Ohio Senate panel hears proponent testimony for bill to create regulatory 'sandbox' and Regulatory Relief Office

Proponents of Senate Bill 90 told the Senate General Government Committee on Feb. 17 that the bill would create a universal regulatory sandbox program and a Regulatory Relief Division within the Common Sense Initiative Office to help innovators test new products and services under limited regulatory relief.

Tony Long, general counsel and director of energy and environmental policy at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, testified that SB 90 would extend Ohio’s regulatory test program beyond financial services to a broader set of industries and place administration of the sandbox inside the Common Sense Initiative Office. "This legislation creates a general regulatory sandbox program for novel products and services in Ohio," Long said, noting that "as of early 2026, 14 states have enacted regulatory sandbox legislation" and pointing to Utah as an active example of cross-sector sandbox use.

The bill would permit the Regulatory Relief Division to review existing state laws and regulations and recommend changes to the governor and the General Assembly, and could negotiate reciprocity…