HB 512: Modify law re: project labor agreements in public contracts

Ohio · House · 136th General Assembly (2025–2026) · last verified October 19, 2025

What HB 512 does, verified October 19, 2025

The bill aims to modify the law regarding project labor agreements in public improvement contracts. A public authority is defined as any officer, board, or commission of the state or its subdivisions that enters into a contract for the construction of a public improvement or constructs a public improvement by direct employment of labor. The bill prohibits public authorities from requiring contractors or subcontractors to enter into agreements with labor organizations as a condition of employment or continued employment. It also prohibits public authorities from entering into agreements that require employees to pay dues or fees to a labor organization. The bill allows public authorities to award contracts, grants, or tax abatement to private owners or contractors who voluntarily choose to enter into agreements with labor organizations. Interested parties can file complaints against publ…

Bill journey

1IntroducedCurrent

2In CommitteePending

3First Chamber FloorPending

4Second ChamberPending

5GovernorPending

6ChapteredPending

Last action: Referred to committee: Commerce and Labor (2025-10-15)Alert me

Author and sponsors

Rep. Thaddeus ClaggettAuthor · Ohio House of Representatives

Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlock

Recent actions2 total · showing 2

Oct. 15, 2025	Referred to committee: Commerce and Labor
Oct. 14, 2025	Introduced

Latest bill textIntroduced version, October 14, 2025 · 1,428 words

As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session

H. B. No. 512

2025-2026

Representatives Claggett, Workman

To amend sections 4116.01, 4116.02, 4116.03, and 1 4116.04; to enact sections 4116.021, 4116.031, 2 and 4116.05; and to repeal section 153.83 of the 3 Revised Code to modify the law regarding project 4 labor agreements in public improvement 5 contracts.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections 4116.01, 4116.02, 4116.03, and 7 4116.04 be amended and sections 4116.021, 4116.031, and 4116.05 8 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 4116.01. As used in sections 4116.01 to 4116.04 of 10 the Revised Code:

(A) (A) (1) Except as provided in division (A) (2) 12 of this section "public authority" means any officer, board, or 13 commission of the state,-or-any political subdivision of the 14 state, or any institution supported in whole or in part by 15 public-state funds, authorized to enter into a contract for the 16 construction of a public improvement or to construct a public 17 improvement by the direct employment of labor. "Public- 18 (2) "Public authority" shall not mean any municipal 19 corporation or county that has adopted a charter under sections- 20 three-and-seven of article XVIII of the Ohio Constitution, ..... 21 unless the specific-contract for a public improvement includes ..... 22 state funds appropriated for the purposes of that public ..... 23 improvementArticle X, Section 3.

(B) "Construction" means all of the following: (1) Any new construction of any public improvement ..... 26 performed by other than full-time employees who have completed ..... 27 their probationary periods in the classified service of a public ..... 28 authority; (2) Any reconstruction, enlargement, alteration, repair, ..... 30 remodeling, renovation, or painting of any public improvement ..... 31 performed by other than full-time employees who have completed ..... 32 their probationary period in the classified civil service of a ..... 33 public authority; (3) Construction on any project, facility, or project ..... 35 facility to which section 122.80, 166.02, or 1728.07 of the ..... 36 Revised Code applies; (4) Construction on any project as defined in section ..... 38 122.39 of the Revised Code, any project as defined in section ..... 39 165.01 of the Revised Code, any energy resource development ..... 40 facility as defined in section 1551.01 of the Revised Code, or ..... 41 any project as defined in section 3706.01 of the Revised Code.

(C) "Public improvement" means all buildings, roads, ..... 43 streets, alleys, sewers, ditches, sewage disposal plants, water ..... 44 works, and other structures or works constructed by a public ..... 45 authority or by any person who, pursuant to a contract with a ..... 46 public authority, constructs any structure or work for a public ..... 47 authority. When a public authority rents or leases a newly ..... 48 constructed structure within six months after completion of its ..... 49 construction, all work performed on that structure to suit it ..... 50 for occupancy by a public authority is a "public improvement."

(D) "Interested party," with respect to a particular ..... 52 public improvement, means all of the following: ..... 53 (1) Any person who submits a bid for the purpose of ..... 54 securing the award of a contract for the public improvement; ..... 55 (2) Any person acting as a subcontractor of a person ..... 56 mentioned in division (D) (1) of this section; ..... 57 (3) Any association having as members any of the persons ..... 58 mentioned in division (D) (1) or (2) of this section; ..... 59 (4) Any employee of a person mentioned in division (D) (1), ..... 60 (2), or (3) of this section; ..... 61 (5) Any individual who is a resident of the jurisdiction ..... 62 of the public authority for whom products or services for a ..... 63 public improvement are being procured or for whom work on a ..... 64 public improvement is being performed.

Sec. 4116.02. A public authority, when engaged in ..... 66 procuring products or services, awarding contracts, or ..... 67 overseeing procurement or construction for public improvements_ ..... 68 undertaken by or on behalf of the public authority, shall ensure ..... 69 that bid specifications issued by the public authority for the ..... 70 proposed public improvement, and any subsequent contract or ..... 71 other agreement for the public improvement to which the public ..... 72 authority and a contractor-or, subcontractor, or other entity ..... 73 are direct parties, do not require or prohibit that a contractor ..... 74 or subcontractor to-do any of the following:

(A) Enter into agreements with any labor organization on ..... 76 the public improvement;

(B) Enter into any agreement that requires the employees of that contractor or subcontractor to do either of the following as a condition of employment or continued employment: (1) Become members of or affiliated with a labor organization; (2) Pay dues or fees to a labor organization.

Sec. 4116.021. No state funds shall be distributed to a municipal corporation or county that has adopted a charter under Ohio Constitution, Article X, Section 3, for the purpose of the construction of a public improvement by or on behalf of the municipal corporation or county, if the municipal corporation or county, in procuring products or services, awarding contracts, or overseeing procurement or construction for the public improvement, requires in the bid specifications a contractor or subcontractor to enter into, or prohibits in the bid specifications a contractor or subcontractor from entering into, an agreement described in division (A) or (B) of section 4116.02 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4116.03. (A) No public authority shall do any-either of the following:

(A) (1) Award a contract for a public improvement undertaken by or on behalf of the public authority in violation of section 4116.02 of the Revised Code; (2) Otherwise violate section 4116.02 of the Revised Code.

(B) Discriminate-No public authority shall discriminate against any bidder, contractor, or subcontractor for refusing or electing to become a party to any agreement with any labor organization on the public improvement that currently is under bid or on projects related to that improvement?

Sec. 4116.031. A public authority may award a contract, ..... 108 grant, tax abatement, or tax credit to a private owner, bidder, ..... 109 contractor, subcontractor, or other person or entity who ..... 110 voluntarily chooses to enter into an agreement described in ..... 111 division (A) or (B) of section 4116.02 of the Revised Code, ..... 112 provided that entering into the agreement is not a condition for ..... 113 the award.

Sec. 4116.04. (A) An interested party may file a complaint against a contracting public authority, municipal corporation, or county that has adopted a charter under Ohio Constitution, Article X, Section 3, alleging a violation of section 4116.02- ..... 118 or, 4116.021, 4116.03, or 4116.031 of the Revised Code within ..... 119 two years after the date on which the contract is signed for the ..... 120 public improvement in the court of common pleas of the county in ..... 121 which the public improvement is performed. The performance of ..... 122 the contract forms the basis of the allegation of a violation. ..... 123 The court in which the complaint is filed shall hear and decide ..... 124 the case and, upon a finding that a violation has occurred, ..... 125 shall void the contract and make any orders that will prevent ..... 126 further violations. The Rules of Civil Procedure govern all actions under this ..... 128 section. Any determination of a court under this section is ..... 129 subject to appellate review.

(B) If, pursuant to this section, a court finds a ..... 131 violation of section 4116.02-or, 4116.021, 4116.03, or 4116.031 ..... 132 of the Revised Code, the court may award reasonable attorney's ..... 133 fees, court costs, and any other fees incurred in the course of ..... 134 the civil action to the prevailing plaintiff.

Sec. 4116.05. Sections 4116.01 to 4116.04 of the Revised ..... 136 Code do not do either of the following:

(A) Prohibit employers or other parties from entering into ..... 138 agreements or engaging in any other activity protected by the ..... 139 "National Labor Relations Act," 29 U.S.C. 151, et. seq.

(B) Interfere with labor relations of parties that are ..... 141 left unregulated under the "National Labor Relations Act," 29 ..... 142 U.S.C. 151, et. seq.

Section 2. That existing sections 4116.01, 4116.02, ..... 144 4116.03, and 4116.04 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section 3. That section 153.83 of the Revised Code is ..... 146 hereby repealed.

Text of HB 512 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions