OPLC kicked off Second Chance Month by joining the Ohio Justice and Policy Center for a press conference urging the Ohio legislators to enact reentry legislation before the General Assembly adjourns at the end of the year. Participants included Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), Representative Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland), and Representative Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus), who all highlighted reentry legislation they are sponsoring.

During her remarks, Sen. Reynolds announced that she is introducing legislation to create a state-initiated process for criminal record sealing. The Grow Act (SB 418) would require the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to provide courts and prosecutors with a monthly list of criminal records that are newly eligible for sealing. Prosecutors would notify any victims in the case and review the records to determine whether or not they would object to sealing. If there is no objection from the prosecutor, the court would seal the record without any action taken by the individual whose record is sealed.

Passage of SB 418 would be an enormous improvement over Ohio’s current record sealing process. OPLC will strongly support this legislation as it moves through committee, though it is unlikely to advance during the limited time left in this legislative cycle.

OPLC supports several other bills discussed during the press that could be enacted before the legislative cycle ends:

Senate Bill 143: Sponsored by Senator Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) and Senator Louis Blessing (R-Colerain Township), SB 143 would prohibit employment applications from asking about criminal records. Employers could still conduct background checks and ask about criminal records later in the process.

House Bill 268: Sponsored by Rep. Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus) and Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), HB 268 would shorten the waiting periods for an individual to apply for a Certificate of Qualification for Employment.

House Bill 296: Sponsored by Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland), HB 296 would delay offender financial sanctions (other than victim restitution) for 180 days after release from incarceration.

House Bill 393: Sponsored by Rep. Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland) and Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), HB 393 would require community based correctional facilities to assist inmates in obtaining ID cards.

Debt Services Licensure Bill Continues Ohio House Hearings

A bipartisan pair of legislators introduced House Bill 534 to create a licensure process for debt services providers. Representative Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) and Representative Erika White (D-Springfield Township) introduced the bill in October 2025. This bill is similar to previous efforts, including Senate Bill 68 in the previous General Assembly.

House Bill 534 would prohibit anyone from offering or providing debt resolution services to Ohio consumers without first obtaining a license from the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. The bill also establishes the requirements and criteria to apply for and receive a license as a debt resolution service provider.

The bill requires a provider to take certain actions regarding the provision of debt resolution services, fees and charges, disclosures, record keeping, reporting, and debt resolution services agreements. In addition, it imposes restrictions on the creation and use of dedicated accounts administered by third-party providers and establishes procedures for terminating debt resolution service agreements.

House Bill 534 received three hearings in the House Financial Institutions committee, with the latest opponent hearing including testimony from LASCO and OPLC. The bill has not yet received a vote and remains in committee.

OPLC Joins Ohio Lead Free Kids Coalition for Advocacy Day

In March, OPLC attended the annual Lead Free Kids advocacy day to urge the Ohio General Assembly to support kids, families, and local communities dealing with lead poisoning. Last year, lawmakers cut lead poisoning prevention funding for the Ohio Department of Health by a whopping 96% in the operating budget, severely limiting state’s to address childhood lead poisoning. Childhood lead poisoning remains a major problem in Ohio; Children test positive for elevated blood lead levels at twice the rate of children in other states. Over 425,000 Ohio children under the age of six are estimated to live in homes with potential lead hazards.

OPLC joined other advocates to meet with lawmakers and highlight the severity of the problem. In addition to educating lawmakers, we also talked about three key priorities to getting Ohio back on track with keeping kids safe. The priorities include:

1. Restore lost funding to the Department of Health.
2. Identify dedicated funding for the lead poisoning prevention fund which was created over 20 years ago but has never been funded.
3. Implement lead safe rules that protect children from lead dust created when contractors are renovating or remodeling older homes.

The meetings with lawmakers and their staff were well received, with many legislators promising to take a closer look at how they can support lead poisoning prevention efforts. OPLC will continue working with partners to advance these priorities for the rest of this year as well as during the next operating budget.