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House Bill 44 would let statutory cities bypass civil-service tests for qualified lateral transfers, sponsors say
Summary
House Bill 44 would allow municipal police departments in statutory cities to hire qualified lateral-transfer officers without administering civil-service exams and permit chiefs to run cadet training programs aligned with the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, sponsors told the House Public Safety Committee.
House Bill 44, presented to the House Public Safety Committee, would permit municipal police departments in statutory cities to fill vacant line-level positions without a civil-service exam when the department can show the competitive component is unnecessary and the applicant has "exceptional qualifications." Sponsors also said the bill would allow municipal police chiefs to run cadet training programs aligned with Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy standards so graduates can be hired directly by departments.
"Filling positions with veteran officers avoids excessive time and money and allows for a trained officer to immediately make an impact," a sponsor said, arguing the change would bring statutory cities closer to charter cities that already have this flexibility. The sponsors characterized the measure as permissive rather than mandatory and said it would not alter promotion processes for sergeants or lieutenants.
Committee members pressed sponsors on safeguards for "bad actors" and whether background checks and prior-employer checks would remain standard. Representative Brewer asked how to prevent officers with problematic records from using lateral transfer to avoid accountability; sponsors replied that most departments already conduct background checks and contact prior employers. Representative Brent asked whether specific positions would be exempt from the expedited hiring process; sponsors said the draft targets entry-level officer positions rather than promotions.
Sponsors said the bill had passed a related committee and floor in the previous General Assembly and that they were willing to work with members to clarify exemptions and background-check assurances. No formal vote was taken; the committee held a first hearing and sponsors said they would continue discussions on implementation details.
Ending: The committee held a first hearing; sponsors said they will work with municipalities and stakeholders on clarifications about background checks, exemptions and cadet program standards.
