To amend sections 3701.249 and 4112.01 of the Revised Code to apply the employment portions of the Ohio Civil Rights Law to unpaid interns.
Summary
HB588 would amend Ohio’s civil rights and HIV-related employment statutes to treat certain unpaid interns as “employees” for purposes of the employment portions of the Ohio Civil Rights Law. In practical terms, the bill expands the definition of employee in Revised Code section 4112.01 to include an individual who performs unpaid work for an employer primarily to gain knowledge or experience relevant to career aspirations. That change would make unpaid interns covered by the state’s employment discrimination protections, including protections tied to sex, pregnancy, disability, age, race, religion, national origin, and other protected characteristics under Chapter 4112.
The bill also makes a conforming change to section 3701.249, which uses the Chapter 4112 definition of employer and employee in its HIV-related liability provisions. By broadening the employee definition, the bill would extend those provisions to unpaid interns as well, affecting how employers’ liability and immunity rules apply in the context of HIV transmission and stress-related claims arising from working with individuals who have HIV or AIDS-related conditions. The bill was introduced in the House Commerce and Labor Committee and, based on the available record, had not advanced further at the time provided.
Impact
HB588 would change Ohio law by expressly including unpaid interns within the definition of “employee” for employment discrimination purposes in Chapter 4112, thereby extending state civil rights protections to a broader class of workers. It would also update the HIV-related employer immunity statute in section 3701.249 to align with that expanded definition. Employers, educational programs, nonprofits, and other organizations using unpaid interns could face the same anti-discrimination obligations they already owe to paid employees, while unpaid interns would gain access to the chapter’s employment protections and related remedies.
Sentiment
The available record suggests the bill was introduced as a civil rights expansion measure and was not accompanied by recorded committee testimony or votes in the materials provided. Because there are no transcripts or roll-call votes, there is no documented public debate in the supplied context. The bill’s framing indicates a generally pro-protection, worker-rights orientation, with the apparent goal of closing a gap in coverage for unpaid interns.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the expansion of employer liability and compliance obligations to unpaid internship arrangements. Supporters would likely view the bill as necessary to prevent discrimination against interns who are often early-career workers, while opponents could argue that extending statutory employee status to unpaid interns may increase legal exposure for employers and complicate internship programs. A secondary issue is the conforming change to the HIV-related immunity statute, which may raise questions about how broadly the new employee definition should apply across different parts of the Revised Code.