Email: <blockquote>At today’s session (1:30pm), the Senate will consider the following conference committee report:
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Budget Reform: House Bill 487 sponsored by State
Representative Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) is a comprehensive review of the
enacted state budget, state policy programs and agency operations. The
process has identified hundreds of changes to improve state services and
streamline programs to better serve Ohioans. In addition to the $42
million in “green projects” for the Clean Ohio program, $15 million has
been added for the Clean Ohio brownfield remediation. An appropriation
of $13 million was added to support Governor Kasich’s Third grade
reading guarantee and $3 million for Healthy Lake Erie.
The Senate will consider the following legislation:
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Pension Reforms: At the request of the Ohio’s public
pension systems, Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus and Senate Minority
Leader Eric Kearney co-sponsored bipartisan landmark legislation
designed to protect the more than 1.7 million Ohioans enrolled in
various state plans. The Senate will vote on the State Highway Patrol
Retirement System reform bill, after passing legislation last week to
reform the other four state pension funds.
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Collateral Sanctions: Senate Bill 337, sponsored by
Senators Bill Seitz (R- Green Township) and Shirley Smith (D-
Cleveland), builds on Ohio sentencing reforms by eliminating barriers
that many non-violent offenders face when trying to obtain employment
once they are released from prison. The bill creates a process by which
an offender can petition the court for an order of relief from certain
prohibitions on employment or occupational licensing, but retains
certain safeguards – for example, a person convicted of check fraud
would be prohibited from working as a bank teller. It also contains
protections for employers who hire former offenders.
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Medical Licensing: House Bill 292, sponsored by
State Representative Anne Gonzalez (R- Westerville), establishes a
licensing process for genetic counselors in Ohio. Genetic counselors
work with health care providers to provide risk estimates for disease
and interpret complex test results. While many of these individuals have
specialized degrees and expertise, there are currently no state
regulations in place to ensure these professionals have adequate
training. The bill establishes certain education and certification
qualifications in order for a person to obtain a genetic counselor
license and also requires continuing education.
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Improving Veteran Services: House Bill 490,
sponsored by State Representatives Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) and Al Landis
(R-Dover) enhances the work of the Department of Veteran Services by
modernizing and improving services and benefits for veterans and their
families.
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Local Government Reforms: House Bill 509, sponsored
by State Representative Terry Blair (R-Washington Township) helps
improve local government operational efficiencies. Among other reforms,
the bill raises competitive bidding thresholds, permits larger numbers
for health insurance groups and allows local boards of health to
contract with each other.
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Adapting To Growth: Sponsored by State
Representative Louis Terhar (R-Cincinnati), House Bill 408 would change
the composition of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA)
by raising its total board membership from five to seven members. As the
CMHA continues to grow, the addition of two board members will allow
for those areas affected by growth to have a voice on the board.
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