Ohio Department of Health seeks major lab and children—s health investments in 2026–27 budget

Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, told the House Health Committee the department's budget request under the governor—s executive budget is intended to strengthen disease detection, children—s services and other public-health infrastructure across Ohio.

Lab funding and capacity

Vanderhoff called the state public-health laboratory "the backbone for disease detection, monitoring, and response," saying the lab provides unique services — including newborn screening for over 40 conditions, rabies testing of animal specimens and bioterrorism-designated testing — and that it has been largely flat-funded since 2013. He said the lab now relies on federal grants for roughly two-thirds of operations and asked for $9.9 million in FY26 and $14.8 million in FY27 for equipment, maintenance and staffing to ensure continued testing capacity and to position Ohio for additional federal grant support. "Without this increase, vital services ... will be compromised," he told committee members.

Children—s vision and dental initiatives

Vanderhoff proposed a new student eye-exam program (referred to in testimony as "Ohio SEAS" or the Ohio student eye exam program) aimed at K–3 students who fail schoolvision screenings and lack access to follow-up care. He said the program is…