Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
Ohio State Legislative Board
2025 - 2026 Bill Tracker
Updated: 12/3/2025
Ohio’s 136th General Assembly
Top Priorities:
- HB360 - Designate SPC Louis P. Shuster Memorial Interchange
(SUPPORT) - HB39 - Allow State Income Tax Deduction for Overtime Wages
(SUPPORT)
Railroad Bills:
- SCR8 - Urge Congress Pass Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act
(SUPPORT) - SB316 - Local Government Authority Over Railroad's Right-of-Way
(INTERESTED)
Labor Bills:
- SB8 - Prohibit Paid Public Employee Leave for Certain Union Activities
(OPPOSE) - SB11 - Prohibit Post-Employment Agreement Restraining Career or Business
(SUPPORT) - HB510 - Prohibit Requiring Employees to Join, Pay Dues to Employee Org.
(OPPOSE) - HB512 - Modify Law Re: Project Labor Agreements in Public Contracts
(OPPOSE) - HB513 - Let Certain Entities Apply Prevailing Wage to Public Projects
(OPPOSE)
Passed:
- HB54 - Make Appropriations for Transportation for FY 2026-27 Biennium
- HB96 - Make State Operating Appropriations for FY 2026-27
The 119th US Congress
Top Priorities:
- H.R. 971 - Reducing Accidents In Locomotives Act or the RAIL Act (SUPPORT)
Railroad Bills:
- H.R. 6046 - Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act
Labor Bills:
THE BILLS
HB39 - Allow State Income Tax Deduction for Overtime Wages
- STATUS: 1st hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee held 4/2/25
- WHAT IT DOES: Allows Ohioans to deduct overtime wages from their adjusted gross income; will only be in effect for seven years.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE: TBD
- RESOURCES:
- NOTES: As introduced, HB39 excludes rail workers (and others). BLET has submitted an amendment to the bill sponsors (Tex Fischer/Nick Santucci) and to the committee chair (Bill Roemer) and expects it to be amended before the next hearing. Potential inclusion in tax conformity in 2026.
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HB54 - Make Appropriations for Transportation for FY 2026-27 Biennium
- STATUS: Enacted.
- WHAT IT DOES: Appropriates gas tax revenues and creates policy related to transportation.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE: N/A
- RESOURCES:
- NOTES: Included refinement of the wayside defect detector statute (originally passed as HB23 in the 135th General Assembly) to create different standards for Class 1s and Class 2s/3s. BLET provided testimony in the 2/19/25 House Finance Committee hearing and the 3/14/25 Senate Transportation Committee hearing.
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HB96 - Make State Operating Appropriations for FY 2026-27
- STATUS: Enacted.
- WHAT IT DOES: Appropriates general revenues and creates policy.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE: N/A
- RESOURCES:
- NOTES: House passed versions included appropriate funding for the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC), and provision to rejoin the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission (MIPRC). Senate removed both and reorganized the ORDC commissioner makeup, eliminating the Commissioner Representing the Interests of Passenger Rail and adding a second Commissioner Representing the Interests of Freight Rail (one for Class 1s, one for Class 2s/3s). BLET provided testimony in the 3/14/25 House Finance Committee hearing, the 5/14/25 Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee hearing, and the 5/27/25 Senate Finance Committee hearing.
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HB360 - Designate SPC Louis P. Shuster Memorial Interchange
- STATUS: 1st/Only hearing in the House Transportation Committee expected in January
- WHAT IT DOES: Designates the interchange of I-480 and West 150th Street in Cleveland as the "SPC Louis P. Shuster Memorial Interchange." This is the exit nearest Rockport Yard.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE: Plan to attend the hearing in January.
- RESOURCES:
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HB510 - Prohibit Requiring Employees to Join, Pay Dues to Employee Org.
- STATUS: Assigned to House Commerce and Labor Committee
- WHAT IT DOES:
- This would enact a particularly shameful version of “Right to Work (Is Wrong)” in the public sector in Ohio
- This term is used to promote a package of anti-labor policies that ban the right to organize and collect dues.
- “Right to Work” is touted as being pro-worker because workers get to choose to pay dues, but states with Right to Work laws have demonstrably worse pay and benefits packages and higher incidences of workplace injuries and fatalities.
- That’s why we call it Right to Work (Is Wrong)!
- Removes current legal provisions that protect public employee unions' right to organize and collect dues
- Makes it a 3rd degree misdemeanor if you are found guilty of organizing/collecting dues
- ACTIONS TO TAKE: TBD
- RESOURCES:
- NOTES: House Commerce and Labor Chair Mark Johnson is a pro-labor member of the Ohio Building Trades, and we take it as a good sign that this bill was assigned here.
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HB512 - Modify Law Re: Project Labor Agreements in Public Contracts
- STATUS: Assigned to House Commerce and Labor Committee
- WHAT IT DOES:
- Bans state funds from being distributed to any sub-jurisdiction that requires a project labor agreement (PLA) as part of their bidding process
- A PLA is a project-specific agreement between a jurisdiction and a contractor. It specifies things like wages and benefits for all covered employees on a job. NOTE: PLAs do NOT require all-union, part-union, or any-union labor to be used on the job (contrary to lies often told by anti-union advocates)
- PLAs lead to a lot of positive outcomes.
- Wage and benefit packages are higher.
- Local residency is also often a stipulation of the PLA — so the wages paid stay in the tax base of the project
- PLAs encourage more professional contractors, subcontractors, and labor. This yields a "job done right the first time" scenario more often than not, and demonstrably more often than non-PLA projects
- This is also a home rule issue. Local governments should be able to choose whether or not to have mandatory PLAs on their projects.
- If you support local control, you should oppose this bill
- ACTIONS TO TAKE: TBD
- RESOURCES:
- NOTES: House Commerce and Labor Chair Mark Johnson is a pro-labor member of the Ohio Building Trades, and we take it as a good sign that this bill was assigned here.
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HB513 - Let Certain Entities Apply Prevailing Wage to Public Projects
- STATUS: Assigned to House Commerce and Labor Committee
- WHAT IT DOES:
- Eliminates all provisions from Ohio law Re: prevailing wage on publicly funded projects
- "Prevailing Wage" simply means that if you are going to hire a subcontractor, that subcontractor must pay the wages that comparable employees in the same field would receive.
- So if an electrician makes $40/hr in Columbus, prevailing wage subcontractors must pay $40. NOTE: Prevailing Wage does NOT require all-union, part-union, or any-union labor to be used on the job (contrary to lies often told by anti-union advocates)
- Establishes new thresholds for force accounts.
- Force accounts are local budgetary accounts for public employees that perform maintenance and construction.
- A city like Columbus might have a large staff and want to use their own forces for projects, and that might make sense. But a smaller city like Hilliard might not have the appropriate staff to perform certain projects. And NO ONE in Ohio has staff capable of large projects like bridges and tunnels.
- This bill will lower the local wage base for Ohioans in the construction trades — no matter if they’re union or not.
- Much like PLAs, prevailing wage encourages local workers and keeps the tax base local.
- Getting rid of PLAs and prevailing wage will encourage out-of-state contractors to ship in cheap labor from predominantly Southern states.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE: TBD
- RESOURCES:
- NOTES: House Commerce and Labor Chair Mark Johnson is a pro-labor member of the Ohio Building Trades, and we take it as a good sign that this bill was assigned here. However, sponsor Beth Lear is the Vice Chair so this bill may get some hearing activity because of her position.
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SCR8 - Urge Congress Pass Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act
- STATUS: 2nd hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee held 10/25/25
- WHAT IT DOES: A certified resolution will be sent to US Congress urging them to pass the RAIL Act.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE:
- Contact Senate Transportation Chair Tom Patton and ask for a vote:
- NOTES: BLET provided testimony in the 10/25/25 hearing.
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SB8 - Prohibit Paid Public Employee Leave for Certain Union Activities
- STATUS: 2nd hearing in the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee held 3/19/25
- WHAT IT DOES: Bans employer-compensated union release time and restricts the ability to bargain. Sets a terrible precedent for bargaining rights for unions.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE:
- Contact Senate Government Oversight and Reform Chair Susan Manchester and ask her to not give SB8 any more hearings or votes.
- NOTES: This is a top priority bill for public sector unions like AFSCME and CWA.
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SB11 - Prohibit Post-Employment Agreement Restraining Career or Business
- STATUS: 3rd hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee held 3/5/25
- WHAT IT DOES: Would prohibit forcing certain noncompete clauses on workers and develop a process for holding employers accountable for failing to comply.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE:
- NOTES: Bipartisan support.
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SB316 - Regards Local Government Authority Over Railroad's Right-of-Way
- STATUS: Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee.
- WHAT IT DOES: Gives specified local governments the authority to unilaterally approve an encroachment on a railroad company's right-of-way for certain utility work. Requires utility provider and/or contractor to notify railroad, but no provisions for employee protection.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE: TBD
- RESOURCES:
- NOTES: BLET has an amendment drafted to require employee protection.
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H.R. 971 - Reducing Accidents In Locomotives Act or the RAIL Act
- STATUS: Assigned to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
- WHAT IT DOES: Updates rail safety regulations for trains transporting hazardous materials and more.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE: Ohio’s SCR8 urges Congress to pass this bill.
- RESOURCES:
- NOTES: Ohio’s Emelia Sykes (CD13) is the sponsor; MIke Rulli (CD06), Joyce Beatty (CD03), Shontel Brown (CD11), Marcy Kaptur (CD09), Greg Landsman (CD01), and Max Miller (CD07) are co-sponsors.
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H.R. 6046 - Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act
- STATUS: Assigned to House Energy and Commerce Committee.
- WHAT IT DOES: Streamlines the deployment of telecommunications or broadband service facilities in the public rights-of-way and the rights-of-way of railroad carriers, and for other purposes.
- ACTIONS TO TAKE: TBD
- RESOURCES:
- NOTES: Ohio’s Greg Landsman (CD01) is an initial co-sponsor. BLET has coordinated with his office to draft this bill.
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