To amend section 1505.07 and to enact section 1509.023 of the Revised Code to prohibit the removal of oil or gas from under Lake Erie or a state park.
Summary
HB399 would amend Ohio law governing mineral extraction beneath Lake Erie and create a new prohibition on oil and gas extraction from under state parks. Under current law, the Director of Natural Resources may issue permits or leases for taking sand, gravel, stone, and other minerals from beneath the bed of Lake Erie, subject to specified approvals and conditions. The bill would preserve that authority for non-oil-and-gas materials, but expressly bar the state from issuing any permit or lease to remove oil or natural gas from under Lake Erie.
The bill also adds a new section of the Revised Code that would prohibit the Director of Natural Resources or any other state authority from issuing permits, leases, or other authorization to take or remove oil or natural gas from beneath any state park established under Chapter 1546. In practical terms, HB399 would create a categorical ban on new state authorization for oil and gas extraction in those protected areas, while leaving existing law on other mineral extraction largely intact.
Impact
HB399 would narrow the state’s permitting authority under section 1505.07 by carving out oil and natural gas from Lake Erie extraction permissions, and it would add section 1509.023 to prohibit oil and gas development beneath state parks. The bill would affect the Department of Natural Resources and any other state authority involved in mineral leasing or permitting, and it would limit private parties seeking access to subsurface oil and gas resources in these locations. It would not eliminate the state’s ability to permit extraction of sand, gravel, stone, or other non-oil-and-gas substances from Lake Erie.
Sentiment
The bill appears to reflect a protective, conservation-oriented approach to Ohio’s public lands and Lake Erie, with sponsors and cosponsors signaling support for restricting oil and gas extraction in environmentally sensitive or publicly valued areas. Because the bill was only introduced and no committee votes or transcripts are available, there is no recorded floor or committee debate to show broader legislative sentiment. Based on the text alone, the measure is framed as a precautionary restriction rather than a regulatory expansion.
Contention
The main point of contention would likely be the policy tradeoff between environmental protection and resource development. Supporters would likely favor preventing drilling beneath Lake Erie and state parks to avoid ecological risk, preserve public lands, and reduce potential conflicts with recreation and conservation uses. Opponents, if any, would likely argue that the bill forecloses potential energy development and associated economic benefits, and that it imposes an absolute ban rather than a case-by-case permitting framework. No specific objections or negotiated compromises are reflected in the available legislative record.
To amend sections 3505.01 and 3505.10 of the Revised Code to modify the deadline for a political party to certify its nominees for President and Vice-President to the Secretary of State.
To amend sections 3517.12, 3517.13, and 3517.155 of the Revised Code to modify the Campaign Finance Law regarding foreign nationals and statewide initiatives and referenda and to declare an emergency.
To amend sections 3517.12, 3517.13, and 3517.155 of the Revised Code to modify the Campaign Finance Law regarding foreign nationals and statewide initiatives and referenda and to declare an emergency.
To delay the deadline for a major political party to certify its presidential and vice presidential candidates to the Secretary of State for the 2024 general election.