March 15, 2022
Governor Mike DeWine Signs Senate Bill 9
The Ohio Chamber was pleased to see the signing of Senate Bill 9 by Govenor Mike Dewine last Thursday, as it will bring about sweeping regulatory reform to Ohio’s business climate.

Regulatory restrictions are any rule that contain the words; shall, must, require, shall not, may not, or prohibit. These types of words occur in rules that are stifling businesses in Ohio. Consistently, our members, when surveyed, put state regulations near the top of their concerns. This bill takes a massive step forward in ending that issue.

The 30 percent overall reduction of regulatory restrictions coupled with removing two existing regulations for every new one regulation will help to eliminate hurdles for Ohio businesses, as well as promote a more pro-business regulatory environment.

Senate Bill 9 was on the top 10 priority list for the Ohio Chamber, you can read the full list here.
House Bill 466 Receives Third Hearing
House Bill 466 received a third hearing last Tuesday. While the Ohio Chamber of Commerce is waiting to weigh-in on the bill, if it receives a fourth hearing, former Ohio Chamber Board President, Larry Kidd did provide opponent testimony on behalf of his company :hire.

House Bill 466 would impose a price cap on the expenses of temporary staffing agencies that provide certain health care professionals to hospitals, nursing homes or residential care facilities. This legislation also requires these agencies to register with the Ohio Department of Health and be subject to several new regulatory requirements.

As Mr. Kidd stated in his testimony: “We need to keep Ohio competitive… Please allow the markets to adjust according to the free market system. We should monitor ‘bad apples’ through other avenues other than regulation.”
House Bill 490 Hearing
Last week, House Bill 490 received opponent testimony in the House Transportation and Public Safety Committee. House Bill 490 will allow the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Aviation Division to have authority over any structure above 200 feet anywhere in the state.

Current law specifically limits ODOT's authority and jurisdiction over regulating the construction of tall structures near airports to those proposed structures that would penetrate an airport's 'clear zone surface, horizontal surface, conical surface, primary surface, approach surface or transitional surface.

This legislation would expand ODOT’s authority beyond these surfaces to veto any potential obstructions to the navigable airspace of an airport, potentially resulting in conflicting federal and state decisions. Due to these concerns, the Ohio Chamber will be weighing-in at the next hearing.
Short-Term Rental Legislation - House Bill 563
House Bill 563 would prohibit local governments from banning a property owner’s right to offer short-term rental opportunities to guests. The Ohio Chamber testified in support of HB 563 during the second hearing. Last Tuesday a third hearing was scheduled for opponent testimony, but the length of the House session required the postponement of the committee hearing. The House State & Local Government Committee is not scheduled to meet this upcoming week.
Ohio Chamber of Commerce | 614-228-4201 | occ@ohiochamber.com