Ohio Senate Bill SB145

Ohio 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/12/25

Caption

To amend sections 9.47, 9.66, 107.03, 107.21, 117.55, 121.02, 121.03, 121.35, 122.01, 122.011, 122.012, 122.013, 122.014, 122.02, 122.03, 122.04, 122.041, 122.042, 122.05, 122.06, 122.07, 122.071, 122.073, 122.075, 122.077, 122.08, 122.081, 122.082, 122.083, 122.085, 122.086, 122.087, 122.088, 122.089, 122.0810, 122.0811, 122.0812, 122.0813, 122.0814, 122.0815, 122.0816, 122.0817, 122.09, 122.10, 122.11, 122.121, 122.131, 122.132, 122.133, 122.134, 122.135, 122.136, 122.14, 122.15, 122.151, 122.152, 122.153, 122.154, 122.155, 122.156, 122.16, 122.17, 122.171, 122.172, 122.173, 122.174, 122.175, 122.176, 122.177, 122.178, 122.179, 122.1710, 122.1711, 122.18, 122.19, 122.20, 122.21, 122.22, 122.23, 122.24, 122.25, 122.26, 122.27, 122.29, 122.291, 122.30, 122.31, 122.32, 122.33, 122.35, 122.36, 122.37, 122.38, 122.401, 122.403, 122.406, 122.4017, 122.4018, 122.4019, 122.4020, 122.4023, 122.4024, 122.4030, 122.4031, 122.4032, 122.4033, 122.4034, 122.4035, 122.4036, 122.4037, 122.4040, 122.4043, 122.4044, 122.4045, 122.4046, 122.4050, 122.4051, 122.4055, 122.4063, 122.4070, 122.4071, 122.4073, 122.4075, 122.4076, 122.4077, 122.41, 122.42, 122.43, 122.44, 122.45, 122.451, 122.46, 122.47, 122.48, 122.49, 122.52, 122.53, 122.54, 122.55, 122.56, 122.561, 122.57, 122.571, 122.58, 122.59, 122.60, 122.601, 122.602, 122.603, 122.604, 122.605, 122.61, 122.62, 122.63, 122.631, 122.632, 122.633, 122.64, 122.641, 122.6510, 122.6511, 122.6512, 122.67, 122.68, 122.681, 122.69, 122.70, 122.701, 122.71, 122.72, 122.73, 122.74, 122.75, 122.76, 122.77, 122.78, 122.79, 122.80, 122.81, 122.82, 122.84, 122.85, 122.851, 122.852, 122.86, 122.88, 122.89, 122.90, 122.91, 122.92, 122.921, 122.922, 122.923, 122.924, 122.925, 122.94, 122.941, 122.942, 122.951, 122.9511, 122.9512, 122.96, 123.01, 123.22, 125.08, 125.081, 125.111, 125.20, 125.836, 125.901, 126.023, 126.32, 126.62, 140.01, 145.035, 149.311, 150.02, 151.40, 153.59, 164.02, 165.01, 165.03, 165.20, 166.01, 166.02, 166.03, 166.04, 166.05, 166.06, 166.07, 166.08, 166.09, 166.12, 166.13, 166.14, 166.15, 166.16, 166.17, 166.18, 166.19, 166.20, 166.21, 166.25, 166.27, 167.02, 169.05, 173.08, 174.01, 174.02, 174.03, 174.04, 174.05, 174.06, 174.07, 175.03, 175.04, 175.06, 175.15, 176.01, 176.07, 184.01, 184.151, 184.16, 187.01, 187.03, 187.04, 187.05, 187.061, 191.02, 191.03, 191.10, 191.13, 191.15, 191.17, 191.19, 191.27, 191.30, 191.33, 191.35, 191.37, 191.40, 191.44, 191.45, 308.21, 321.261, 321.262, 333.03, 333.04, 333.05, 340.13, 703.34, 709.024, 709.192, 715.70, 715.72, 902.04, 991.02, 1517.14, 1551.01, 1551.05, 1551.06, 1551.11, 1551.12, 1551.15, 1551.19, 1551.20, 1551.311, 1551.32, 1551.33, 1551.35, 1555.02, 1555.03, 1555.04, 1555.05, 1555.06, 1555.08, 1555.17, 1728.01, 1728.07, 3326.02, 3327.17, 3333.373, 3333.50, 3366.01, 3366.03, 3366.04, 3735.27, 3735.39, 3735.66, 3735.671, 3735.672, 3735.673, 3735.69, 3742.32, 3746.121, 3746.20, 3775.04, 3780.03, 3780.19, 4121.123, 4164.04, 4164.12, 4301.17, 4303.181, 4303.262, 4503.591, 4582.58, 4901.021, 4906.02, 4928.06, 4928.43, 4928.51, 4928.52, 4928.53, 4928.54, 4928.543, 4928.544, 4928.55, 4928.56, 4928.57, 4928.58, 4928.581, 4928.582, 4928.583, 4928.61, 4928.62, 4928.63, 4928.75, 4929.16, 4929.161, 4929.163, 4981.02, 4981.03, 5101.16, 5104.30, 5117.02, 5117.03, 5117.04, 5117.05, 5117.07, 5117.071, 5117.08, 5117.09, 5117.10, 5117.12, 5117.22, 5119.34, 5120.07, 5126.071, 5126.18, 5501.031, 5531.08, 5703.0510, 5709.12, 5709.211, 5709.212, 5709.22, 5709.40, 5709.41, 5709.45, 5709.48, 5709.51, 5709.61, 5709.62, 5709.63, 5709.631, 5709.632, 5709.633, 5709.64, 5709.66, 5709.67, 5709.671, 5709.68, 5709.69, 5709.73, 5709.78, 5709.82, 5709.87, 5709.88, 5709.882, 5717.02, 5725.32, 5725.33, 5726.54, 5726.55, 5726.59, 5727.75, 5729.032, 5729.16, 5733.33, 5733.34, 5733.352, 5733.58, 5733.59, 5747.01, 5747.331, 5747.51, 5747.66, 5747.67, 5751.52, 5751.54, 5751.55, 6111.12, 6121.02, and 6123.031 and to enact sections 122.634 and 122.635 of the Revised Code to rename the Department of Development to the Department of Housing and Development and to otherwise modify the law related to housing.

Summary

SB145 is a broad reorganization and policy bill that renames Ohio’s Department of Development as the Department of Housing and Development and updates a large number of Revised Code references to match that new agency name. It also shifts many existing economic development, housing, workforce, tourism, and infrastructure programs under the renamed department and revises the duties of the director accordingly. The bill’s text is expansive and touches programs ranging from small business assistance, job-ready site grants, rural business growth funds, and tax credit administration to tourism promotion, Appalachian development, and industrial park financing. Substantively, the bill adds or revises several housing-related and economic development tools. It creates new sections for the department to administer housing and development-related programs, including a pro-housing promotional campaign, a vacant facilities grant fund, a career exploration internship program, a TechCred-style microcredential reimbursement program, an individual microcredential assistance program, and a grant program for industry sector partnerships. It also updates or continues a wide array of tax credits, grants, loans, and exemptions tied to job creation, job retention, rural investment, data centers, manufacturing equipment, and transformational mixed-use development, while imposing reporting, compliance, recapture, and public disclosure requirements in many of those programs.

Impact

The bill would substantially amend Ohio law by replacing references to the Department of Development and its director with the Department of Housing and Development and its director throughout numerous statutes. That change would affect administrative authority over economic development, housing, tourism, workforce, and incentive programs, and it would also create new statutory sections to establish or revise grant, loan, and tax credit programs administered by the department. Affected parties would include businesses, local governments, nonprofits, developers, investors, school and workforce entities, and recipients of state incentives, all of whom would face updated application, reporting, eligibility, and compliance requirements.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded debate or roll-call evidence in the materials supplied. Based on the bill text alone, the overall policy direction appears supportive of development, housing, workforce training, and place-based investment, with a strong emphasis on expanding state tools for economic growth and job creation. The bill also includes oversight and accountability provisions, suggesting an intent to pair incentives with monitoring and reporting.

Contention

The bill’s likely points of contention are the scope and breadth of the reorganization, the creation and expansion of numerous incentive programs, and the fiscal and administrative commitments those programs require. Potential concerns may include whether consolidating housing and development functions under a renamed department improves efficiency, whether the state is overusing tax credits and grants to steer private investment, and whether the recapture, reporting, and eligibility rules are sufficient to protect public funds. Another likely area of debate is the balance between encouraging development and preventing job relocation or subsidizing projects that might have proceeded without state assistance.