H.B. 208 Summary

• Amends Ohio's Civil Rights Law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression in employment, housing, public accommodations, and other areas covered by existing civil rights protections.

• Adds mediation as an informal dispute resolution method the Ohio Civil Rights Commission may use alongside existing conference, conciliation, and persuasion methods to resolve discrimination allegations.

• Establishes civil penalties for violations of the employment discrimination provisions, ranging from $10,000 for first offenses to $50,000 for respondents with two or more violations within seven years, plus actual damages and reasonable attorney's fees.

• Preserves all existing religious exemptions currently in Ohio civil rights law, allowing religious organizations and institutions to continue applying religious criteria in hiring and operations.

• Applies to both employment-related and non-employment discriminatory practices, with 6-month filing deadlines for non-employment charges and 1-year deadlines for employment-related charges.