To establish the 'A HAND UP' pilot program, to designate this act as the Actionable Help And New Dignity for Upward Progression (A HAND UP) Act, and to make an appropriation.
HB216 would create a three-year pilot program within the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services called the A HAND UP pilot program. The program is designed to help people who are losing eligibility for public assistance transition into the workforce by connecting them with employers, mentors, financial literacy resources, and a digital application that tracks income and links participants to program supports. The department would select four counties for the pilot: one metropolitan county, one midsize county, and two rural counties, including one in Appalachia.
The bill also directs the department to provide participants with a sliding-scale stipend that can be used for health insurance premiums and deductibles or child care costs, while employers participating in the program would receive subsidies for hiring participants. It requires the department to adopt rules, establish eligibility and participation standards, and study outcomes after participants complete the program. The department must report annually to the General Assembly on whether participants are employed, their wages, whether they receive employer health insurance, whether they return to public assistance, and whether they become self-sufficient. The bill includes a $10 million General Revenue Fund appropriation for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support the pilot.
In terms of state law, HB216 would add a new temporary program administered by JFS and create a specific appropriation for it, while also authorizing rulemaking under Chapter 119 of the Revised Code. It would further require the department to work with existing subsidized employment programs, potentially collaborate with InnovateOhio on the digital application, and seek a federal waiver if needed to allow certain individual development account funds to be used for expenses such as rent, moving costs, utilities, and transportation. The bill does not repeal or broadly amend existing public assistance law, but it would create a new state-administered pathway aimed at reducing reliance on benefits and improving employment outcomes.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text and sponsorship is supportive of workforce transition and self-sufficiency, with the program framed as a helping hand rather than a punitive measure. The bill’s title and structure emphasize dignity, upward mobility, and practical supports such as child care, health coverage, and mentoring. Because the bill was only introduced and no committee testimony or votes are provided, there is no recorded public debate in the available materials, but the design suggests an effort to appeal to both anti-poverty and workforce-development priorities.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the cost of the $20 million appropriation over two fiscal years, the effectiveness of using subsidies and stipends to move recipients off assistance, and the administrative complexity of running a county-based pilot with federal waiver requests and a new digital platform. Some observers may also question whether the program’s outcomes can be measured reliably or whether the selected counties will provide a representative test of the model. Supporters, by contrast, are likely to focus on the bill’s emphasis on employment, child care, health coverage, and individualized support for people transitioning out of public benefits.
HB216 would create a new three-year pilot program in the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and appropriate $10 million from the General Revenue Fund in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to operate it. The bill would authorize JFS to establish eligibility rules, employer participation standards, mentorship and financial literacy components, a digital application, and annual reporting requirements, and it would require the department to study participant outcomes after program completion. It would also potentially affect administration of individual development accounts in participating counties by directing the department to seek a federal waiver for broader uses of those funds.
The available materials suggest a generally positive, reform-oriented sentiment toward the bill. Its sponsors frame it as a workforce-transition and self-sufficiency initiative that provides practical supports rather than simply reducing benefits. No committee transcript or vote record is available, so there is no documented opposition or amendment debate in the provided context.
The likely areas of contention are fiscal cost, program design, and implementation feasibility. Critics may question the $20 million appropriation, whether subsidies and stipends will produce lasting employment gains, and whether a pilot in four counties can generate useful statewide evidence. The bill’s reliance on a new digital application, employer subsidies, mentorship infrastructure, and possible federal waiver requests could also raise concerns about administrative burden and whether the program will be easy to scale or evaluate. Supporters are likely to emphasize the bill’s targeted assistance for people leaving public benefits, especially child care and health coverage support.