Committee adopts amendment to HB 44 to expand local chief training; chiefs urge lateral‑hire authority for statutory cities

The House Public Safety Committee adopted an amendment to House Bill 44 by unanimous consent that would allow the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPATA) to offer a 40‑hour new‑police‑chief training and permit regional, locally offered chief trainings as an option.

Chief Heinz, retired chief of police from Dublin and chair of the legislative committee of the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, testified in support of the bill and the amendment. He told the committee the bill would help statutory (civil‑service) cities hire qualified officers through lateral transfers "when the department can present evidence that the competitive component of the exams is deemed unnecessary and the applicant has exceptional qualifications."

He and sponsors described a national recruiting shortfall, saying many agencies operate at roughly a 10% staffing deficit and that resignations have increased since 2019. Members asked for clarity on what "peculiar and exceptional qualifications" means; Chief Heinz said certification as a police officer and specific skills relevant to a vacant role (for example, investigator experience or technical specialties) would qualify. He also stressed that local training programs would still require OPATA standards and certification testing.

Vice Chair Miller, who moved the amendment, said the local option could reduce travel and lodging costs for agencies and help smaller departments provide equivalent training closer to home. The committee noted written testimony from Chief Edward Kinney (Medina PD) and closed the second hearing on HB 44.

The committee took no further formal roll‑call votes on the underlying bill during the meeting; the amendment itself was adopted on unanimous consent and will be part of the bill record going forward.