To amend sections 3314.03, 3326.11, 4111.04, 4111.05, 4111.06, 4111.07, 4111.09, 4111.11, 4111.12, 4111.13, 4111.17, 4111.99, and 4112.01 and to amend, for the purpose of adopting a new section number as indicated in parentheses, section 4111.17 (4112.16) of the Revised Code to enact the "Fair and Acceptable Income Required (FAIR) Act" and to revise the enforcement of the prohibitions against discrimination in the payment of wages.

Section 1. That sections 3314.03, 3326.11, 4111.04, 4111.05, 4111.06, 4111.07, 4111.09, 4111.11, 4111.12, 4111.13, 4111.17, 4111.99, and 4112.01 be amended and section 4111.17 (4112.16) of the Revised Code be amended for the purpose of adopting a new section number as indicated in parentheses, to read as follows:

Sec. 3314.03.  A copy of every contract entered into under this section shall be filed with the superintendent of public instruction. The department of education shall make available on its web site a copy of every approved, executed contract filed with the superintendent under this section.

(A) Each contract entered into between a sponsor and the governing authority of a community school shall specify the following:

(1) That the school shall be established as either of the following:

(a) A nonprofit corporation established under Chapter 1702. of the Revised Code, if established prior to April 8, 2003;

(b) A public benefit corporation established under Chapter 1702. of the Revised Code, if established after April 8, 2003.

(2) The education program of the school, including the school's mission, the characteristics of the students the school is expected to attract, the ages and grades of students, and the focus of the curriculum;

(3) The academic goals to be achieved and the method of measurement that will be used to determine progress toward those goals, which shall include the statewide achievement assessments;

(4) Performance standards by which the success of the school will be evaluated by the sponsor;

(5) The admission standards of section 3314.06 of the Revised Code and, if applicable, section 3314.061 of the Revised Code;

(6)(a) Dismissal procedures;

(b) A requirement that the governing authority adopt an attendance policy that includes a procedure for automatically withdrawing a student from the school if the student without a legitimate excuse fails to participate in one hundred five consecutive hours of the learning opportunities offered to the student.

(7) The ways by which the school will achieve racial and ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves;

(8) Requirements for financial audits by the auditor of state. The contract shall require financial records of the school to be maintained in the same manner as are financial records of school districts, pursuant to rules of the auditor of state. Audits shall be conducted in accordance with section 117.10 of the Revised Code.

(9) The facilities to be used and their locations;

(10) Qualifications of teachers, including the following:

(a) A requirement that the school's classroom teachers be licensed in accordance with sections 3319.22 to 3319.31 of the Revised Code, except that a community school may engage noncertificated persons to teach up to twelve hours per week pursuant to section 3319.301 of the Revised Code;

(b) A requirement that each classroom teacher initially hired by the school on or after July 1, 2013, and employed to provide instruction in physical education hold a valid license issued pursuant to section 3319.22 of the Revised Code for teaching physical education.

(11) That the school will comply with the following requirements:

(a) The school will provide learning opportunities to a minimum of twenty-five students for a minimum of nine hundred twenty hours per school year.

(b) The governing authority will purchase liability insurance, or otherwise provide for the potential liability of the school.

(c) The school will be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations, and will not be operated by a sectarian school or religious institution.

(d) The school will comply with sections 9.90, 9.91, 109.65, 121.22, 149.43, 2151.357, 2151.421, 2313.19, 3301.0710, 3301.0711, 3301.0712, 3301.0715, 3313.472, 3313.50, 3313.536, 3313.608, 3313.609, 3313.6012, 3313.6013, 3313.6014, 3313.6015, 3313.643, 3313.648, 3313.6411, 3313.66, 3313.661, 3313.662, 3313.666, 3313.667, 3313.67, 3313.671, 3313.672, 3313.673, 3313.69, 3313.71, 3313.716, 3313.718, 3313.719, 3313.80, 3313.814, 3313.816, 3313.817, 3313.86, 3313.96, 3319.073, 3319.321, 3319.39, 3319.391, 3319.41, 3321.01, 3321.041, 3321.13, 3321.14, 3321.17, 3321.18, 3321.19, 3321.191, 3327.10, 4111.17 4112.16, 4113.52, and 5705.391 and Chapters 117., 1347., 2744., 3365., 3742., 4112., 4123., 4141., and 4167. of the Revised Code as if it were a school district and will comply with section 3301.0714 of the Revised Code in the manner specified in section 3314.17 of the Revised Code.

(e) The school shall comply with Chapter 102. and section 2921.42 of the Revised Code.

(f) The school will comply with sections 3313.61, 3313.611, and 3313.614 of the Revised Code, except that for students who enter ninth grade for the first time before July 1, 2010, the requirement in sections 3313.61 and 3313.611 of the Revised Code that a person must successfully complete the curriculum in any high school prior to receiving a high school diploma may be met by completing the curriculum adopted by the governing authority of the community school rather than the curriculum specified in Title XXXIII of the Revised Code or any rules of the state board of education. Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2010, the requirement in sections 3313.61 and 3313.611 of the Revised Code that a person must successfully complete the curriculum of a high school prior to receiving a high school diploma shall be met by completing the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of section 3313.603 of the Revised Code, unless the person qualifies under division (D) or (F) of that section. Each school shall comply with the plan for awarding high school credit based on demonstration of subject area competency, adopted by the state board of education under division (J) of section 3313.603 of the Revised Code.

(g) The school governing authority will submit within four months after the end of each school year a report of its activities and progress in meeting the goals and standards of divisions (A)(3) and (4) of this section and its financial status to the sponsor and the parents of all students enrolled in the school.

(h) The school, unless it is an internet- or computer-based community school, will comply with section 3313.801 of the Revised Code as if it were a school district.

(i) If the school is the recipient of moneys from a grant awarded under the federal race to the top program, Division (A), Title XIV, Sections 14005 and 14006 of the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009," Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 Stat. 115, the school will pay teachers based upon performance in accordance with section 3317.141 and will comply with section 3319.111 of the Revised Code as if it were a school district.

(12) Arrangements for providing health and other benefits to employees;

(13) The length of the contract, which shall begin at the beginning of an academic year. No contract shall exceed five years unless such contract has been renewed pursuant to division (E) of this section.

(14) The governing authority of the school, which shall be responsible for carrying out the provisions of the contract;

(15) A financial plan detailing an estimated school budget for each year of the period of the contract and specifying the total estimated per pupil expenditure amount for each such year. The plan shall specify for each year the base formula amount that will be used for purposes of funding calculations under section 3314.08 of the Revised Code. This base formula amount for any year shall not exceed the formula amount defined under section 3317.02 of the Revised Code. The plan may also specify for any year a percentage figure to be used for reducing the per pupil amount of the subsidy calculated pursuant to section 3317.029 of the Revised Code the school is to receive that year under section 3314.08 of the Revised Code.

(16) Requirements and procedures regarding the disposition of employees of the school in the event the contract is terminated or not renewed pursuant to section 3314.07 of the Revised Code;

(17) Whether the school is to be created by converting all or part of an existing public school or educational service center building or is to be a new start-up school, and if it is a converted public school or service center building, specification of any duties or responsibilities of an employer that the board of education or service center governing board that operated the school or building before conversion is delegating to the governing authority of the community school with respect to all or any specified group of employees provided the delegation is not prohibited by a collective bargaining agreement applicable to such employees;

(18) Provisions establishing procedures for resolving disputes or differences of opinion between the sponsor and the governing authority of the community school;

(19) A provision requiring the governing authority to adopt a policy regarding the admission of students who reside outside the district in which the school is located. That policy shall comply with the admissions procedures specified in sections 3314.06 and 3314.061 of the Revised Code and, at the sole discretion of the authority, shall do one of the following:

(a) Prohibit the enrollment of students who reside outside the district in which the school is located;

(b) Permit the enrollment of students who reside in districts adjacent to the district in which the school is located;

(c) Permit the enrollment of students who reside in any other district in the state.

(20) A provision recognizing the authority of the department of education to take over the sponsorship of the school in accordance with the provisions of division (C) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code;

(21) A provision recognizing the sponsor's authority to assume the operation of a school under the conditions specified in division (B) of section 3314.073 of the Revised Code;

(22) A provision recognizing both of the following:

(a) The authority of public health and safety officials to inspect the facilities of the school and to order the facilities closed if those officials find that the facilities are not in compliance with health and safety laws and regulations;

(b) The authority of the department of education as the community school oversight body to suspend the operation of the school under section 3314.072 of the Revised Code if the department has evidence of conditions or violations of law at the school that pose an imminent danger to the health and safety of the school's students and employees and the sponsor refuses to take such action.

(23) A description of the learning opportunities that will be offered to students including both classroom-based and non-classroom-based learning opportunities that is in compliance with criteria for student participation established by the department under division (L)(2) of section 3314.08 of the Revised Code;

(24) The school will comply with sections 3302.04 and 3302.041 of the Revised Code, except that any action required to be taken by a school district pursuant to those sections shall be taken by the sponsor of the school. However, the sponsor shall not be required to take any action described in division (F) of section 3302.04 of the Revised Code.

(25) Beginning in the 2006-2007 school year, the school will open for operation not later than the thirtieth day of September each school year, unless the mission of the school as specified under division (A)(2) of this section is solely to serve dropouts. In its initial year of operation, if the school fails to open by the thirtieth day of September, or within one year after the adoption of the contract pursuant to division (D) of section 3314.02 of the Revised Code if the mission of the school is solely to serve dropouts, the contract shall be void.

(B) The community school shall also submit to the sponsor a comprehensive plan for the school. The plan shall specify the following:

(1) The process by which the governing authority of the school will be selected in the future;

(2) The management and administration of the school;

(3) If the community school is a currently existing public school or educational service center building, alternative arrangements for current public school students who choose not to attend the converted school and for teachers who choose not to teach in the school or building after conversion;

(4) The instructional program and educational philosophy of the school;

(5) Internal financial controls.

(C) A contract entered into under section 3314.02 of the Revised Code between a sponsor and the governing authority of a community school may provide for the community school governing authority to make payments to the sponsor, which is hereby authorized to receive such payments as set forth in the contract between the governing authority and the sponsor. The total amount of such payments for oversight and monitoring of the school shall not exceed three per cent of the total amount of payments for operating expenses that the school receives from the state.

(D) The contract shall specify the duties of the sponsor which shall be in accordance with the written agreement entered into with the department of education under division (B) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code and shall include the following:

(1) Monitor the community school's compliance with all laws applicable to the school and with the terms of the contract;

(2) Monitor and evaluate the academic and fiscal performance and the organization and operation of the community school on at least an annual basis;

(3) Report on an annual basis the results of the evaluation conducted under division (D)(2) of this section to the department of education and to the parents of students enrolled in the community school;

(4) Provide technical assistance to the community school in complying with laws applicable to the school and terms of the contract;

(5) Take steps to intervene in the school's operation to correct problems in the school's overall performance, declare the school to be on probationary status pursuant to section 3314.073 of the Revised Code, suspend the operation of the school pursuant to section 3314.072 of the Revised Code, or terminate the contract of the school pursuant to section 3314.07 of the Revised Code as determined necessary by the sponsor;

(6) Have in place a plan of action to be undertaken in the event the community school experiences financial difficulties or closes prior to the end of a school year.

(E) Upon the expiration of a contract entered into under this section, the sponsor of a community school may, with the approval of the governing authority of the school, renew that contract for a period of time determined by the sponsor, but not ending earlier than the end of any school year, if the sponsor finds that the school's compliance with applicable laws and terms of the contract and the school's progress in meeting the academic goals prescribed in the contract have been satisfactory. Any contract that is renewed under this division remains subject to the provisions of sections 3314.07, 3314.072, and 3314.073 of the Revised Code.

(F) If a community school fails to open for operation within one year after the contract entered into under this section is adopted pursuant to division (D) of section 3314.02 of the Revised Code or permanently closes prior to the expiration of the contract, the contract shall be void and the school shall not enter into a contract with any other sponsor. A school shall not be considered permanently closed because the operations of the school have been suspended pursuant to section 3314.072 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3326.11. Each science, technology, engineering, and mathematics school established under this chapter and its governing body shall comply with sections 9.90, 9.91, 109.65, 121.22, 149.43, 2151.357, 2151.421, 2313.19, 2921.42, 2921.43, 3301.0714, 3301.0715, 3313.14, 3313.15, 3313.16, 3313.18, 3313.201, 3313.26, 3313.472, 3313.48, 3313.481, 3313.482, 3313.50, 3313.536, 3313.539, 3313.608, 3313.6012, 3313.6013, 3313.6014, 3313.6015, 3313.61, 3313.611, 3313.614, 3313.615, 3313.643, 3313.648, 3313.6411, 3313.66, 3313.661, 3313.662, 3313.666, 3313.667, 3313.67, 3313.671, 3313.672, 3313.673, 3313.69, 3313.71, 3313.716, 3313.718, 3313.719, 3313.80, 3313.801, 3313.814, 3313.816, 3313.817, 3313.86, 3313.88, 3313.96, 3319.073, 3319.21, 3319.32, 3319.321, 3319.35, 3319.39, 3319.391, 3319.41, 3319.45, 3321.01, 3321.041, 3321.13, 3321.14, 3321.17, 3321.18, 3321.19, 3321.191, 3327.10, 4111.17 4112.16, 4113.52, and 5705.391 and Chapters 102., 117., 1347., 2744., 3307., 3309., 3365., 3742., 4112., 4123., 4141., and 4167. of the Revised Code as if it were a school district.

Sec. 4111.04.  The director of commerce may:

(A) Investigate and ascertain the wages of persons employed in any occupation in the state;

(B) Enter and inspect the place of business or employment of any employer for the purpose of inspecting any books, registers, payrolls, or other records of the employer that in any way relate to the question of wages, hours, and other conditions of employment of any employees, and may question the employees for the purpose of ascertaining whether sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 and 4112.16 of the Revised Code, and the rules adopted thereunder, have been and are being obeyed. In conducting an inspection of the records of an employer, the director shall make every effort to coordinate the inspection with those conducted by the federal agency responsible for enforcement of the "Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938," 52 Stat. 1060, 29 U.S.C.A. 201, as amended. If the federal agency has completed an audit or examination of the employer's records within the sixty days prior to the date the director notifies the employer of the director's intent to examine the employer's records, the director shall accept in lieu of the director's own inspection, a report from the federal agency that the employer is in compliance with the federal act, unless the director has reasonable grounds for believing that the report is inaccurate or incomplete for the purposes of sections 4111.01 to 4111.13 of the Revised Code, or that events occurring since the audit give the director reasonable grounds for believing that a violation of sections 4111.01 to 4111.13 of the Revised Code has occurred.

(C) In the event the director is prohibited by any employer from carrying out the intent of this section, the director may issue subpoenas and compel attendance of witnesses and production of papers, books, accounts, payrolls, documents, records, and testimony relating and relevant to the director's investigation.

Sec. 4111.05.  The director of commerce shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code as the director considers appropriate to carry out the purposes of sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code. The rules may be amended from time to time and may include, but are not limited to, rules defining and governing apprentices, their number, proportion, and length of service; bonuses and special pay for special or extra work; permitted deductions or charges to employees for board, lodging, apparel, or other facilities or services customarily furnished by employers to employees; inclusion of ascertainable gratuities in wages paid; allowances for unascertainable gratuities or for other special conditions or circumstances which may be usual in particular employer-employee relationships; and the method of computation or the period of time over which wages may be averaged to determine whether the minimum wage or overtime rate has been paid.

Sec. 4111.06.  In order to prevent curtailment of opportunities for employment, to avoid undue hardship, and to safeguard the minimum wage rates under sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code, the director of commerce shall adopt rules under section 4111.05 of the Revised Code, permitting employment in any occupation at wages lower than the wage rates applicable under sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code, of individuals whose earning capacity is impaired by physical or mental deficiencies or injuries. The rules shall provide for licenses to be issued authorizing employment at the wages of specific individuals or groups of employees, or by specific employers or groups of employers, pursuant to the rules. The rules shall not conflict with the "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990," 104 Stat. 328, 42 U.S.C.A. 12111, et seq.

Sec. 4111.07.  The director of commerce may adopt rules under section 4111.05 of the Revised Code, permitting employment of apprentices at a wage rate not less than eighty-five per cent of the minimum wage rate applicable under sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code. The rules shall provide for licenses to be issued for periods not to exceed ninety days and authorizing employment at the wages of specific individuals or groups of employees, or by specific employers or groups of employers, pursuant to the rules.

Sec. 4111.09.  Every employer subject to sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 and 4112.16 of the Revised Code, or to any rules issued thereunder, shall keep a summary of the sections, approved by the director of commerce, and copies of any applicable rules issued thereunder, or a summary of the rules, posted in a conspicuous and accessible place in or about the premises wherein any person subject thereto is employed. The director of commerce shall make the summary described in this section available on the web site of the department of commerce. The director shall update this summary as necessary, but not less than annually, in order to reflect changes in the minimum wage rate as required under Section 34a of Article II, Ohio Constitution. Employees and employers shall be furnished copies of the summaries and rules by the state, on request, without charge.

Sec. 4111.11.  Any standards relating to minimum wages, overtime compensation, or other working conditions in effect under any other law of this state on the effective date of sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code, which are more favorable to employees than those applicable to employees under sections or regulations issued hereunder, are not amended, rescinded, or otherwise affected by said sections, but continue in full force and effect, and may be enforced as provided by law until they are specifically superseded by standards more favorable to the employees by operation of or in accordance with regulations issued under said sections.

Sec. 4111.12.  Nothing in sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code interferes with, impedes, or in any way diminishes the right of employees to bargain collectively with their employers through representatives of their own choosing in order to establish wages or other conditions of work in excess of the applicable minimum under sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4111.13.  (A) No employer shall hinder or delay the director of commerce in the performance of the director's duties in the enforcement of sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code, or refuse to admit the director to any place of employment, or fail to make, keep, and preserve any records as required under those sections, or falsify any of those records, or refuse to make them accessible to the director upon demand, or refuse to furnish them or any other information required for the proper enforcement of those sections to the director upon demand, or fail to post a summary of those sections or a copy of any applicable rules as required by section 4111.09 of the Revised Code. Each day of violation constitutes a separate offense.

(B) No employer shall discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any employee because the employee has made any complaint to the employee's employer, or to the director, that the employee has not been paid wages in accordance with sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code, or because the employee has made any complaint or is about to cause to be instituted any proceeding under or related to those sections, or because the employee has testified or is about to testify in any proceeding.

(C) No employer shall pay or agree to pay wages at a rate less than the rate applicable under sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code. Each week or portion thereof for which the employer pays any employee less than the rate applicable under those sections constitutes a separate offense as to each employer.

(D) No employer shall otherwise violate sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 4111.14 of the Revised Code, or any rule adopted thereunder. Each day of violation constitutes a separate offense.

Sec. 4111.99.  (A) Whoever violates division (A) or (D) of section 4111.13 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

(B) Whoever violates division (B) or (C) of section 4111.13 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.

(C) Whoever violates section 4111.17 of the Revised Code is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

Sec. 4112.01.  (A) As used in this chapter:

(1) "Person" includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, organizations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers, and other organized groups of persons. "Person" also includes, but is not limited to, any owner, lessor, assignor, builder, manager, broker, salesperson, appraiser, agent, employee, lending institution, and the state and all political subdivisions, authorities, agencies, boards, and commissions of the state.

(2) "Employer" includes the state, any political subdivision of the state, any person employing four or more persons within the state, and any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer.

(3) "Employee" means an individual employed by any employer but does not include any individual employed in the domestic service of any person.

(4) "Labor organization" includes any organization that exists, in whole or in part, for the purpose of collective bargaining or of dealing with employers concerning grievances, terms or conditions of employment, or other mutual aid or protection in relation to employment.

(5) "Employment agency" includes any person regularly undertaking, with or without compensation, to procure opportunities to work or to procure, recruit, refer, or place employees.

(6) "Commission" means the Ohio civil rights commission created by section 4112.03 of the Revised Code.

(7) "Discriminate" includes segregate or separate.

(8) "Unlawful discriminatory practice" means any act prohibited by section 4112.02, 4112.021, or 4112.022 of the Revised Code.

(9) "Place of public accommodation" means any inn, restaurant, eating house, barbershop, public conveyance by air, land, or water, theater, store, other place for the sale of merchandise, or any other place of public accommodation or amusement of which the accommodations, advantages, facilities, or privileges are available to the public.

(10) "Housing accommodations" includes any building or structure, or portion of a building or structure, that is used or occupied or is intended, arranged, or designed to be used or occupied as the home residence, dwelling, dwelling unit, or sleeping place of one or more individuals, groups, or families whether or not living independently of each other; and any vacant land offered for sale or lease. "Housing accommodations" also includes any housing accommodations held or offered for sale or rent by a real estate broker, salesperson, or agent, by any other person pursuant to authorization of the owner, by the owner, or by the owner's legal representative.

(11) "Restrictive covenant" means any specification limiting the transfer, rental, lease, or other use of any housing accommodations because of race, color, religion, sex, military status, familial status, national origin, disability, or ancestry, or any limitation based upon affiliation with or approval by any person, directly or indirectly, employing race, color, religion, sex, military status, familial status, national origin, disability, or ancestry as a condition of affiliation or approval.

(12) "Burial lot" means any lot for the burial of deceased persons within any public burial ground or cemetery, including, but not limited to, cemeteries owned and operated by municipal corporations, townships, or companies or associations incorporated for cemetery purposes.

(13) "Disability" means a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including the functions of caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working; a record of a physical or mental impairment; or being regarded as having a physical or mental impairment.

(14) Except as otherwise provided in section 4112.021 of the Revised Code, "age" means at least forty years old.

(15) "Familial status" means either of the following:

(a) One or more individuals who are under eighteen years of age and who are domiciled with a parent or guardian having legal custody of the individual or domiciled, with the written permission of the parent or guardian having legal custody, with a designee of the parent or guardian;

(b) Any person who is pregnant or in the process of securing legal custody of any individual who is under eighteen years of age.

(16)(a) Except as provided in division (A)(16)(b) of this section, "physical or mental impairment" includes any of the following:

(i) Any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genito-urinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine;

(ii) Any mental or psychological disorder, including, but not limited to, mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities;

(iii) Diseases and conditions, including, but not limited to, orthopedic, visual, speech, and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus infection, mental retardation, emotional illness, drug addiction, and alcoholism.

(b) "Physical or mental impairment" does not include any of the following:

(i) Homosexuality and bisexuality;

(ii) Transvestism, transsexualism, pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, gender identity disorders not resulting from physical impairments, or other sexual behavior disorders;

(iii) Compulsive gambling, kleptomania, or pyromania;

(iv) Psychoactive substance use disorders resulting from the current illegal use of a controlled substance or the current use of alcoholic beverages.

(17) "Dwelling unit" means a single unit of residence for a family of one or more persons.

(18) "Common use areas" means rooms, spaces, or elements inside or outside a building that are made available for the use of residents of the building or their guests, and includes, but is not limited to, hallways, lounges, lobbies, laundry rooms, refuse rooms, mail rooms, recreational areas, and passageways among and between buildings.

(19) "Public use areas" means interior or exterior rooms or spaces of a privately or publicly owned building that are made available to the general public.

(20) "Controlled substance" has the same meaning as in section 3719.01 of the Revised Code.

(21) "Disabled tenant" means a tenant or prospective tenant who is a person with a disability.

(22) "Military status" means a person's status in "service in the uniformed services" as defined in section 5923.05 of the Revised Code.

(23) "Aggrieved person" includes both of the following:

(a) Any person who claims to have been injured by any unlawful discriminatory practice described in division (H) of section 4112.02 of the Revised Code;

(b) Any person who believes that the person will be injured by, any unlawful discriminatory practice described in division (H) of section 4112.02 of the Revised Code that is about to occur.

(B) For the purposes of divisions (A) to (F) of section 4112.02 of the Revised Code, the terms "because of sex" and "on the basis of sex" include, but are not limited to, because of or on the basis of pregnancy, any illness arising out of and occurring during the course of a pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Women affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions shall be treated the same for all employment-related purposes, including receipt of benefits under fringe benefit programs, as other persons not so affected but similar in their ability or inability to work, and nothing in division (B) of section 4111.17 4112.16 of the Revised Code shall be interpreted to permit otherwise. This division shall not be construed to require an employer to pay for health insurance benefits for abortion, except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term or except where medical complications have arisen from the abortion, provided that nothing in this division precludes an employer from providing abortion benefits or otherwise affects bargaining agreements in regard to abortion.

Sec. 4111.17 4112.16.  (A) No employer, including the state and political subdivisions thereof, shall discriminate in the payment of wages on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or age, ancestry, sexual orientation, or gender identity by paying wages to any employee at a rate less than the rate at which the employer pays wages to another employee for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar conditions.

(B) Nothing in this section prohibits an employer from paying wages to one employee at a rate different from that at which the employer pays another employee for the performance of equal work under similar conditions on jobs requiring equal skill, effort, and responsibility, when the payment is made pursuant to any of the following:

(1) A seniority system;

(2) A merit system;

(3) A system which measures earnings by the quantity or quality of production;

(4) A wage rate differential determined by any bona fide factor other than race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or ancestry, such as education, training, or experience that meets the criteria described in division (C) of this section.

(C)(1) An employer may defend a wage rate differential made under division (B)(4) of this section only if the employer can demonstrate all of the following:

(a) The difference is based on a factor substantially related to the employee's position and performance, such as education, training, or experience.

(b) The difference is not related to the employee's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

(c) The difference is consistent with business necessity.

(2) The defense described in division (C)(1) of this section shall be rebutted if an employee making an allegation of wage discrimination or the commission demonstrates both of the following:

(a) An alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing the wage rate differential.

(b) The employer has refused to adopt the alternative practice.

(D) No employer shall reduce the wage rate of any employee in order to comply with this section.

(D)(E) The director of commerce commission shall carry out, administer, and enforce this section. Any employee discriminated against in violation of this section may sue in any court of competent jurisdiction to recover two times the amount of the difference between the wages actually received and the wages received by a person performing equal work for the employer, from the date of the commencement of the violation, and for costs, including attorney fees. Notwithstanding the definitions of "tort action" in sections 2315.18 to 2315.21 of the Revised Code, such an action shall be considered a tort action for the purposes of those sections and shall be subject to sections 2315.18 to 2315.21 of the Revised Code, except to the extent those sections conflict with this section. The director commission may take an assignment of any such wage claim in trust for such employee and sue in the employee's behalf. In any civil action under this section, two or more employees of the same employer may join as co-plaintiffs in one action. The director commission may sue in one action for claims assigned to the director commission by two or more employees of the same employer. No agreement to work for a discriminatory wage constitutes a defense for any civil or criminal action to enforce this section. No employer shall discriminate against any employee because such employee makes a complaint or institutes, or testifies in, any proceeding under this section.

(E)(F) Any action arising under this section shall be initiated within one year after the date of violation.

(G)(1) No employer shall discriminate against any employee because the employee makes a complaint, or institutes or testifies in any proceeding, under this section.

(2) No employer shall discriminate against an employee for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer.

(3) Any person discriminated against in violation of division (G)(1) or (2) of this section may sue in any court of competent jurisdiction to recover damages, injunctive relief, or any other appropriate relief.

(H) In addition to any other award made under this section, the court or jury may award punitive or exemplary damages in accordance with section 2315.21 of the Revised Code in an amount sufficient to deter future violations.

(I) As used in this section:

(1) "Sexual orientation" means heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality, whether actual or perceived.

(2) "Gender identity" means an individual's self-perception, or perception of that person by another, of the individual's identity as male or female as realized through the person's appearance, behavior, or physical characteristics, regardless of whether such appearance, behavior, or physical characteristics are in accord with or opposed to the person's physical anatomy, chromosomal sex, or sex at birth.

Section 2. That existing sections 3314.03, 3326.11, 4111.04, 4111.05, 4111.06, 4111.07, 4111.09, 4111.11, 4111.12, 4111.13, 4111.17, 4111.99, and 4112.01 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section 3. The General Assembly, in enacting this legislation, hereby declares its intent to ensure equal pay for women in Ohio and to correct the historical wage disparity that has occurred between the sexes.

Section 4. This act shall be known as the "Fair and Acceptable Income Required (FAIR) Act."