As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session S. B. No. 391

2025-2026

Senator Cutrona

To amend sections 124.15, 124.152, 3328.15, 3333.01, 3770.02, 4121.02, and 4905.10 of the Revised Code regarding maximum compensation paid to individuals appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

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

Section 1. That sections 124.15, 124.152, 3328.15, 3333.01, 3770.02, 4121.02, and 4905.10 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 124.15. (A) Board and commission members appointed prior to July 1, 1991, shall be paid a salary or wage in accordance with the following schedules of rates:

Schedule B

Pay Ranges and Step Values

Schedule C

Pay Range and Values

(B) The pay schedule of all employees shall be on a biweekly basis, with amounts computed on an hourly basis.

(C) Part-time employees shall be compensated on an hourly basis for time worked, at the rates shown in division (A) of this section or in section 124.152 of the Revised Code.

(D) The salary and wage rates in division (A) of this section or in section 124.152 of the Revised Code represent base rates of compensation and may be augmented by the provisions of section 124.181 of the Revised Code. In those cases where lodging, meals, laundry, or other personal services are furnished an employee in the service of the state, the actual costs or fair market value of the personal services shall be paid by the employee in such amounts and manner as determined by the director of administrative services and approved by the director of budget and management, and those personal services shall not be considered as a part of the employee's compensation. An appointing authority that appoints employees in the service of the state, with the approval of the director of administrative services and the director of budget and management, may establish payments to employees for uniforms, tools, equipment, and other requirements of the department and payments for the maintenance of them.

The director of administrative services may review collective bargaining agreements entered into under Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code that cover employees in the service of the state and determine whether certain benefits or payments provided to the employees covered by those agreements should also be provided to employees in the service of the state who are exempt from collective bargaining coverage and are paid in accordance with section 124.152 of the Revised Code or are listed in division (B)(2) or (4) of section 124.14 of the Revised Code. On completing the review, the director of administrative services, with the approval of the director of budget and management, may provide to some or all of these employees any payment or benefit, except for salary, contained in such a collective bargaining agreement even if it is similar to a payment or benefit already provided by law to some or all of these employees. Any payment or benefit so provided shall not exceed the highest level for that payment or benefit specified in such a collective bargaining agreement. The director of administrative services shall not provide, and the director of budget and management shall not approve, any payment or benefit to such an employee under this division unless the payment or benefit is provided pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement to a state employee who is in a position with similar duties as, is supervised by, or is employed by the same appointing authority as, the employee to whom the benefit or payment is to be provided.

As used in this division, "payment or benefit already provided by law" includes, but is not limited to, bereavement, personal, vacation, administrative, and sick leave, disability benefits, holiday pay, and pay supplements provided under the Revised Code, but does not include wages or salary.

(E) New employees paid in accordance with schedule B of division (A) of this section or schedule E-1 of section 124.152 of the Revised Code shall be employed at the minimum rate established for the range unless otherwise provided. Employees with qualifications that are beyond the minimum normally required for the position and that are determined by the director to be exceptional may be employed in, or may be transferred or promoted to, a position at an advanced step of the range. Further, in time of a serious labor market condition when it is relatively impossible to recruit employees at the minimum rate for a particular classification, the entrance rate may be set at an advanced step in the range by the director of administrative services. This rate may be limited to geographical regions of the state. Appointments made to an advanced step under the provision regarding exceptional qualifications shall not affect the step assignment of employees already serving. However, anytime the hiring rate of an entire classification is advanced to a higher step, all incumbents of that classification being paid at a step lower than that being used for hiring, shall be advanced beginning at the start of the first pay period thereafter to the new hiring rate, and any time accrued at the lower step will be used to calculate advancement to a succeeding step. If the hiring rate of a classification is increased for only a geographical region of the state, only incumbents who work in that geographical region shall be advanced to a higher step. When an employee in the unclassified service changes from one state position to another or is appointed to a position in the classified service, or if an employee in the classified service is appointed to a position in the unclassified service, the employee's salary or wage in the new position shall be determined in the same manner as if the employee were an employee in the classified service. When an employee in the unclassified service who is not eligible for step increases is appointed to a classification in the classified service under which step increases are provided, future step increases shall be based on the date on which the employee last received a pay increase. If the employee has not received an increase during the previous year, the date of the appointment to the classified service shall be used to determine the employee's annual step advancement eligibility date. In reassigning any employee to a classification resulting in a pay range increase or to a new pay range as a result of a promotion, an increase pay range adjustment, or other classification change resulting in a pay range increase, the director shall assign such employee to the step in the new pay range that will provide an increase of approximately four per cent if the new pay range can accommodate the increase. When an employee is being assigned to a classification or new pay range as the result of a class plan change, if the employee has completed a probationary period, the employee shall be placed in a step no lower than step two of the new pay range. If the employee has not completed a probationary period, the employee may be placed in step one of the new pay range. Such new salary or wage shall become effective on such date as the director determines.

(F) If employment conditions and the urgency of the work require such action, the director of administrative services may, upon the application of a department head, authorize payment at any rate established within the range for the class of work, for work of a casual or intermittent nature or on a project basis. Payment at such rates shall not be made to the same individual for more than three calendar months in any one calendar year. Any such action shall be subject to the approval of the director of budget and management as to the availability of funds. This section and sections 124.14 and 124.152 of the Revised Code do not repeal any authority of any department or public official to contract with or fix the compensation of professional persons who may be employed temporarily for work of a casual nature or for work on a project basis.

(G)(1) Except as provided in divisions (G)(2) and (3) of this section, each state employee paid in accordance with schedule B of this section or schedule E-1 of section 124.152 of the Revised Code shall be eligible for advancement to succeeding steps in the range for the employee's class or grade according to the schedule established in this division. Beginning on the first day of the pay period within which the employee completes the prescribed probationary period in the employee's classification with the state, each employee shall receive an automatic salary adjustment equivalent to the next higher step within the pay range for the employee's class or grade.

Except as provided in divisions (G)(2) and (3) of this section, each employee paid in accordance with schedule E-1 of section 124.152 of the Revised Code shall be eligible to advance to the next higher step until the employee reaches the top step in the range for the employee's class or grade, if the employee has maintained satisfactory performance in accordance with criteria established by the employee's appointing authority. Those step advancements shall not occur more frequently than once in any twelve-month period.

When an employee is promoted, the step entry date shall be set to account for a probationary period. When an employee is reassigned to a higher pay range, the step entry date shall be set to allow an employee who is not at the highest step of the range to receive a step advancement one year from the reassignment date. Step advancement shall not be affected by demotion. A promoted employee shall advance to the next higher step of the pay range on the first day of the pay period in which the required probationary period is completed. Step advancement shall become effective at the beginning of the pay period within which the employee attains the necessary length of service. Time spent on authorized leave of absence shall be counted for this purpose.

If determined to be in the best interest of the state service, the director of administrative services may, either statewide or in selected agencies, adjust the dates on which annual step advancements are received by employees paid in accordance with schedule E-1 of section 124.152 of the Revised Code.

(2)(a) There shall be a moratorium on annual step advancements under division (G)(1) of this section beginning June 21, 2009, through June 20, 2011. Step advancements shall resume with the pay period beginning June 21, 2011. Upon the resumption of step advancements, there shall be no retroactive step advancements for the period the moratorium was in effect. The moratorium shall not affect an employee's performance evaluation schedule.

An employee who begins a probationary period before June 21, 2009, shall advance to the next step in the employee's pay range at the end of probation, and then become subject to the moratorium. An employee who is hired, promoted, or reassigned to a higher pay range between June 21, 2009, through June 20, 2011, shall not advance to the next step in the employee's pay range until the next anniversary of the employee's date of hire, promotion, or reassignment that occurs on or after June 21, 2011.

(b) The moratorium under division (G)(2)(a) of this section shall apply to the employees of the secretary of state, the auditor of state, the treasurer of state, and the attorney general, who are subject to this section unless the secretary of state, the auditor of state, the treasurer of state, or the attorney general decides to exempt the office's employees from the moratorium and so notifies the director of administrative services in writing on or before July 1, 2009.

(3) Employees in intermittent positions shall be employed at the minimum rate established for the pay range for their classification and are not eligible for step advancements.

(H) Employees in appointive managerial or professional positions paid in accordance with schedule C of this section or schedule E-2 of section 124.152 of the Revised Code may be appointed at any rate within the appropriate pay range. This rate of pay may be adjusted higher or lower within the respective pay range at any time the appointing authority so desires as long as the adjustment is based on the employee's ability to successfully administer those duties assigned to the employee. Salary adjustments shall not be made more frequently than once in any six-month period under this provision to incumbents holding the same position and classification.

(I) When an employee is assigned to duty outside this state, the employee may be compensated, upon request of the department head and with the approval of the director of administrative services, at a rate not to exceed fifty per cent in excess of the employee's current base rate for the period of time spent on that duty.

(J) Unless compensation for members of a board or commission is otherwise specifically provided by law, the director of administrative services shall establish the rate and method of payment for members of boards and commissions pursuant to the pay schedules listed in section 124.152 of the Revised Code. However, compensation for a member of a board or commission who is appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate on or after the effective date of this amendment shall be established in accordance with division (E) of section 124.152 of the Revised Code.

(K) Regular full-time employees in positions assigned to classes within the instruction and education administration series under the job classification plans of the director of administrative services, except certificated employees on the instructional staff of Ohio deaf and blind education services, whose positions are scheduled to work on the basis of an academic year rather than a full calendar year, shall be paid according to the pay range assigned by the applicable job classification plan, but only during those pay periods included in the academic year of the school where the employee is located.

(1) Part-time or substitute teachers or those whose period of employment is other than the full academic year shall be compensated for the actual time worked at the rate established by this section.

(2) Employees governed by this division are exempt from sections 124.13 and 124.19 of the Revised Code.

(3) Length of service for the purpose of determining eligibility for step advancements as provided by division (G) of this section and for the purpose of determining eligibility for longevity pay supplements as provided by division (E) of section 124.181 of the Revised Code shall be computed on the basis of one full year of service for the completion of each academic year.

(L) The superintendent of Ohio deaf and blind education services shall, subject to the approval of the director of education and workforce, carry out both of the following:

(1) Annually, between the first day of April and the last day of June, establish for the ensuing fiscal year a schedule of hourly rates for the compensation of each certificated employee on the instructional staff of Ohio deaf and blind education services constructed as follows:

(a) Determine for each level of training, experience, and other professional qualification for which an hourly rate is set forth in the current schedule, the per cent that rate is of the rate set forth in such schedule for a teacher with a bachelor's degree and no experience. If there is more than one such rate for such a teacher, the lowest rate shall be used to make the computation.

(b) Determine which six city, local, and exempted village school districts with territory in Franklin county have in effect on, or have adopted by, the first day of April for the school year that begins on the ensuing first day of July, teacher salary schedules with the highest minimum salaries for a teacher with a bachelor's degree and no experience;

(c) Divide the sum of such six highest minimum salaries by ten thousand five hundred sixty;

(d) Multiply each per cent determined in division (L)(1)(a) of this section by the quotient obtained in division (L)(1)(c) of this section;

(e) One hundred five per cent of each product thus obtained shall be the hourly rate for the corresponding level of training, experience, or other professional qualification in the schedule for the ensuing fiscal year.

(2) Annually, assign each certificated employee on the instructional staff of Ohio deaf and blind education services to an hourly rate on the schedule that is commensurate with the employee's training, experience, and other professional qualifications.

If an employee is employed on the basis of an academic year, the employee's annual salary shall be calculated by multiplying the employee's assigned hourly rate times one thousand seven hundred sixty. If an employee is not employed on the basis of an academic year, the employee's annual salary shall be calculated in accordance with the following formula:

(a) Multiply the number of days the employee is required to work pursuant to the employee's contract by eight;

(b) Multiply the product of division (L)(2)(a) of this section by the employee's assigned hourly rate.

Each employee shall be paid an annual salary in biweekly installments. The amount of each installment shall be calculated by dividing the employee's annual salary by the number of biweekly installments to be paid during the year.

Sections 124.13 and 124.19 of the Revised Code do not apply to an employee who is paid under this division.

As used in this division, "academic year" means the number of days in each school year that the state school for the deaf and the state school for the blind are required to be open for instruction with pupils in attendance. Upon completing an academic year, an employee paid under this division shall be deemed to have completed one year of service. An employee paid under this division is eligible to receive a pay supplement under division (L)(1), (2), or (3) of section 124.181 of the Revised Code for which the employee qualifies, but is not eligible to receive a pay supplement under division (L)(4) or (5) of that section. An employee paid under this division is eligible to receive a pay supplement under division (L)(6) of section 124.181 of the Revised Code for which the employee qualifies, except that the supplement is not limited to a maximum of five per cent of the employee's regular base salary in a calendar year.

(M) Division (A) of this section does not apply to "exempt employees," as defined in section 124.152 of the Revised Code, who are paid under that section.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, when an employee transfers between bargaining units or transfers out of or into a bargaining unit, the director of administrative services shall establish the employee's compensation and adjust the maximum leave accrual schedule as the director deems equitable.

Sec. 124.152. (A)(1) Except as provided in division (A)(2) of this section, each exempt employee shall be paid a salary or wage in accordance with schedule E-1 or schedule E-2 of division (B) of this section.

(2) Each exempt employee who holds a position in the unclassified civil service pursuant to division (A)(26) or (30) of section 124.11 of the Revised Code may be paid a salary or wage in accordance with schedule E-1 or schedule E-2 of division (B) of this section, as applicable.

(B)(1) Each exempt employee who must be paid in accordance with schedule E-1 or schedule E-2 of this section shall be paid a salary or wage in accordance with the following schedule of rates as of the pay period that includes July 1, 2024:

Schedule E-1

Schedule E-2

(2) Each exempt employee who must be paid in accordance with schedule E-1 or schedule E-2 of this section shall be paid a salary or wage in accordance with the following schedule of rates as of the pay period that includes July 1, 2025:

Schedule E-1