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End of 135th General Assembly Overview

As we head into a new chapter for the Statehouse, with the 135th General Assembly behind us, we will focus our collective energy on the upcoming Operating Budget Bill, expected to be introduced mid-to-late January. This will be the first major piece of legislation most newly elected members will work on, so we will be diligently meeting with all new and returning members to highlight and advocate for our requests. Since we see the start of a new General Assembly as a clean slate, our only action item currently available is getting every AHA volunteer and employee enrolled in our volunteer advocacy network. Please text OH to 46839 to ensure your Ohio elected officials can hear your voice and you can stay up-to-date on all AHA advocacy efforts.

Legislative Session Highlights

A General Assembly is two years. Two years to affect positive change in the State. Two years to build relationships with elected officials. Two years of hard work on their part, and yours. And because you spoke up, because you engaged, because you were there with us, we were able to secure multiple policy priorities during the course of the 135th General Assembly. Please have a look below for the list of policy successes you made possible since January 2023.

DEFENDED OHIO’S SMOKE-FREE LAW: In 2006, Ohioans voted to ban smoking indoors. HB 530, introduced in May, would have allowed the creation of cigar bars and permitted them to allow indoor smoking with only 20% of revenue coming from cigar-related sales -including the renting of humidors. The AHA and other public health organizations quickly rallied against this bill and with your help, over 300 e-mails were sent to lawmakers, and we were able to defeat it. The bill did receive 2 hearings in the House Civil Justice Committee, but we never got a chance to testify in opposition as the Chairman pulled the bill from any additional hearings before the end of the GA.

DEFENDED AGAINST SNAP BENEFIT CHANGES: We successfully blocked the passage of SB 240, legislation that would have made it harder for some Ohioans to receive SNAP benefits and ensure they and their families were fed. Many Ohio families would have been hurt by this bill, including survivors of domestic violence, rural Ohioans with limited job opportunities, formerly incarcerated citizens working to rebuild their lives, and low-income parents with child support obligations.

PREEMPTION: On January 24th, 2024 the Ohio Senate concurred (24-8) on the Ohio House’s December 13, 2023, 60-31 vote to override the governor’s veto of a provision that prevents local governments from protecting the health and wellbeing of their communities. This legislative override negates any flavor restrictions and local enforcement of Tobacco 21, that 26 communities had relied on to hold retailers accountable. 21 communities felt strongly enough about home rule and their ability to enact safeguards against Big Tobacco and decided to take it to the courts for an answer. The plaintiffs won the first round, with the court stipulating that the plaintiffs may continue enforcing current policies, and enact additional protections if they so choose. The State did appeal that decision and the next hearing has yet to be scheduled. No matter who wins this next round, we would anticipate another appeal, sending this matter into the hands of the Ohio Supreme Court. Therefore, it could be a while until we have this issue fully resolved

TOBACCO RETAIL LICENSURE: Before the legislature decided that communities should not be able to regulate tobacco, 2 communities enacted tobacco retail licensure (TRL) programs. The cities of Lorain and Gahanna enacted compliance measures on their existing retailers and limited the number of tobacco retailers in their communities. In addition, those communities also require any new retailer to be 1000′ from any youth-oriented facilities (Gahanna) and 2000′ in the Lorain ordinance. A special shout-out to Gahanna residents and AHA employees, Kathleen Marron and Connie Spear for their willingness to call council members and testify in support of the ordinance.

HB 47 — AEDs IN SCHOOLS: The Ohio House passed the AED Bill (HB 47) on June 14, 2024, with a vote of 84-6. Cosponsored by Reps. Brown and Bird, H.B. 47 requires AEDs to be placed in each school and sports and recreational locations in Ohio. It also requires emergency action plans be adopted at these sites and for staff to be trained in CPR and the use of AEDs, which complements and reinforces Ohio’s existing requirement that coaches be certified in CPR. The Smart Heart Sports Coalition has been meeting with Rep. Adam Bird about the possibility of tightening this language and adding additional details to the required emergency action plan and cardiac emergency response plan. The changes we seek will ensure uniformity among the plans and ensure national criteria are used to create them.

HB 33 — OPERATING BUDGET BILL: As mentioned above, the Operating Budget Bill is the largest bill, in appropriation and size, that the legislature will handle during a General Assembly. The bill must be signed by June 30, which means this is usually an all-hands-on-deck campaign for all of 5 months. For this most recent bill, the AHA requested multiple items, including appropriations and policies. Below are the items we successfully obtained and the AHA volunteers that helped make it possible.

  • ADDING STROKE REGISTRY TO THE OHIO REVISED CODE &
    ADDING “THROMBECTOMY-CAPABLE” TO THE STROKE FACILITY DESIGNATION LIST
    Already a rule, but not enshrined in the Ohio Revised Code, the stroke registry will help Ohio stroke victims with improved patient outcomes, enhanced public health surveillance, and policy and program development. Adding “thrombectomy capable centers to the facility designation enshrines another rule in the Ohio Revised Code. My thanks to AHA volunteers, Dr. B.J. Hicks (AHA Columbus board member) Dr. Syed Zaidi (AHA Toledo board and State Advocacy Committee member), Jeri Ward (stroke survivor and advocate), and Ben Osburn (AHA Ohio advocate) for their testimony and support.
  • TELECOMMUNICATOR CPR IMPLEMENTATION & FUNDING
    As a part of a larger coalition, but leading the way as a public health organization, the AHA successfully obtained $45M in funding to implement a NextGen 9-1-1 system for the state. This system includes a requirement that all dispatchers be trained in providing over-the-phone CPR instructions for bystanders. By guiding callers through CPR steps, they can significantly increase the chances of survival for the victim. This will help to ensure improved patient outcomes, enhance public safety statewide, and provide increased confidence and competence in bystanders who need to administer CPR. Thank you to long-time AHA volunteer and former State Advocacy Committee Chair, Gail Hogan, and AHA employee Lauren Yedlick, for their support and for testifying before the House and Senate Finance Committees.
  • CPR TRAINING FUNDING FOR OHIO SCHOOLS
    In 2016, Ohio enacted a requirement that all high school students be trained in CPR, however, there were no funds to ensure they had the resources for that training. The AHA requested and successfully obtained, $598,000/year for the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to ensure schools are prepared to help train a Nation of Lifesavers. Roughly 100,000 students graduate in Ohio each school year. This funding will help provide the confidence and knowledge needed if they find themselves in a cardiac emergency. My thanks go out to AHA advocates Tony Lindeman, Stephanie Kornet, and Christa Poole for their support and testimony before the House and Senate Finance Committees.
  • INCREASE TO THE SNAP DOUBLE-UP FOOD BUCKS PROGRAM
    Ohio is lucky to have Produce Perks, a program that provides a $1-$1 match for all SNAP participants to assist with the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables – up to $25. The AHA worked with Produce Perks to secure an additional $500,000/year for this program, bringing its total appropriation to $1M per year! This will help Produce Perks to partner with more local farmers’ markets and independent grocers, helping more Ohioans eat healthier and keep the money in the community.

Upcoming Events

We will host all AHA Ohio board members at the Ohio Statehouse on March 18, 2025, to continue our advocacy efforts in the upcoming Operating Budget Bill. Learn about those requests by watching our Issue Deep Dive — Passcode: $$30EmzN