March 25, 2026 · Ohio Sunset Review Committee · 8,359 words · 11 speakers · 111 segments
Review Committee will come to order. Clerk, please call the roll. Chair Kaler. Here. Vice Chair Santucci, excused. Senator DeMora. Here. Senator Landis. Here. Rep Lear, excused. Rep Sims, excused. Mr. Carfagna. Here. Mr. Talbot. Here. We have a quorum, so we'll proceed as a full committee. Members, please review the minutes on the March 4th meeting. Are there any objections, deletions, additions? Without objections, the minutes will be approved. Hearing no objections, the minutes are approved. I just want to remind the committee, the House is still in session. I talked to the vice chair, and he said it was okay if we continued. I'm sure they will watch on video later and see your testimony. So thank you for being here. Today we'll hear invited testimony from some boards and committees. They are subject to the biennium sunset review process. We'll begin with Environmental Health Specialist Advisory Board, Lisa Griffin. Welcome to committee.
I don't know how to say your new last name.
Chapa. Chapa. Welcome.
Yes, thank you, Chairman. Chair Kaler and members of the Sunset Review Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the Environmental Health Specialist Advisory Board. My name is Lisa Griffin Chapa, and I'm the Director of Government Affairs at the Ohio Department of Health. ODH's mission is to invest in the health and well-being of all Ohioans. ODH works to fulfill that commitment through a public health system of unique partnerships and funding streams focused on continually improving health outcomes for all Ohioans. I wanted to provide some background here on registered environmental health specialists, which is part of our Bureau of Environmental Health and Radiation Protection. Registered environmental health specialists, or REHS, have specialized knowledge and skills in the field of environmental public health science, including but not limited to food safety, private water systems, and rabies control. Registered environmental health specialists are essential to protecting the health and safety of Ohioans. The director of health, the director of ODH, is charged with registration of environmental health specialists and environmental health specialists in training. The ODH EHS program is staffed by one full-time exempt employee who reviews and issues registrations to prepare REHS and EHS ITs to enter the workforce in Ohio. ODH program staff also reviews and approves continuing education courses and assists registrants renewing their registrations. There are over 1,600 active registered environmental health specialists and environmental health specialists in training in the state. Now turning to the Environmental Health Specialist Advisory Board. The primary responsibility of the Environmental Health Specialist Advisory Board is to provide guidance and advice to the director of the Ohio Department of Health. Their responsibilities include offering recommendations on statute and administrative rules, reviewing and evaluating continuing education opportunities, and conducting oversight and discipline in the REHS field. The committee is made up of professionals from both public and private sectors, bringing a broad range of perspectives and experience to the profession. These perspectives ensure a comprehensive review of emerging issues and challenges, align education and credentialing with real-world employment needs, and creates a valuable opportunity to develop innovative workforce development strategies. Per the Ohio Revised Code, the EHS Advisory Board is made up of seven members appointed by the Director of the Ohio Department of Health. The seven members are in statute as follows, and you can read that there. All are required in law to be a registered environmental health specialist who meet the education and employment requirements of the Ohio Revised Code for registration as an environmental health specialist. The EHS advisory board does not receive any direct budget funding. The seven members of the board do not receive any compensation. By defining entry-level standards for registered environmental health specialists and environmental health specialists in training, validating the credentials that registrations hold, and promoting lifelong learning with continuing education coursework review, the advisory board does the following. Assist in building a capable and consistent public health workforce, maintain professional standards and public's trust by ensuring that the credentials are reviewed, renewed, and held to a high standard pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code and the Ohio Administrative Code, ensuring adaptability to new health and environmental challenges. In short, the EHS Advisory Board is essential in shaping a qualified and continually developing environmental health workforce in Ohio by aligning education, credentialing, and real-world employment needs efficiently and effectively. Thank you again for allowing us the opportunity to testify our team is here and we're happy to
answer any questions Thank You Lisa any questions from the committee seeing seeing no questions thank you very much thank you very much next we'll hear from the apprenticeship council and Holly Endicott welcome committee miss Endicott
Thank you. Good afternoon. Chairman Kaler and members of the Sunset Review Committee, my name is Holly Endicott, and I am the program administrator for Apprentice Ohio. Thank you for allowing me to speak in support of the continuation of the Apprentice Council. Apprentice Ohio has been federally recognized as the state apprenticeship agency since 1957. The Apprentice Council helps guide Apprentice Ohio, and their meetings are held bimonthly and are open to the public. The Council may recommend minimum program standards, develop policies, and propose rules needed to carry out this chapter. Members of the Apprenticeship Council are appointed by the Director of the Department of Job and Family Services as follows. Three employer representatives, three employee representatives, and three representatives of the public. These members serve without compensation except reimbursement for expenses incurred because of their duties. Apprenticeships are a cost-effective way to build a skilled and motivated workforce. They help businesses boost productivity, reduce turnover, save money, and train employees to their specific needs. Programs can be sponsored by individual employers, trade associations, industry groups, or through partnerships with labor organizations. Sponsors are required to evaluate their full program standards for revisions at a minimum of every five years. Currently, Ohio has 25,036 active apprentices, 467 program sponsors, with 213 unique occupations. Ohio also has 312 pre-apprenticeship programs, providing career pathways into those registered apprenticeship programs. Registered apprentices complete at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and 144 hours of related instruction. They gain the skills needed to succeed in occupations, earn increasing wages during the program, and receive a nationally recognized credential upon completion. Programs span in-demand fields such as construction, manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and many more. Thank you for allowing me to speak on the Apprenticeship Council. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you. Any questions from the committee? Mr. Carfagna.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, Ms. Endicott. Just more of a question about, I mean, I know you have a website, and I know Ohio Means Jobs lists out the apprenticeships, and it's great, easy to find. Does your group, what kind of outreach, I guess, do you do with the higher ed community? Community colleges, tech centers, the four-year universities, so that students that are learning things and they don't know where they want to go in life are aware of apprenticeship programs that maybe align with what they're learning? I guess, is there any sort of a connecting entity within Apprentice Ohio? It's a clumsy way of asking that question.
That's a great question. Thank you. Through the chair, We have started what we call a Tiger Team, and this Tiger Team is Higher Education, Department of Education and Workforce, and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services where Apprentice Ohio is in. And that's a question that we are trying to kind of answer ourselves. How do we collaborate and how do we get the same messages to the varying levels? So I think we're starting to be very successful. We're working with initially the construction group in Ohio. We are targeting career counselors in the high school level to talk about, you know, there's high school. I mean, there's college, but there's also apprenticeship, and it can be, you know, it can lead to different things. So starting those discussions, I don't know that we've mastered it yet, but something we definitely want to conquer in the near future.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Other questions?
Could you mention that the director appoints the nine members, the director of the Department of Job and Family Services appoints the nine members. How long are those terms? Is it indefinite until you're replaced?
Indefinite until you're replaced, and then when you do that, we take resumes and they go to the director and he appoints.
Okay.
Yep, indefinite.
And it says they serve without compensation except for expenses incurred because of their duties. Do you know how much that amount is in aggregate?
It's less than $1,000. and a lot of times all we incur is travel, and a lot of them do not submit travel just because it's a part of them.
Thank you very much.
With no other questions, we appreciate your testimony.
Great, thank you.
The next we'll hear from Child Support Guideline Advisory Council. We'll hear from Elizabeth Shore. How did I do on that last name?
You did wonderfully.
Thank you.
Chairman Kaler and members of the Sunset Review Committee, My name is Elizabeth Shore, and I am the Program Services Bureau Chief in the Office of Child Support. Thank you for allowing me to speak in support of the continuation of the Child Support Guidelines Advisory Council. Federal regulation requires the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to establish a single set of guidelines to be used in the establishment of child support orders. These guidelines are designed to be used across the state courts and child support enforcement agencies as a standardized resource. As such, every four years, ODJFS must review this set of guidelines to ensure that they best meet the needs of Ohio's children. Additional federal requirements specify that the review must include a consideration of economic data on the cost of raising a child, an analysis of case data of child support orders, and a meaningful opportunity for public input. To assist with this review, House Bill 591 of the 118th General Assembly established the Child Support Guidelines Advisory Council. The Council is composed of child support obligors and obligees, judges, attorneys, child support enforcement agency representatives, and stakeholders with an interest in the welfare of children. The Council serves to help ODJFS child support staff review the guidelines by providing a wide range of perspectives from professionals working in the child support field, as well as from individuals who are personally impacted by the Ohio child support system. The Council does not have any full-time staff, but ODJFS child support staff organizes the meetings and provides administrative assistance. assistance this includes the initial time it takes to recruit members all the way through to the final approval of the guidelines each iteration of the council is typically active for one or two years and expenses of the council are limited to travel expenses of invited members and costs associated with the federally required economic study ODJFS believes that the child support guidelines Advisory Council provides valuable input and assistance in updating the guidelines every four years. Thank you for allowing me to speak on the Child Support Guidelines Advisory Council. I would be happy to answer any questions.
Any questions from the committee? Hearing none, thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you. Next we'll hear from the Stable Advisory Board. We'll hear
from Zach Proudy. How did we do? Good afternoon, Chairman Kaler, members of the Ohio Sunset Review Committee My name is Zach Proudy I serve as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Ohio Treasurer Office Today I here to testify on behalf of the Stable Account Program Advisory Board Before updating you about the Advisory Board itself I think it makes sense to provide some background on the Stable Account Program Administered by the Ohio Treasurer's Office, Stable Account Program makes specialized savings and investment accounts available to individuals living with disabilities and their families. Similar to a 529 college savings account, these innovative accounts allow individuals to save and invest their money without having to fear for the loss of means-tested benefits like Medicaid and SSI. Stable accounts have proven to be a game-changer for tens of thousands of individuals by empowering them to live more independently and take control of their financial future. These accounts help eligible individuals and families save and plan for expenses like housing, food, transportation, and much more. While most account holders use their stable account like a checking account, others rely on it as a long-term savings and investment vehicle, as they can currently save up to $570,000 in them. Since Treasurer Sprague took office in 2019, stable account enrollment has grown at a rapid pace. Today, there are only over 55,000 accounts with a combined $700 million in assets. This represents a cumulative growth of nearly 500% in accounts and 1,300% in assets since January 2019. In the most recent operating budget, House Bill 96, enhancements were made to make opening a stable account more attractive. These included zero account fees for all Ohio account holders, exempting stable account funds from Medicaid state recovery, which will help account holders preserve their savings for their estates and beneficiaries and strengthening privacy protections by ensuring that personal financial information is not subject to public records requests. Additionally, beginning January 1, 2026, so just a few months ago, the Federal Able Age Adjustment Act took effect, increasing the age of eligibility, which the age of eligibility is the age at which the onset of a qualifying disability was first diagnosed, first occurred, from 26 to 46. This change will allow individuals who have a disability or condition began after 26 but before 46 to benefit from the program. Industry experts believe the majority of newly eligible account owners will be first responders and veterans. The Stable Account Advisory Board plays a significant role in the operation, execution, and success of this important program. It's governed by Section 113.56 of the revised code. The board consists of nine members, including the Director of the Department of Developmental Disabilities, a member of the Ohio House, a member of the Ohio Senate, a representative from a developmental disabilities advocacy organization, a developmental disability service provider, a parent of a child with a disability, a person with a disability, two members with significant experience in finance, accounting, or investment management, as well as, obviously, Treasurer's staff. Currently, Representative Tim Barhorst and Senator Andrew Brenner serve as legislative appointees. Obviously, the Director of Department of Development and Disabilities serves ex-officio role, designated in statute. House and Senate appointees are appointed by the Speaker and the Senate President, respectively. All other members are appointed by the Governor. The Board is responsible for reviewing stable account operations, outreach. The board then advises the treasurer on the program and makes recommendations concerning any programmatic improvements or enhancements. Many of the programmatic enhancements that we've accomplished over the years have been a result of feedback garnered through this advisory board. Each year, the board provides an annual report highlighting its activities and recommendations, sends it to the governor and legislative leaders. The board is met on a quarterly basis dating back to December 2015. Copies of the meeting minutes can be found on our website. Moving forward, the board's workload is anticipated to be similar to past years. quarterly meetings, requisite meeting minutes, annual report. Members of the Treasurer's Office staff comprise a stable account team. We have three full-time staff. In addition to their normal duties, they support the work and needs of the Board. The stable account advisory board, most importantly, has no budget and no anticipated budget in the future. Finally, the nine members all serve voluntarily and receive no compensation. We would respectfully request that the Board continues to exist in the future on behalf of the Treasurer's Office. Chairman Kaler, members of the committee, thank you for allowing me to testify today.
Thank you very much. Any questions from the committee? It's been a long day. Thank you very much. Next, we'll hear from the State Audit Committee. We'll hear from Kelly Salamone. I think I'm going to just begin asking people to say their name when they come up. Thank you for being here. You did great.
Good afternoon, Chairman Kaler, members of the Sunset Review Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on behalf of the State Audit Committee. My name is Kelly Salamone, and I am the Chief Audit Executive for the Office of Internal Audit within the Office of Budget and Management. The State Audit Committee was created in 2008 by House Bill 166 of the 127th General Assembly, which consolidated state internal audit functions into OBM internal audit and established the State Audit Committee as an independent advisory board. An independent board or audit committee is a recommended best practice to provide oversight in alignment with the international standards for the professional practice of internal auditing. The state audit committee meets quarterly and consists of five uncompensated members external to the state's management structure who collectively have financial, governmental accounting, and information technology expertise. The members include a public member appointed by the governor who serves as the chair, two public members appointed by the president of the Senate, and two public members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The OBM Office of Internal Audit directs internal audits of 28 state agencies or divisions of state agencies to improve operations in areas of risk management, internal controls, and governance. The main statutory duties of the Audit Committee are to review and comment on the statewide internal audit plan and review, comment, and accept final audit reports of OBM internal audit. Additionally, the State Audit Committee reviews and comments on the process used by OBM to prepare the State of Ohio annual comprehensive financial report and the unaudited financial statements submitted to the Auditor of State. The State Audit Committee also receives updates from representatives of the Office of the Ohio auditor state, these updates are designed to demonstrate to the committee the audit progress being made on recurring statewide audits such as the state of Ohio financial statement audit and the audits of major federal programs administered by the state agencies. During quarterly meetings, the committee also interacts with management from OVM and other state agencies as deemed necessary to discuss audit plans and reports and to discuss high-risk issues and corrective actions. The State Audit Committee provides independent opinion and direction to improve agency management and the efficient use of state resources. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the State Audit Committee. I am happy to respond to any
questions you have. Thank you very much for your testimony. Again, any questions from the committee? Thank you very much for your testimony. Next, we'll hear from the Bureau of Workman's Compensation Board of Directors Nominating Committee. We'll hear from Carolyn. And Carolyn, I'm going to ask you to say your last name because I'm just going to say it again.
Mangus.
Okay. Welcome to committee.
Thank you.
And feel free to stay at the podium
after you get done to do your next one.
Sure. So I'm doing them in the order that makes sense because one kind of feeds into the other.
Chairman Kaler and members of the Sunset Review Committee, on behalf of the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, thank you for the opportunity to testify today to request the reauthorization of the Workers' Compensation Board of Directors Nominating Committee. My name is Carolyn Mangus. I'm the Legislative Affairs Director for BWC. The Workers' Compensation Board of Directors Nominating Committee was established in 2007 to review and evaluate possible appointees for BWC's Board of Directors and then to make recommendations to the governor for the appointment of members to the board. The Nominating Committee has 14 members that are defined in statute, which it includes three individuals who are members of affiliated employee organizations of the Ohio chapter of the AFL-CIO who are selected by the Ohio chapter of the AFL-CIO. Terms of office shall be for one year. Two individuals who can be classed as representatives of employees, one of whom shall be an injured worker with a valid open active workers' compensation claim, and at least one of these two representatives also shall represent employees who are not members of an employee organization. The president of the Senate and the Speaker of the House each shall appoint annually one of these members. And then there's a number of CEOs that also sit on the nominating committee. That includes the CEOs of the Chamber of Commerce, the Manufacturers Association, the Ohio Self-Insurers Association, the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, NFIB Ohio, the Ohio Farm Bureau, the Director of Development, which now we're off the CEOs, so the next one would be the Director of Development, the president of the Ohio Township Association and the president of the Ohio County Commissioners Association. The nominating committee typically meets once a year. And thank you for your time and consideration. I'm happy to answer any questions that you have.
Thank you much for your testimony. Any questions?
I'm going to ask you the same question I asked one of the previous folks. This nominating committee, do folks term out of it? Does it change regularly?
or? So, I mean, it could, it, it could change based on the, obviously with the CEO positions, I'm sorry, um, center killer, chair killer, uh, it could change if some of the people who are in the roles that are specifically defined change. So, so yes, if somebody changes within maybe like one of the organizations in the specific slot, then, then it, it would be a newer, we replaced with whoever took that role. That makes sense. Yes, it does. Does it stay pretty constant? In
In other words, how often does somebody, when was the last time somebody new came on to the committee?
Well, so there is change that happens sometimes for the Senate and the House. Those are only annual appointments. The other ones, it would be people who are serving in the role until they're not serving in that role anymore, if that makes sense. Yes, thank you.
That's all I wanted to know.
Okay. Thank you very much for your testimony.
You continue on.
So next I'm going to move into the Bureau of Workers' Compensation Board of Directors.
So like the last entity they were talking about, this one was also created in 2007. The 11-member board is an independent body comprised of members who represent the interests of Ohio workers, employers, the public at large, and lend their professional expertise to overseeing the agency's operations. The board was created to strengthen operational accountability and transparency and guide overall administrative policy of BWC. As fiduciaries of Ohio's workers' compensation system, the board maintains the solvency of the state insurance fund and provides independent verification of BWC's financial and operational performance. BWC's 11-member board is composed of the following rules as defined in the statute. One member who is a representative of employees, two members that are representatives of employee organizations, and at least one of these two individuals needs to be a member of the executive committee of the largest statewide labor federation. Three members that are representatives of employers, one of whom represents self-insuring employers, one of whom is a state fund employer who employs 100 or more employees, and one of whom is a state fund employer who employs less than 100 employees. two members who are investment and security experts, one member who is a CPA, one member who is an actuary, and one member to represent the public and also be an individual who cannot be classed as either predominantly representative of employees or of employers. Members of the board serve staggered three-year terms and are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Ohio Senate. The board of directors has monthly committee meetings and board meetings, and they have one dedicated staff member per statute, they're required to meet at least 12 times per year. And thank you for your time, and I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Thank you very much again. Any questions? Comments? Thank you very much. Yes, Mr. Talbot.
Thank you through the chair. Thank you for your testimony today. On compensation for workers' comp for the directors, what is their yearly compensation or hourly?
It's through the chair, Mr. Talbot. It's actually outlined in the statute. It is, I listed it. It's in one of the questionnaires. It can't exceed $60,000 per year per member, but it's also capped per meeting, I believe, at $2,500. Okay.
And then are they allowed to buy on their own health insurance Do you know through that Through the chair Mr Talbot I not sure if I could check on that and then respond through Senator Kaler office
My apologies, I'm not sure about that, whether or not. Okay, thank you.
Any questions? Thank you very much for your testimony. If you can get that information to us, we'll distribute it to the committee. Thank you. Next, we'll hear from the Ohio Expositions Commission and Mr. Adam Heffron. How you doing, sir? Good to see you again.
Good to see everybody. Well, Chairman Kaler and members of the Ohio Sunset Review Committee, thank you for this opportunity to stand before you and representing the Ohio Expositions Commission. My name is Adam Heffern, and I'm the Executive Director of the Ohio Expositions Commission. So on behalf of the entire commission, including our Chair Rose Hartshue, I want to thank you for this opportunity to testify today. we respectfully request reauthorization. The Commission's primary purpose is to maintain and manage the state fairgrounds, a property reserved for the purpose of conducting at least one annual fair. And our mission is to professionally operate and maintain, for the public benefit, a year-round service-oriented event facility and produce the Ohio State Fair. The Commission's vision is to be recognized as a unique, dynamic, and profitable facility committed to creating a nationally recognized event venue and producing a premier agricultural-based fair showcasing the best of Ohio and with world-class visitor experiences. The commission is comprised of 15 members, nine of whom are appointed by the governor, plus six ex-officio members, the Ag and Natural Resources Chair of the Ohio Senate, Agriculture and Rural Development Chair of the Ohio House of Representatives, Director of Development Services Agency, Director of Agriculture, the Director of Natural Resources, and the Ohio State University's College of Food and Agriculture Environmental Sciences Vice President and Dean. The commission operates the Ohio Exposition Center, a year-round multi-purpose convention and meeting facility. The facility hosts more than 200 other events each year, such as the All-American Quarter Horse Congress, Good Guys Car Show, and I'm excited to report the newest event that we just acquired for the summer, the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction. The Ohio State Fair, as you all know, is a 12-day fair that attracts more than 900,000 visitors from across the country. It is a showcase of Ohio and features more than 13,000 youth participants from all of the 88 counties of Ohio. The events held on the exposition's property attract more than 3 million visitors annually. The Ohio Expo Center creates a substantial economic impact on the city of Columbus, Franklin County, and the state of Ohio. Our economic impact study estimates that we have direct and indirect spending of almost $478 million, as well as $14.6 million is generated for local taxes for the county and the state, and we employ upwards of 4,600 full and part-time positions at our venue. So over the past four years, the Ohio General Assembly has made a significant investment and the new vision of For the Ohio Expo Center, and specifically Governor DeWine's Expo 2050 initiative. So I'm really extremely grateful and excited for several new buildings and new features that will be showcased for Ohioans for the first time at the upcoming fair. And I'm happy to report that we are on schedule and on budget with all of the projects being completed in time for the fair this year. So again, on behalf of the commission, I want to thank the General Assembly for your support, and also I hope to see you at the fair, which is July 29th through August 9th. I hope I can make a commercial plug there. So thank you all for your time, and happy to answer any questions, of course, that you might have regarding the Ohio Expositions Commission.
Any questions from the committee? Mr. Talbot.
Chair Kohler, thank you. Director Heffern, good to see you again.
Good to see you.
I just wanted to say, since you've been here and in your position, and I know it's been, what, two years now?
Almost to the day.
Two years. That's great. We had a wonderful time at the fair last year. You did a wonderful job.
Thank you.
One of the appointees, Don Jakeway, has been commenting to you about what a great job you've done.
Thank you.
Kudos to you. And then lastly, if I may, the huge project that's going on out there, you said you're on time and on budget.
That's good.
What, in terms of the new buildings, what will you be showcasing?
Excellent question.
How much time do we have? Not much.
Not much.
Mr. Talbot.
There are so many exciting things. if you were at the fair this year, which you were this past year, you notice a brand new gate, Gate 1, as you arrive. Great entrance onto the property. And we did some of the hardscaping was completed on the north side of the property. But as you travel through the grounds, the first remarkable building you'll come across is called the Ohio Showcase Building. It's a two-story, really sort of look at Ohio. There's films and exhibits in there put on by the History Connection. We've got a film on what makes Ohio great being presented in that space. And we have a reproduction right flyer. So just sort of a really, I would say, this very respectful output of what makes Ohio great will be on display. There's a food hall in there as well. The next really big, incredible building that's being built right now is about 180,000 gross square feet. And it's called the Ohio Agriculture Center. So that's on the far east end of the grounds, a large 100,000 square foot exhibit space. During the fair, along with Farm Bureau, Ohio State University, and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and the Expo Center, we're producing an 85,000 square foot agriculture immersive experience for everyone to attend for free. We'll have our live animals being birthed in that space as well. But as you travel to that building, what's really going to be great are the commodities. Our commodity partners will have a food hall. So lamb, beef, poultry, pork, dairy will all have a storefront selling their wonderful products and displaying their products. Along in that space, too, will be ODA's exhibit. They're doing a great display of what makes Ohio great from an agricultural standpoint. Lastly, another great feature that's being produced is a carousel, all hand-carved, hand-painted up in Marion, Ohio. Most people don't know this, but Marion, Ohio is a company that manufactures from the ground up a carousel, and this is an Ohio carousel. Everything on there will be either livestock animals or Ohio animals. So I'll stop right there and answer any more questions you may have. But it's quite intensive. There's a lot of projects within the project. But we're just so proud and pleased and thankful to you all for allowing this to happen for us. Thank you.
Senator Mora. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
So I'm violating my own rule here by asking a question.
But what do I have to do to get a building in after former Governor Ted Strickman?
There is a process, Senator, through Chair Kaler. So there is a process now in place. And so what I'm happy to do is send you the documentation and what the process is. So it goes through our commission. So you'll make the request to put a name after a previous, of course, governor, and then it gets vetted out by the commission. So happy now we have a process when you asked me this question the last time. There wasn't one, so I do have one. So Senator, I'd be happy to send that to you and sort of describe and outline what that will take. Don't worry. It doesn't take an act of legislation to make this happen.
Just a quick follow-up. Thank you. Obviously, I'm a man of consistency, so I did ask this question two years ago, and he didn't. So I appreciate you having an answer.
And through the chair, obviously, if you send that information so I can get it, I would certainly appreciate it. You shall do that.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
Mr. Carfagna, yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Director Heffern. Similar question to what Mr. Talbot had asked previously on the BWC board directors. Each of the gubernatorial appointees is reimbursed at a rate established pursuant to Division J, Section 124.15 revised code.
Plus, they get their actual necessary expenses.
I think you guys do a wonderful job. I think it's all well-earned. Do you have an approximation in your head of what that compensation looks like for 2025 or previous year?
Through the chair, Mr. Confania. Great question, as you asked it previously. I started looking it up myself. The expenses go to our personnel director, and so she reimburses them. And what you said, based on the code, it's actual and reimbursable expenses. So mileage and no one's spending the night, so there's no hotel expenses typically. It is just their travel and any time that they put into any of the meetings we have. which right at this time I think we have about seven meetings a year. So it's not that they meet monthly. They meet on almost every other month basis. Follow-up.
Yes. Thank you. So, okay, Director, so I must be misreading it
because I see all members are entitled to their actual necessary expenses.
I understand that, travel, mileage, meals. I didn't know if there was an additional reimbursement on top of that, and I was trying to find it. There's pay scales set in revised code, and it's just too much for me to decipher in my time here.
That is my understanding as well. It's reimbursable and real expenses, so there's no compensation beyond that.
All right. Thanks for clarifying.
Thank you.
Appreciate that, Chairman.
Any other questions for the committee?
Well, I served on the Expo Commission for four years before your time, and it was an experience to learn exactly how much of that grounds is used on a yearly basis, that it's not just the Ohio State Fair, that there are so many other things going on that brings commerce and people into the state of Ohio. So I thank you for what you're doing and I appreciate the changes you're making and improvements you're making. Thank you very much.
Thank you, everybody.
Any questions?
Thank you. Thank you.
Next we'll hear from the Ohio Nuclear Development Authority, Riley Eberhardt. Welcome to committee, Riley. You can begin.
Chair Kaler, Vice Chair Santucci, and members of the Sunset Review Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony about the Ohio Nuclear Development Authority. My name is Riley Eberhardt, and I serve as the Legislative Affairs Manager for the Ohio Department of Development. The ONDA was established in 2023 through House Bill 33 of the 135th General Assembly and does not currently have an appropriation. The authority is supported by the Ohio Department of Development's Office of Community Development and was established to be an information resource on advanced nuclear research reactors, isotopes, and isotope technologies, and to ensure Ohio remains at the forefront of development in the industry. This encompasses advanced reactors, isotope production for medicine and industry, and all the supporting technologies, such as new fuels and materials, that enable these systems to thrive. The ONDA serves as a single coordinating body that can align stakeholders from state agencies to private companies to federal partners. The authority consists of nine voting members that are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Ohio Senate. As laid out in statute, the members must represent the following three stakeholder groups within the nuclear engineering and manufacturing industry, safety, industry, and engineering research and development. The authority held its first official meeting in September of 2024, and since that time, they have been working on establishing their bylaws, visiting different sites of interest across the state, and engaging with industry leaders. In its first year, the authority focused on building a stronger understanding of Ohio's nuclear assets through site visits to the Ohio University's nuclear reactor, Pikedon's Centris in Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative sites, and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. These visits provided valuable insight into the state research capabilities infrastructure and redevelopment potential Additionally the Authority published its first annual report in 2025 highlighting Ohio nuclear strengths rich history in the industry, and opportunities for expansion. The Authority is actively working to develop a strategic plan that will guide the future of Ohio's nuclear industry, recent presentations from state and federal partners such as Jobs Ohio and the U.S. Department of Energy's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear Initiative are helping the authority identify how Ohio can leverage its existing resources to support an industry poised for current and future growth. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony, and I'm happy to answer any questions.
Thank you very much, Riley, for your testimony. Questions? I'm going to sort of put you on the spot. Since you just started, and as far as the first year and your first report, is there anything in particular that came out that you want to highlight that the first annual report said we need to do, not do?
Yeah, great question. Through the chair, probably the thing that I would highlight is kind of the industry, the presence that Ohio already has in nuclear energy. One thing that I'd like to point out is the Piked-In site, the Centrist site. We're seeing a lot of investment going in there. So it's definitely an industry that Ohio is looking into, is leaning into, and is excited to see potential growth in.
Thank you very much. Any other questions for the committee? Appreciate you being here. Thank you very much. Next, we're going to hear from the Ohio Commission on Service and Volunteerism. We'll hear from William Hall. Welcome to committee, Mr. Hall.
Thank you, Chair. Chair Kaler, members of the committee. My name is William Hall. I am the director of the Ohio Commission on Service and Volunteerism, more commonly known as Serve Ohio. I appreciate the opportunity to come before you today. Established in 1994, Serve Ohio is charged with administering AmeriCorps programs and supporting volunteer engagement in Ohio. Under the Federal National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, states are required to have a state service commission to ensure that states and local communities have a key role in determining the allocation of national service resources. So Serve Ohio functions as Ohio State Service Commission. I'm just going to highlight our primary initiatives of the commission for you. AmeriCorps is why we exist primarily, and we fund AmeriCorps programs throughout the state. We do everything from developing the priorities of programming, setting the funding, schedule, competitively awarding grants to local organizations, technical assistance, training, compliance monitoring, everything comes through our office. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans to make an intensive commitment to serve their communities. Currently, we have roughly 730 AmeriCorps members who provide 840,000 hours of service at sites across the state. In addition to providing intensive service, AmeriCorps has a proven workforce development strategy providing a pathway to employment for thousands of Ohioans over the past 30 years. This service year, Ohio AmeriCorps members will receive over 100,000 hours of professional development including industry certifications. We also do a lot in community volunteer engagement. So through our National Days of Service grants, which are small grants that help, you know, local communities do projects and of their choosing we also do a lot of work with schools and service learning and helping youth of all ages learn about service and relate service to their academic curriculums and we offer incentives for community impact awards for youth as well in addition you know the Commission is we have 21 members on the actual Commission for members from state agencies, 15 members appointed by the governor, and two non-voting members. We are primarily federally funded through the Corporation of National Community Service. All of our AmeriCorps program funding originates there, and such funds are distributed to state service commissions through a combination of formula and competitive processes. In addition, we do receive some federal funding for support and administration of the grants. that requires a match from the state and currently the investment by the state is six hundred ninety four thousand in the current fiscal year we anticipate our federal funding to remain stable through the next budget cycle we're seeing a lot more demand for our services especially on the service learning components and relative to youth we been around for 30 years providing you know communities a way to build infrastructure and volunteer engagement in their communities so we hope to be around another 30 years I'm happy to answer any
questions at this time thank you thank you very much mr. Hall any questions from from the committee. Seeing no questions, thank you very much.
Thanks so much.
And finally today we'll hear from the Student Tuition Recovery Authority. Mr. Ware, welcome to committee. You're the final show.
Thank you, the best for last. Chairman Kaler, members of the Sunset Review Committee, my name is John Ware, I am the chairman of the Ohio Student Tuition Recovery Authority and I'm also the executive director of the Ohio State Board of Career, College and Schools. On behalf of the members of the authority, I thank you for this opportunity to present testimony in support of the authority's continuing authorization. The Student Tuition Recovery Authority was created by the legislature in 1991 for the purpose of protecting students from tuition loss resulting from the closure of career college or school that is approved under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3332. In furtherance of its purpose to protect students, The Student Tuition Recovery Authority maintains the Ohio Student Tuition Recovery Fund that was created in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code Section 3332.083, and the Student Tuition Recovery Authority disperses money and financial awards from the Student Tuition Recovery Fund to students who are enrolled in institutions that went out of business, and the institutions did not return to those students their prepaid tuition or otherwise provide a means for them to complete their education. In addition to student tuition reimbursement, the Student Tuition Recovery Authority uses funds from the Student Tuition Recovery Fund to service and maintain transcripts and other records from closed schools. Every career college or school approved in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3332 is required to pay an annual assessment into the Student Tuition Recovery Fund based on the school's prior year's gross tuition receipts. the State Board of Career Colleges and Schools has a responsibility to collect these funds and may pursue any lawful means of assuring that students of any school registered by the board do not suffer tuition loss as a result of a business failure or other default by a school as of February 28th the balance in the student tuition recovery fund was nine hundred twenty two thousand dollars and two hundred and one dollars the student tuition recovery authority does not have a staff or operating budget and all administrative functions are performed by staff members of the State Board of Career Colleges and Schools. Since the Student Tuition Recovery Authority continues to function as a valuable resource to students impacted by school closures, the State Board of Career Colleges and Schools and the Student Tuition Recovery Authority request that the Sunset Review Committee recommend that the Student Tuition Recovery Authority be allowed to continue to operate in its current form. I'd be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you very much. Any questions from the committee? Yes.
Mr. Cofagna. Mr. Chairman, Director Ware, sorry to keep us here a little bit longer. I understand the balance is $922,201. I understand the nature of that fund to make students whole if a school goes out of business. I guess it's a two-part question. I mean, how often is that happening year over year, a state college or school goes out of business. And then the second question is, if that is a fixed sum of money, is that money being invested somewhere? What's going on with that money in the meantime? Is it under GRF and the legislature can play around with it as long as they return it? I'm just trying to educate myself a little bit more about this.
Yes, Mr. Chair, Mr. Carfagna. We do get schools that close. We have, we regulate private career colleges, so they're essentially, we do have some non-profit, the majority are for-profit businesses, so they open and close all the time. Majority of times they teach out the students, so we don't have any tuition loss, but we do occasionally have a school closed for one reason or another, they don't teach out their students. Again, most of the time we try to work with other schools to get those students taught out to complete their education. When we can't do that, those students have an opportunity to apply for a refund through the Tuition Recovery Authority. So it kind of goes up and down in terms of the numbers. I mean, I think the most we've ever had in a year is probably about $500,000. We had a large school close. This is probably 15 years ago. Most years, it's probably around, I don't know, between $10,000 and $25,000. A lot of small schools. So, again, we don't get a lot of big schools closing. And when they do, again, we do deal with schools with federal financial aid, but those students are eligible for federal student loan discharge. So, essentially, we don't insure the federal government student loan program. It's just really cash-paying students that we deal with. So, I mean, it's kind of continuous. We've been spending a lot of money lately on records, closed school records. So that's a big issue for us. We had one time over half a million paper records from closed schools, so we went through a whole process to digitize those records. Now they've all been digitized. They're much more accessible for students. So we were spending money on that for a period of time. Second part of your question, the money is maintained through the Treasurer's State's office. It's in the Star Ohio account, so it is invested. It earns interest. Got it. So we do have a representative from the treasurer's office that sits on the Student Tuition Recovery Authority. So they kind of handle that financial component of it. But, yeah, it's not in GRF or it's set aside in Star, Ohio. Got it. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman.
Thank you. Any other questions? Mr. Talbot.
Sorry, I know we're all going to get out of here. Chair Kohler, thank you. Chairman, where heaven forbid something were to happen, there's a college I think that we're aware of that's in some significant financial issue. If that school closed, then this would apply to those students?
Well, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Talbert, if it was a private career college, it would. Unfortunately, most recently, there's been a number of not-for-profit colleges. Those are under the Ohio Department of Higher Ed, so those aren't, they don't pay into this fund. They're not eligible for reimbursement. We've been, actually worked quite a bit with the Department of Higher Ed in the last few years on records issues, because they've kind of had to become immersed. It's, you know, when you have institutions that have been open for 100 years, records is a big, big problem. So we've been working with them on the records. but they wouldn't be eligible for reimbursement in those cases. But if it was a private career college that's authorized by the State Board of Career Colleges and Schools, they'd be eligible. We also have bonds, too. So schools are, for our schools, they're required to maintain bonds, surety bonds. So, again, a lot of times if a school closes, they have a bond, we'll collect on the bond. That money goes into student tuition. So we kind of have a two-pronged system to help protect students.
Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? Yep. Any other questions? Thank you very much, sir. I appreciate your time today. This will, no other committee before us, this will serve as the second hearing. I think it's the third hearing, isn't it? Yes, it is. Invited testimony for the Sunset Review Committee with no other further business before the committee. And I want to thank the House members for coming. I know you had a long day, and I know you'll go home and watch the videos you missed. Yes, sir. Thank you very much for being here. We're adjourned. Thanks, Chair.