shifts enforcement authority from the Director of Commerce to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and allows employees to sue for two times the wage differential plus attorney fees and costs, with provisions for punitive or exemplary damages

• Declares legislative intent to ensure equal pay for women in Ohio and correct historical wage disparities between the sexes