JCAR urges level funding in HB 96 to keep rule‑review staff, cites 3,400 rules reviewed yearly

Greg Fouch, interim director of the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCAR), told the House Judiciary Committee that JCAR's budget request is contained in House Bill 96 and asked for an appropriation of $620,000 for fiscal years 2026–2027 to maintain a four‑member staff and its rule‑review responsibilities. Fouch said JCAR reviews roughly 3,400 administrative rules per year and operates Rule Watch Ohio and the Cut Red Tape Ohio portal to help agencies and the public manage rulemaking.

Fouch described JCAR's role as an oversight check between the legislative and executive branches. "The primary role of JCAR is to review all proposed new, amended and rescinded administrative rules ... to ensure that they do not exceed their rule writing authority granted to them by the General Assembly," he said. He told the committee the requested appropriation does not represent an increase over fiscal year 2025 and that the funds would allow JCAR to maintain staffing and system improvements.

Committee members noted JCAR's institutional role. Representative Callender, a past JCAR chair, said the office provides an important separation‑of‑powers function and credited JCAR staff with preventing rule overreach. Members discussed how JCAR typically identifies problems early and works with agencies and stakeholders to resolve issues before motions to invalidate are required. Fouch and others said actual invalidations of agency rules are rare; he cited historical counts and described JCAR's eight‑prong review lens (authority, conflicts, statutory consistency and similar criteria).

Next steps: The committee received testimony in support of JCAR's appropriation in HB 96. No vote occurred during the hearing. JCAR staff said they would continue to work with co‑chairs and committee members on rule‑review priorities and system improvements.