To amend section 5747.113 and to enact sections 3701.27 and 4503.108 of the Revised Code to create the Pediatric Cancer Research Fund and to authorize voluntary contributions to it.
Summary
HB573 would create a new Pediatric Cancer Research Fund in the state treasury and authorize Ohio residents to support it through voluntary $5 contributions when registering or renewing a motor vehicle registration, as well as through the state income tax refund contribution system. The bill directs the Ohio Department of Health to administer the fund, distribute money to hospitals in Ohio for pediatric cancer research, and conduct a public awareness campaign about the contribution option and the importance of pediatric cancer research.
The bill also amends Ohio’s existing income tax refund contribution statute to add the pediatric cancer research fund as an eligible charitable designation. It requires the tax commissioner and Bureau of Motor Vehicles to provide informational materials, and it allows the fund to receive direct donations in addition to contributions collected through tax refunds and vehicle registrations. The director of health would adopt rules governing hospital applications and funding decisions, and the bill includes administrative reimbursement provisions for the BMV and Department of Taxation.
Impact
HB573 would expand Ohio’s voluntary contribution framework by adding a seventh eligible income tax refund contribution fund and by creating a new vehicle-registration checkoff for pediatric cancer research. It would amend Revised Code section 5747.113 and enact new sections 3701.27 and 4503.108, thereby affecting the Department of Health, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Taxation, the tax commissioner, and hospitals seeking research support. The bill does not impose a mandatory tax or fee increase, but it creates new administrative duties and a new state fund dedicated to pediatric cancer research.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears generally supportive and noncontroversial in concept, as it is framed around voluntary donations for pediatric cancer research and hospital support. The bill had been introduced and referred to the House Health Committee, but no committee transcript or vote history is available to show formal debate or opposition. The overall tone of the legislation is philanthropic and public-health oriented.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the available committee or vote record. Potential areas for discussion inherent in the bill include whether the state should add another checkoff fund to the income tax refund system, how much administrative burden the BMV and tax department would bear, and how the Department of Health would decide which hospitals receive funding. Another possible issue is the effectiveness of voluntary contribution programs generally, since the bill relies on public participation rather than dedicated tax revenue.