(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed the following bills into law:
- House Bill 120, sponsored by Representative Mark Fraizer and Representative Tracy Richardson, permitting compassionate care visits in long-term care facilities during an an epidemic, pandemic, or other state of emergency.
- House Bill 126, sponsored by Representative Derek Merrin, regarding processes for local governments to contest property value.
- House Bill 175, sponsored by Representative Brett Hillyer, preserves Ohio EPA’s authority to protect ephemeral streams and aligns Ohio EPA’s regulatory authority with federal requirements. It helps ensure that Ohio’s waterways are not used as a dumping ground for debris and waste and strikes a balance between protecting Ohio’s waterways and providing consistent state regulations to support economic development. This will provide needed clarity for the regulated business community and continued protection of water quality.
- House Bill 291, sponsored by Representative Jamie Callender and Representative Daniel Troy, designating multiple memorial highways and bridges, and creating new specialty license plates.
- House Bill 397, sponsored by Representative Brian Stewart and Representative Darrell Kick, revising the agricultural lease law.
- House Bill 440, sponsored by Representative D.J. Swearingen and Representative Andrea White, expands the Agricultural Linked Deposit Program and the types of obligations in which the Treasurer of State may invest interim funds, and declares an emergency.
- Senate Bill 25, sponsored by Senator Theresa Gavarone, enacting the Relapse Reduction Act regarding drug test and trafficking and designates April as “Sexual Assault Prevention Awareness Month.”
- Senate Bill 135, sponsored by Senator Jerry Cirino, regarding the operation of state institutions of higher education and free speech in public universities and colleges.
- Senate Bill 256, sponsored by Senator Steve Wilson, revising the travel insurance law.