Complete Story
03/03/2025
House Bill 96, Supported Amendments and Budget Provision Defense
Below are the provisions of HB 96 that CCAO wants to ensure remain a part of the bill and submitted budget amendments that the Association supports including into the bill.
Budget Provision Defense
State Child Protection Allocation ALI GRF 830506 (DCY):
Maintain funding for public children services agencies at $180 million in FY 26 and $185 million in FY 27 and for Regional Child Wellness Campuses of $20 million FY 26 and $10 million FY 27.
Provider Transparency Language
Maintain language that establishes a process for the Department of Children and Youth to increase cost transparency and predictability for placement costs.
Protect OPD GRF line item 019406 appropriation:
Maintain $3.5 million in each fiscal year for the Northwest Regional Hub, as well as the implementation language.
County Jail Funding
Maintain allocation of 25% of adult-use marijuana tax revenue for the county jail grant program.
Publicly Funded Childcare
Maintain the increase to 160% of the federal poverty level for initial eligibility for publicly funded childcare and 300% for continued eligibility.
Priority Requests
Next Generation 9-1-1
HC-0401: Increases the user fee that generates revenue for Next Generation 9-1-1 to $1.00 per month
Indigent Defense
HC-1087: Appropriates $43 million in SFY 2026 and $50 million in SFY 2027 for county indigent defense cost reimbursement. The amendment also provides funding for a performance audit of the indigent defense system and removes reimbursement rate caps.
Other Requests
Broadband
HC-0034: Appropriates $20 million in SFY 2026 to expand middle-mile broadband infrastructure along Route 30.
Victim Services
HC-0791: Directs 5% of the adult-use marijuana excise tax revenue (appropriated at $14.5 million in each fiscal year) for grants to county prosecutors for victim assistance. It reallocates the 5% away from expungement requests.
Human Services
HC-0482: Appropriates an additional $10 million in each fiscal year for Senior Community Services.
HC-0681: Requires that at least $46 million in each fiscal year from ALI 600521, Family Assistance - Local, be provided to county departments of job and family services to administer food assistance and disability assistance programs. NOTE: this is NOT an appropriation increase.
HC-0682: Requires that funds distributed by the Department of Medicaid based on performance criteria be distributed quarterly, instead of not later than 45 days after the end of the quarter.
Also requires the Department to establish performance criteria by August 15, 2025, for SFY 2026 and by June 30, 2026, for SFY 2027, and requires the Department to communicate the criteria to county departments of job and family services.
HC-0690: Appropriates an additional $10 million in each fiscal year to be provided to county departments of job and family services to operate the SNAP Employment and Training program.
HC-0196: Appropriates an additional $6.5 million in each fiscal year to support county Family and Children First Councils.
HC-1320: Adds that children and youth determined by a PCSA to be at risk of being in the agency's custody to be eligible for placement in a regional child wellness campus.
Local Government Fund
HC-0521: Increases the share of state GRF tax revenue distributed through the Local Government Fund to 2.25%.
Child Care
HC-1057-1: Establishes the Child Care Recruitment and Mentorship Grant Program to increase the number of licensed child care providers and appropriates $3.2 million in each year to fund the program.
HC-0949: Requires the Department of Children and Youth to administer a grant program to expand child care capacity, support the state's workforce, and aid in business growth and recruitment, in consultation with the Department of Development and JobsOhio. Appropriates $10 million in each year for the grant program and $250,000 in each year to establish child care cohorts and other purposes aimed at increasing child care capacity.
HC-0216: Creates the Child Care Cred Program that allows for the costs of child care to be split equally between participating employees, employers, and the Department of Children and Youth. Appropriates $10 million in SFY 2026 to support the program.
Jail Formula
HC-0784: Retroactively changes the state share of a jail project funded by House Bill 33 of the 135th General Assembly to be a minimum state share. For example, if the formula would direct the state share to be 80% of the project, the state is allowed under the amendment to provide more than 80% of the total cost.
Water and Sewer Loan Program
HC-1592-1: Reestablishes the Water and Sewer Commission and the Water and Sewer Fund and requires the Commission use money in the fund for advances to local governments for water and sewer line extensions under certain circumstances. Appropriates $10 million over the biennium for the fund.
Clerk of Court Fees
HC-0542: Increases the certificate of title fee charged by clerks of courts of common pleas by $7 and allocates all revenue from the additional $7 fee to the clerk of courts of common pleas.
County Apiaries
HC-0090: Allows counties to hire multiple deputy apiarists.
