Showmen group tells House ag panel proposed inspection fee changes would sharply raise costs for ride companies

At a third hearing of the Ohio House Agriculture Committee on House Bill 433, Eric German, communications director for the Greater Ohio Showmen's Association, said proposed changes to inspection and permit fees for mechanical amusement rides would raise operating costs for family-owned ride companies and other vendors who serve county fairs and community events.

German told the committee the typical ride company would face a roughly 20% increase in inspection fees in 2026 under the proposal and that supplemental inspections required under “Tyler’s law” had already produced a roughly 40% increase in annual inspection bills in 2024. “In total, the average ride company's annual inspection fees will have doubled between 2024 and 2026,” German said.

The testimony described how the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s ride safety division currently permits and inspects amusement rides. German said his members “value the safety of our customers and understand, support, and appreciate the agency's inspection role,” but added that the new proposal would shift costs “in a punitive” way toward mechanical-ride operators while substantially reducing fees for inflatable-ride operators.

Ranking Member Representative Frank Miller asked whether the fee increases would be phased in. German replied, “Not phased in. ... Not phased in, all at 1 time.” The committee also asked whether the Greater Ohio Showmen’s Association participated in the advisory process reviewing fees; German said GOSA holds two seats on the ride advisory safety committee and that one of those representatives served on the subcommittee that studied the changes and voted in favor at that level.

German proposed a phased implementation and a more graduated permit fee structure to better match the time and resources required to inspect different sizes and types of rides. He highlighted that, under the current fee structure discussed in the hearing, smaller attractions and the largest roller coasters could face similar permit charges — citing $225 as an example of a flat permit fee that covers both a small kiddie ferris wheel and a large roller coaster in his testimony — and urged the committee to consider graduated fees that would spread costs more equitably across ride categories.

Committee members did not take a vote on HB 433 during the hearing. Members were directed to written testimony on their iPads and the committee adjourned after concluding the hearing.

German's testimony, the committee's questions, and the written materials will remain part of the record as the committee considers next steps on HB 433.