Committee hears sponsor testimony on bill to require legislative approval, fiscal review for major rules

The House Government Oversight Committee heard sponsor testimony on House Bill 11, a proposal to require legislative approval and an independent fiscal analysis for major administrative rules, at a committee meeting of the House Government Oversight Committee (date not specified).

The bill, as presented by Vice Chair Representative Ferguson and sponsor Representative Lorenz, would require that any administrative rule with an estimated administrative cost of $100,000 or more, or a $100,000-plus impact on any individually affected person, come before the full General Assembly for review and approval rather than proceed solely through the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCAR). "HB 11 is designed to accomplish 3 main objectives, restore legislative control, increase transparency, and empower the people of Ohio," Vice Chair Representative Ferguson said in sponsor testimony. Representative Lorenz added, "House bill 11 is not about stopping necessary regulations. It's about making sure they are justified, transparent, and accountable."

Why it matters: Sponsors said the bill is intended to shift major regulatory decisions that now take effect automatically into a process requiring affirmative legislative approval and more rigorous economic review. Supporters argued that…