To amend sections 120.521, 120.53, 1923.06, 1923.08, 3735.41, and 5321.17 and to enact sections 120.531 and 120.532 of the Revised Code to provide counsel to destitute defendants facing eviction and to make an appropriation.
HB181 would create a statewide eviction-defense program for low-income tenants, especially households with children, by requiring the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation to contract with legal aid societies and other designated nonprofit organizations to provide full legal representation in eviction proceedings and related housing-authority hearings. It defines who qualifies as a covered individual, what proceedings are covered, and what services must be provided, including brief legal assistance when full representation is not feasible. The bill also creates a new Eviction Defense Fund in the state treasury and directs the state public defender, through the foundation, to administer the fund for this purpose.
The bill also makes related changes to Ohio eviction and housing laws. It requires eviction summonses and certain termination notices to inform tenants of their right to seek legal help and to direct them to legal aid resources. It adds a 14-day continuance for eviction defendants who are entitled to representation under the new program but have not yet formed an attorney-client relationship, and it requires metropolitan housing authorities to include notice of potential legal representation in certain voucher-related notices. The bill further adjusts reporting, funding allocation, and confidentiality requirements for legal aid funding and eviction-defense services.
HB181 would amend Ohio Revised Code provisions governing legal aid funding, eviction procedure, public housing notices, and landlord-tenant termination notices. It creates new sections 120.531 and 120.532 to establish the Eviction Defense Fund and authorize contracts for legal representation in eviction cases, while also revising sections 1923.06, 1923.08, 3735.41, and 5321.17 to add tenant-rights notices and a continuance tied to access to counsel. The bill appropriates $750,000 from the General Revenue Fund to seed the new fund and directs that money be used for legal representation of indigent eviction defendants.
The bill appears strongly supportive of expanding access to counsel for tenants facing eviction, with its stated purpose focused on helping destitute defendants and improving legal aid delivery. The introduced version includes detailed administrative and reporting provisions, suggesting an effort to structure the program carefully and ensure accountability. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes available, there is no documented opposition or support beyond the bill’s sponsorship and cosponsorship pattern.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the cost of creating and funding a new statewide eviction-defense program, the scope of eligibility, and the requirement that the foundation contract with legal aid or other nonprofit organizations across all areas of the state. Another possible issue is the bill’s effect on eviction timelines, since it adds a mandatory 14-day stay for certain defendants awaiting counsel and requires additional notice language in eviction and housing-authority processes. The bill also raises administrative questions about how funds are allocated, how performance metrics are enforced, and how the program interacts with existing legal aid and landlord-tenant procedures.