The Ohio House of Representatives passed a Republican-backed legislation that attempts to save taxpayers millions of dollars statewide by modernizing the Ohio Revised Code.
The Ohio House passed the legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 94-1, advancing it to the senate for its consideration.
House Bill (HB) 76, known as “Innovate the Code,” sponsored by State Representatives Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) (pictured above, right) and Andrea White (R-Kettering) (pictured above, left), tries to update and simplify the permitted methods of communication, such as electronic communication, to make Ohio more efficient and save taxpayer dollars.
According to Hall, “This is a good government bill.”
“I am honored to have led this legislative charge that will both support Ohio taxpayers and make our state government better,” he said.
In Ohio, 200-plus years of rules and regulations enshrined in the Ohio Revised Code and Administrative Code exist. Hall noted that many of Ohio’s state departments are still being required to use outdated methods to send or publish information. These methods are not only outdated but also are becoming increasingly expensive compared to available modern methods.
The 300-page bill aims to replace certified mail from the Department of Taxation with electronic delivery of tax assessments, provide public notice on the Environment Protection Agency website and utilize electronic correspondence instead of certified mail, allow the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to allow electronic submission of oil and gas application, reports, test results, and fees, allow the Ohio Department of Transportation to advertise contract bids electronically, and to require the Department of Public Safety to use electronic submission of court records and abstracts about traffic violations.
According to White, these burdensome provisions in the Ohio Revised Code harm Ohioans.
“Our code is filled with requirements like these that are outdated, burdensome, and duplicative. These provisions are harming Ohioans by stalling innovation, slowing down our businesses, and costing our taxpayers unnecessary time and money in this day and age,” White said.
Hall said that Lt. Governor Jon Husted and the Common Sense Initiative, along with several of Ohio’s state agencies, have partnered together on this legislation.
In 2020, Husted and his team from The Common Sense Initiative launched a project in partnership with Innovate Ohio utilizing an artificial intelligence software tool to help humans in government reform Ohio’s regulatory landscape. The AI tool’s task included looking for areas in Ohio’s Revised and Administrative Codes where decision-makers may collaborate with stakeholders and state agencies to streamline rules, eliminate antiquated correspondence, and avoid unnecessary in-person encounters. White stated it was through this project that they discovered these necessary changes to the Ohio Revised Code.
According to Hall, this “good government bill” will save taxpayers over $44 million and over 58,000 hours of labor through efficiency improvements over the next ten years.
“This is a piece of legislation that we can all rally behind to make Ohio more efficient and save taxpayer money. We all talk about the regulation of government and simplifying these processes, this is the perfect bill that accomplishes both,” Hall said.
The legislation is now under review in the Ohio Senate.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Thomas Hall” by State Representative Thomas Hall. Photo “Andrea White” by The Ohio House of Representatives. Photo “Ohio State Capitol” by â±®. CC BY-SA 4.0.
