At the end of July, President Trump signed an executive order that attempts to redesign how the United States addresses homelessness. The order seeks to persuade states and municipalities to move away from housing first and harm reduction policies by shifting funding priorities for federal agencies such as the departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation.

“Housing first” is an evidence-based approach that lowers the barriers of entry to temporary and supportive housing so people can stabilize in housing and then receive substance abuse treatment. However, the executive order shifts funding prioritization to programs that require sobriety and treatment as preconditions to getting housed. The order also calls for the defunding of programs that include “harm reduction” practices such as providing clean needles or other paraphernalia to help people suffering from addiction until they can get treatment.

Finally, the order also calls upon municipalities to enact and enforce the public camping bans that were green lit by last year’s United States Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson. The executive order prioritizes funding for states and municipalities that: “enforce, and where necessary, adopt, standards that address individuals who are a danger to themselves or others and suffer from serious mental illness or substance use disorder, or who are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves, through assisted outpatient treatment or by moving them into treatment centers or other appropriate facilities via civil commitment or other available means”.

At this point it is still unclear how the executive order will actually be implemented and to what extent. However, the treatment options contemplated in the order simply do not exist at the levels necessary to effectuate the order and the legal standard for involuntary civil commitment remains high. OPLC will continue to monitor the state legislature and municipalities as they navigate the fall out of the order.

Five Ohio Bills to Watch in Fall 2025

Senate Bill 174

Senate Bill 174, sponsored by Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) and Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), is long-awaited legislation focused on modernizing child custody determinations and parenting plans. Unlike other more recent legislation regarding allocation of parental rights that would have created a presumption in favor of equal parenting time, S.B. 174 centers the analysis on a list of factors to be considered in determining the best interests of the child. S.B. 174 also modernizes the language of the statute, moving away from parental “rights” and instead focusing on parental responsibilities. OPLC supports S.B. 174 and is working with our legal aid partners and other proponents to strengthen language in the bill to protect survivors of domestic violence going through the custody process.

Senate Bill 204

During the legislature’s summer break, Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) introduced eviction record sealing legislation modeled after the Colorado suppressed records statute that would limit the public’s access to eviction records at the time they are filed. Under S.B. 204, when a plaintiff files an eviction, the records would not be posted online or generally accessible to the public until there is a final order in the case. If the tenant is evicted, the case would then become a public record. However, if the tenant is successful or the case is dismissed, the record would remain suppressed. OPLC supports this legislation and is organizing proponent testimony for when hearings begin in the fall.

Senate Bill 58

This bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and Senator Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), would expand who is eligible to execute a grandparent power of attorney or a caretaker authorization affidavit to include additional relatives or a nonrelative adult who has a relationship or bond with the child. These affidavits have become increasingly important as the opioid crisis has increased the number of children who live with relatives other than their parents. The affidavit can give another relative important rights and responsibilities regarding the child’s care, such as consenting to medical treatment for the child and enrolling the child in school. OPLC will continue to work with the bill sponsors, our legal aid partners, and other proponents to support this important legislation.

House Bill 163

House Bill 163, introduced by Representative Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) and Representative Kellie Deeter (R-Norwalk), would require Ohio's SNAP program to begin using chip-enabled EBT cards. Ohio has seen thousands of individuals relying on SNAP benefits lose them to electronic skimming fraud. Currently, Ohioans who experience skimming have no way to reclaim lost benefits and very few ways to report the theft. For many individuals, this fraud occurs in the first few days after benefits are loaded onto the card, leaving them without benefits until the next month. OPLC provided proponent testimony in the Ohio House Agriculture committee in May 2025 and will continue to monitor the bill to provide additional support.

House Bill 257

House Bill 257 was introduced in May by Rep. Michele Grim (D-Toledo) and Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland). Known as the “Ohio Medical Debt Fairness Act”, the bill would cap interest rates on medical debt to 3 percent, prohibit wage garnishment, and prohibit reporting medical debt to a consumer reporting agency. OPLC was involved in developing the bill’s language with partner national and state advocacy organizations. The bill received two hearings in the Ohio House Health committee, where OPLC provided proponent testimony before the legislature’s summer break. OPLC will continue to engage with the bill sponsors, as well as partner organizations as the bill moves forward.

Legislator Spotlight: Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo)

Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson is a Democratic lawmaker with a remarkable record of public service. She is in her first term in the Ohio Senate and is the Ranking Minority Member for Judiciary, Finance, and Agriculture and Natural Resources committees. She is also a member of the Local Government Committee.

After graduating from the University of Iowa College of Law Senator Hicks-Hudson began her legal career at Toledo Legal Aid Society representing senior citizens and working as a community organizer. On her path to the Ohio statehouse she served in numerous government positions including Lucas County prosecutor, assistant public defender, assistant state attorney general, legislative director of the Toledo City Council, deputy director of the Lucas County Board of Elections, and chief legal counsel to the Ohio Office of Budget and Management under Governor Ted Strickland.

In 2011, Senator Hicks-Hudson was selected to fill a vacancy on the Toledo City Council. By 2013, she was serving as the President of Council before becoming the first African American female mayor of Toledo in 2015. She has been a member of the Ohio Statehouse since 2019, first as Representative of the 44^th House District and currently as the Senator for the 11^th Senate District.

Senator Hicks-Hudson has introduced legislation to support low-income Ohioans on a wide range of issues including reentry, housing, and healthcare. She is currently one of the primary sponsors of bipartisan legislation to modernize Ohio’s approach to allocating parenting responsibilities.