To amend sections 2307.71, 4925.04, and 4925.09 of the Revised Code to modify the laws related to transportation network companies.
HB604 amends Ohio law in two distinct areas: product liability and transportation network companies (TNCs). On the product liability side, the bill revises definitions in section 2307.71 to expressly exclude digital networks and platforms that facilitate delivery network services from the definition of “product,” while retaining the broader framework that governs product liability claims and related common-law causes of action. The bill also keeps the existing statutory intent that Ohio’s product liability chapter displaces common-law product liability claims.
On the transportation side, HB604 updates the rules governing TNC drivers and the companies that authorize them. It requires TNCs to collect specified application information, conduct criminal and sex-offender background checks, and review driving histories before allowing a person to drive. It also lists disqualifying conditions, including lack of a valid license, registration, insurance, certain traffic and vehicle-related offenses, DUI convictions, felony conduct involving a vehicle, theft, fraud, violent offenses, sex offenses, and terrorism-related offenses. The bill further provides that a TNC must terminate a driver’s authorization if annual background checks reveal a disqualifying condition.
The bill also strengthens the statewide regulatory framework for ride-hailing services by reaffirming that regulation of TNCs is a matter of general statewide interest and by preempting local ordinances or rules that would license, register, tax, or otherwise regulate TNCs, except for reasonable airport-specific standards, procedures, and fees at public-use airports. It also states that TNCs and their drivers are not to be regulated as limousines, taxicabs, common carriers, or for-hire motor carriers, and that vehicles used for TNC service do not need those other commercial registrations.
The likely impact is to clarify and narrow product-liability exposure for digital delivery platforms while preserving Ohio’s existing product-liability structure for traditional products. For TNCs, the bill would impose uniform statewide operating and screening requirements, limit local regulatory authority, and reduce the risk that ride-hailing companies are treated like traditional taxi or livery services under other chapters of the Revised Code. Affected parties include ride-hailing companies, drivers, local governments, airports, and litigants in product-liability cases involving platform-based services.
Because the bill was only introduced and no committee testimony or votes are available, there is no recorded public sentiment in the legislative history provided. Based on the text alone, the measure appears designed to provide regulatory clarity and liability protection for transportation network companies, while also imposing safety and screening requirements on drivers. Potential points of contention are likely to include the preemption of local regulation, the exclusion of delivery platforms from product-liability definitions, and whether the bill strikes the right balance between statewide uniformity, consumer protection, and local control.
HB604 would amend sections 2307.71, 4925.04, and 4925.09 of the Revised Code. It would exclude digital networks and delivery-network platforms from the statutory definition of “product” for product-liability purposes, while leaving the broader product-liability chapter in place. It would also revise TNC driver screening, disqualification, and termination requirements, and reinforce statewide preemption over local regulation of transportation network companies, drivers, and services, subject to limited airport authority.
No committee transcripts or votes are available, so there is no documented legislative sentiment in the record provided. From the bill text, the measure appears generally supportive of transportation network companies by clarifying their regulatory status and limiting local oversight, while also reflecting a safety-oriented approach through background checks and driver disqualification rules. The product-liability changes suggest an additional pro-industry clarification for digital and delivery platforms.
The main likely points of contention are the bill’s broad preemption of local regulation, which may concern municipalities and airports that want more control over ride-hailing services, and the exclusion of digital networks and delivery platforms from the definition of “product,” which could affect future liability claims and consumer remedies. Supporters would likely emphasize statewide consistency, operational clarity, and safety screening, while critics may focus on reduced local authority and narrowed liability exposure for platform-based businesses.