COLUMBUS — State Rep. David Thomas, R-Jefferson, introduced legislation Friday that aims to end the practice of pension pickup across all levels of Ohio government.

House Bill 473 prohibits public employers from paying the employee share of retirement contributions to state pension systems, a move Thomas said will bring greater transparency and accountability to taxpayer-funded compensation.

“Ohioans should not be paying for the personal pension expenses of public employees. Point blank,” said Thomas, whose 65th District includes parts of Trumbull County.

“Salaries are public and should be an equal comparison across the state with how much the taxpayer is compensating our public servants. Not allowing for the pickup of the employee share for pensions allows for greater transparency and equal playing fields.”

Currently, some public employers pay both the employer and employee pension contributions, effectively hiding the full cost of public compensation. This bill ensures those costs are clearly reflected and helps prevent competitive “bidding wars” among agencies using fringe benefits to attract staff — at taxpayer expense.

The bill would apply to new employment contracts signed on or after the legislation’s effective date.

The bill has been assigned to the Public Insurance and Pensions committee and awaits its first hearing.