(A) As used in this section "employer" means any person who has one or more employees. "Employer" includes an agent of an employer but does not include the state or any agency of the state, and any municipal corporation, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision or any agency or instrumentality thereof.

(B) An employer may adopt a policy to provide a preference for employment decisions, including hiring, promotion, or retention during a reduction in force, to a service member, veteran, or the spouse or a surviving spouse of a service member or veteran.

(C) A preference provided under division (B) of this section is not a violation of any state or local equal employment opportunity law. The unlawful discriminatory practices as defined in section 4112.02 of the Revised Code do not make it unlawful for an employer implementing a policy under this section to obtain information about an applicant's military status for the purpose of determining if the applicant is eligible for the preference provided under this policy.

(D) If an employer elects to adopt a policy described in division (B) of this section, the employer may notify the Ohio department of job and family services. The department of job and family services shall maintain a registry of employers that have a voluntary veterans' preference employment policy as described in this section, which shall be available to the public on the web site maintained by the department. The department of veterans services shall make available on the department's web site a link to the registry.

Added by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 488, §1, eff. 9/16/2014.