By Lindsey Gardiner, Manager of Government Affairs

The following grid is designed to provide you with insight into the likelihood of passage of the legislation we are monitoring. Please note that due to the fluid nature of the legislative process, the color coding of bills is subject to change at any time. GOPC will be regularly updating the legislative update the last Thursday of every month and when major developments arise. If you have any concerns about a particular bill, please let us know.

Updates on Key Bills: 

HB 5 UPDATE: The month of May has been quite a busy one for much of the legislation GOPC has been tracking and HB 5, which proposes the Auditor of State  to establish a shared equipment service program and conduct efficiency studies, was no exception. During the first half of May, HB 5 received a fourth and fifth hearing, where the bill was amended to include clarifying changes addressing the specificity of agreements for business case studies. At the fifth hearing on May 17^th, the bill received a final vote by the Committee. May 18^th, the bill received final consideration by the Senate and was unanimously voted out of the chamber 30-0. Earlier this week, the House reviewed the technical changes made to the legislation and ultimately accepted the bill with a concurrence vote of 94-3. Now that HB 5 has successfully passed out of the House and the Senate, the bill is now on its way to the Governor for signature.

HB 130 UPDATE: As you may recall from our April coverage, HB 130 received approval from the House Finance Committee and has since been waiting for referral for final consideration by the full House. On May 18^th, the House unanimously passed HB 130 with a vote of 96-0. Now that the bill has successfully passed out of its originating chamber, the bill is on its way to the Senate for Committee review. GOPC will continue to monitor HB 130 and is prepared to offer support as it goes through this next phase in the legislative process.

HB 134 & HB 463 UPDATE: Activity for HB 134 has continued to gain momentum. Earlier this week the bill received its second and third hearing in the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee. If you recall our coverage of HB 463, you will notice that both bills are very similar. In the interest of conserving time, the sponsors of HB 134 and HB 463 decided to work together in an effort to get the reformative measures passed out of the Senate before their summer break. During the second hearing of HB 134, the language in HB 463 was amended into HB 134. The change was accepted by the Committee and the following day the Committee accepted two other clarification changes to HB 134. The new and improved foreclosure bill; however, did not receive a final vote out of the Committee and therefore did not have a chance to receive final approval by the Senate. However, not all was lost for the bill as it would receive another transformative opportunity that would enable it to reach the Senate Floor that same day. HB 134 language was amended into HB 390, which is essentially a natural gas tax exemption bill and was ultimately voted out of the Full Senate late Wednesday night. The House concurred with the Senate’s changes to HB 390 and approved of the amendments made to the bill including the foreclosure language. According to Representative Dever’s office, HB 134, which contained HB 463, has essentially passed out of the Legislature, and is now expected to be sent to the Governor for Signature.

HB 182 UPDATE: HB 182 is another bill that crossed the legislative finish line this week. During the first two weeks of May, the bill received three hearings, and was even amended to make the program more permissive for businesses and ultimately allowing them to choose if joining a Joint Economic Development District is right for them. The bill sponsor, Rep. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) noted that the bill will also create a new market tax credit and allow and economic and community development institute (ECDI) to have a nonprofit dispensation of property taxes. Earlier this week, HB 182 was reported out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and was voted out of the Senate with a unanimous vote of 33-0. The House considered the changes made within the Senate and granted final approval with a concurrence vote of 95-0. HB 182 is now expected to be sent over to the Governor’s office to be signed into law.

HB 303 UPDATE: On May 10^th, HB 303 received a fourth hearing in the Senate Financial Institutions Committee. GOPC offered interested party testimony and numerous other organizations, including the Ohio Bankers League and the Ohio Land Title Association, submitted letters in support of the bill. Ultimately, the bill was reported out of Committee and on May 18^th, the bill was given a final vote by the full Senate with a vote of 29-0. Earlier this week, the House officially agreed to the Senate’s work on HB 303 and gave a concurrence vote of 97-0. This bill, like numerous others, is anticipated to signed into law by the Governor in next few weeks.

HB 512 UPDATE: Water system testing reform bill has been on the move as well. During the first half of May, HB 512 was reported out of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee and on May 11^th, it was voted out of the House by a unanimous vote of 96-0. During the weeks following, HB 512 was referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where it received hearings and testimony from various state agencies and organizations, including the Ohio Environmental Protections Agency, Ohio Rural Community Assistance Program, and the Ohio Rural Water Association.  On May 25^th, the bill was reported out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and received a final vote by the full Senate with a vote of 32-0.

New Bills & Explanation of Bill Impact on Economic Development within Ohio:

SB 333 is sponsored by Senator Cliff Hite (R-Findlay). This bill is similar in subject area to HB 512 as it also proposes new State policies protect Lake Erie and other drinking water sources. SB 333 is also part of the Mid-Biennial Budget Review process (MBR), which is a proposal made with the Governor’s direction. According to the Ohio EPA’s SB 333 fact sheet, the bill intends to map ways Ohio will meet its commitments under the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and update the Lake Erie Commission’s existing statutes. The MBR bill is intended to offer straightforward regulatory framework to encourage better use of dredge materials, require financial assurance for privately owned water systems, and strengthen Ohio’s Certified Water Quality Professional Program. The bill also proposes requiring ongoing asset management efforts by public water systems, which would involve how local governments are managing the upkeep of their water systems. GOPC will actively monitor SB 333 as it continues through the legislative process.

For more details and information on legislation that GOPC is tracking, please visit our Previous Legislative Updates.