Columbus — Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley told the House Ways and Means Committee on June 18 that a grant program to support retailers that sell donated goods and run workforce programs would expand job training and placement for people with disabilities, criminal histories and substance-use recovery needs.

Lede facts: Lance Dietrich, president and CEO of Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley, testified in proponent testimony for House Bill 100, arguing the program would support nonprofit retailers that operate workforce programs. He described two programs his organization would expand with grant funding: a recovery-and-employment program serving people in recovery and a reentry employment effort placing people with criminal backgrounds into stable paying jobs.

Why this matters: Testimony connected grants to workforce outcomes and estimated potential state savings from reduced recidivism and incarceration costs if successful reentry programs keep people employed.

Key evidence and sponsor points
Dietrich said Goodwill Easter Seals served 24,450 people in 2024 and placed 943 individuals into employment; the recovery program served 874 people last year and placed 386 into competitive employment. He told the committee that placing formerly incarcerated individuals in employment that pays at least $18 per hour reduces reliance on state benefits and adds tax revenue: "If you keep 40 people with prior legal histories from going back to prison, it is a cost savings of about $4,000,000," Dietrich said, based on Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections cost estimates.

The committee recorded submitted written testimony from Volunteers of America of Ohio and Indiana and Cadence Care Network; Dietrich answered a few brief procedural questions and the committee moved on to other items.

Ending: The committee closed the fourth hearing on HB100 after Dietrich's proponent testimony and took written testimony for the record from other organizations; no vote on HB100 was recorded that day.