Ohio lawmaker wants employers to give bonuses to married employees

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(The Center Square) – Ohioans who want to get married might benefit from keeping an eye on the General Assembly.

Marriage could get more profitable in the state thanks to proposed legislation that would encourage employers to give bonuses to newlyweds.

The Invest in Marriage Act, introduced by Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Township, allows for a marriage bonus during the year when an employee gets married.

Employers can give the $1,000 bonus to each employee and then receive a nonrefundable tax credit of up to $1,000 for each employee, with the credit capped at $50,000 annually.

The Center Square was unsuccessful prior to publication of getting comment from Williams.

The Ohio Legislative Service Commission estimated the state would lose between $13.8 million and $34.4 million through the tax credit, and local governments would lose between $245,000 and $613,000.

Government and nonprofit employers would not be able to claim the tax credit but could offer the bonus.

According to the Ohio Department of Health Marriage & Divorce, more than 60,000 marriages took place in Ohio in 2023.

The act is in the House Ways and Means Committee.

Williams also recently introduced the Right to Know Act, which would require hospitals and health care providers to offer paternity tests when a child is born to unwed parents.

Parents would have to sign a waiver if they do not want the test.

He said the legislation would strengthen families.

“Strong families are built on trust, transparency, and truth,” Williams said in a release. “The Right to Know Act gives parents the opportunity to make informed decisions from day one, reducing future conflict and helping lay a stronger foundation for the children at the heart of these families.”

Both pieces of legislation are part of what Williams has called his “family first” agenda, that also includes legislation creating a tax credit for employers to give a $1,000 bonus to employees or an employee’s spouse who gives birth or adopts a child and another tax credit for employers who provide paid parental leave.

Finally, the agenda includes a bill that would create Natural Family Month to celebrate a married man and woman raising biological or adopted children.