Ohio House Passes Bill to Provide Financial Assistance to Areas Impacted by Severe Drought Conditions

COLUMBUS—The Ohio House of Representatives today passed House Bill 683, a direct response to the impact of severe drought conditions that plagued Ohio recently, announced bill sponsor, State Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport).

This legislation will provide $10 million to the Department of Agriculture to be used towards drought mitigation efforts. The funding will be administered through local Soil and Water districts.

“We are only in the beginning stages of drought recovery efforts, and it’s important to rally together and support our farmers,” said Jones. “By passing this bill now, we can provide immediate relief to farmers, supporting them as they prepare to head into the winter months.”

Additionally, the legislation will provide a $500,000 appropriation from the Controlling Board Emergency Purposes Fund to the Ohio State College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Science for their Farm Financial Management and Policy Institute. This will allow the institute to hire a director so that they may be responsive to farmers’ needs as they navigate the challenges following the drought.

House Bill 683 now moves to the Ohio Senate for consideration.