COLUMBUS, Ohio – Last week the Speaker of the Ohio House and the Senate President exchanged a few words via the media. The Speaker expressed frustration that the House priority bills, House Bills 1 through 14, were not moving fast enough in the Ohio Senate. The most recent bill to cause Householder concern was House Bill 2. It passed the Senate Wednesday.
House Bill 2, known as the “TechCred” bill, provides “…reimbursements to eligible employers for training costs for both incumbent and prospective employees to earn a microcredential, which generally is an industry-recognized credential or certificate that may be completed in not more than one year.”
The overall goal of the bill is to help businesses obtain affordable training. As reported by Gongwer, a fund of $30 million will be available.
According to the Senate, the bill passage was delayed when the sponsors, State Representatives Jon Cross (R-Kenton) and Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown), requested last-minute changes.
State Senator Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) offered those changes in the form of an amendment on the Senate floor. It clarified the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) must approve providers before a student can be enrolled in their training and all those identified as minorities must be reported to DAS on an annual basis, among other things.
The final vote on House Bill 2 was unanimous.
When discussing the bills the House wanted to pass, as reported by The Ohio Star, Senate President Obhof mentioned that his chamber also intended to get working on House Bill 1, which “Broadens the scope of continuing law intervention in lieu of conviction.,” providing options for drug users other than jail. Senate Bill 3 intends to limit sentencing for drug users and focus more on traffickers.
One key bill supported by the House that has been passed by the Senate is House Bill 6, the nuclear bailout. It passed in July and was the subject of a referendum attempt until Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts failed gather the necessary signatures to place the legislation on the ballot for vote.
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Beth Lear is a reporter at The Ohio Star. Follow Beth on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
