H.B. No. 232 - Ohio Equal Pay Act

• Requires all public employers (state agencies and political subdivisions) to establish equitable compensation relationships between female-dominated, male-dominated, and balanced employee classes to eliminate sex-based wage disparities.

• Mandates public employers establish job evaluation systems to determine comparable work value based on skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions, with reports submitted to the Director of Budget and Management every three years.

• Prohibits employers from requesting prospective employees' wage or salary history except when the employee voluntarily discloses it or after making a job offer.

• Requires private contractors with four or more employees seeking state contracts, grants, or economic incentives to obtain an equal pay certificate by submitting a $25 filing fee and compliance statement affirming equal pay practices.

• Creates enforcement mechanisms including remedial training courses for violations, daily fines of $100 for non-compliant state agencies, and annual accountability reports to the General Assembly on public and private sector compliance.