06/15/2023

Senate Finance Reports Out Sub HB33, Moves One Step Closer to Passage

Yesterday, the Ohio Senate Finance Committee accepted its omnibus amendment and was voted out by the full Senate this afternoon. While some previous proposals were restored, including the Executive-backed low-income housing tax credit program, many were not, including reinstating House-level funding for nursing facilities. 

The Senate sub bill also does the following: 

• Extends the MyCare Ohio program statewide as part of its transition to a fully integrated special needs plan (FIDE-SNP); 
• Expands the scope for physician assistants to allow prescribing of schedule II medications, with some limitations; 
• Removes the Senate-proposed prohibition on investment credits in opportunity zones, community reinvestment areas (CRAs), and via tax increment financing (TIF) plans; 
• Makes modifications to the Senate proposal to move Ohio Housing Finance Agency  (OHFA) under the Department of Development, including transitioning the housing development fund and the authority to issue bonds to the State Treasurer; 
• Reinstates the executive-proposed low-income housing tax credit program. 

The bill now heads to the House for a concurrence vote. If the House votes to not concur with Senate amendments, it will then move to Conference Committee.

Nearly 100 messages were sent over the past two days by LeadingAge Ohio advocates to House and Senate leadership outlining LeadingAge Ohio’s requests, including reinstating the nursing facility funding as well as restoring the Healthy Aging grants. Members can still take action by emailing or calling House and Senate leadership. LeadingAge Ohio continues to review the impact of other budget provisions on its membership.

Questions may be directed to Susan Wallace at swallace@leadingageohio.org.

The Senate’s budget sub-bill was discussed in-depth on Monday’s Advocacy in Action call, prior to the release of the Senate’s omnibus amendment. Watch the recording here.