To amend sections 111.31, 2101.16, 2303.20, 3109.14, 3333.31, 3375.011, 3501.01, 3503.02, 3503.13, 3503.153, 3503.16, 3505.19, 3509.03, 3509.04, 3509.05, 3509.051, 3509.06, 3509.07, 3509.08, 3509.10, 3511.011, 3511.02, 3511.021, 3705.24, 3705.242, 4507.01, 4507.50, 4507.51, and 4507.52; to amend, for the purpose of adopting a new section number as indicated in parentheses, section 3511.011 (3511.01); to enact sections 9.011, 2101.166, 2303.202, 3509.031, 3509.032, 3509.11, 3705.243, and 3705.50; and to repeal section 3511.01 of the Revised Code to require photo identification to cast absent voter's ballots, with certain exceptions, to allow electors to apply for those ballots through a secure online portal, and to waive fees for an identification card or vital statistics record and permit the storage of documents for individuals experiencing homelessness.
HB472 would create a new fee waiver for people experiencing homelessness when they request certain vital records and state identification documents. Specifically, the bill adds a new section to the Revised Code requiring the Department of Health, local health officials, and vital statistics registrars to waive fees for a birth certification, a certified copy of a birth record, or a replacement birth record if the request is made by an individual experiencing homelessness and the homelessness is verified by an authorized service provider, school official, TRIO/GEAR UP representative, or financial aid administrator.
The bill also amends the state’s driver and identification card laws to allow individuals experiencing homelessness to obtain an Ohio identification card or replacement card without paying the usual fees. It defines homelessness broadly, including people without a fixed nighttime residence and certain people fleeing violence or recently released from institutions who lack housing and resources. The bill preserves existing fee waivers for other groups, such as certain disabled residents, incarcerated youth, and older applicants applying for replacement cards.
In addition to the fee waivers, HB472 makes conforming changes to the statutes governing vital records and identification cards so that the new homelessness-related exemptions are carved out from existing fee provisions. It would affect the Department of Health, county clerks, local registrars, deputy registrars, and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles by reducing or eliminating fees collected from qualifying applicants, while leaving the underlying issuance and verification processes in place. The bill as introduced is focused on access to identity documents and birth records rather than changing eligibility standards for those documents.
The broader context indicates the bill is part of a larger package that also addresses absentee voting and online ballot applications, but the introduced text provided here is centered on homelessness-related fee relief. The voting history shows strong support in the House: it received favorable passage in committee unanimously and later passed the House by a wide margin, 91-1. That suggests the homelessness-related provisions were generally viewed positively and as a practical access measure.
The main point of contention, based on the text itself, is not ideological opposition but administrative implementation: the bill relies on third-party verification of homelessness and requires agencies to adjust fee collection and waiver procedures. Because no committee transcript is provided, there is no recorded debate here showing specific objections, but the structure of the bill suggests any concerns would likely focus on verification standards, lost fee revenue, and administrative burden rather than the policy goal of helping unhoused individuals obtain essential documents.
HB472 would amend Ohio’s vital records and identification card statutes to create explicit fee exemptions for individuals experiencing homelessness. It would add new section 3705.243 and modify sections 3109.14, 3705.24, 3705.242, 4507.50, and 4507.52 so that qualifying applicants can obtain birth certificates, certified birth records, replacement birth records, and state ID cards without paying the usual fees. The bill would directly affect the Department of Health, local registrars, county clerks, deputy registrars, and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles by changing how fees are assessed, waived, and collected, while leaving the core issuance framework intact.
The available voting history suggests broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. The bill advanced out of committee unanimously and later passed the House overwhelmingly, indicating that lawmakers generally viewed it as a targeted assistance measure for a vulnerable population. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate significant controversy in the materials supplied.
The most notable policy issue is the bill’s reliance on verification of homelessness by specified third parties, such as nonprofit service providers, school social workers, TRIO/GEAR UP officials, and financial aid administrators. That structure may raise administrative questions about who qualifies and how agencies confirm eligibility, but the text and voting record do not show organized opposition. Any fiscal concern would stem from waived fees and the resulting reduction in revenue to the agencies and funds that normally receive those payments, though the bill does not present that as a major dispute in the materials provided.