To amend section 3735.661 of the Revised Code to expand the ability of certain municipalities to amend a pre-1994 community reinvestment area.
Summary
HB456 would amend Ohio’s community reinvestment area (CRA) law, specifically section 3735.661, to broaden when certain changes to pre-1994 CRA ordinances are treated as permissible amendments. The bill defines which modifications count as an “amendment” for purposes of the special limits tied to older CRA ordinances, including expansions of CRA boundaries, increases in exemption percentages, longer exemption terms, extensions of CRA duration, and changes to eligibility requirements. It also clarifies that certain other changes do not count as amendments, such as reductions in exemptions, administrative or procedural updates, confirmation of existing CRAs or exemptions, and requirements tied to affordable housing agreements.
The bill also preserves a special rule for impacted cities: for the first four amendments to certain pre-effective-date CRA ordinances adopted by a municipal corporation under section 3735.66, the bill keeps older versions of related CRA statutes in effect rather than the later-amended versions, so long as the municipality qualifies as an impacted city. In practical terms, HB456 would give qualifying municipalities more flexibility to revise older CRA programs while still distinguishing between expansionary changes and restrictive, administrative, or corrective changes.
Impact
HB456 would modify the operation of Ohio Revised Code section 3735.661 and affect how municipalities and counties can amend community reinvestment area ordinances, especially those adopted before 1994. It would expand the set of changes that are treated as substantive amendments for purposes of the statute’s amendment limits, while also expressly excluding several categories of non-substantive or restrictive changes from counting against those limits. The bill would therefore affect local governments, property owners, developers, and participants in CRA tax exemption programs by changing when older CRA ordinances may be updated and under what legal framework those updates occur.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be a technical/local-government policy bill with no recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials. The caption and structure suggest the bill is intended to provide municipalities more flexibility in managing older CRA agreements, particularly in impacted cities. Because there are no transcripts or vote records, there is no documented opposition or support in the supplied context, but the bill’s framing suggests a generally administrative and facilitative purpose rather than a controversial policy shift.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the balance between local flexibility and limits on tax incentives. Supporters would likely favor the bill because it allows certain municipalities to modernize or adjust pre-1994 CRA ordinances, including by addressing affordable housing conditions and administrative updates. Opponents, if any, might be concerned that expanding amendment authority could increase or prolong property tax exemptions, reduce oversight, or alter the original scope of older CRA commitments. Another possible issue is the special treatment of impacted cities, which could raise questions about whether the bill creates uneven rules for different municipalities.
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