Reps. Joe Miller, Kevin Miller's Bipartisan Bill Passes Ohio Legislature, Moves to Governor's Desk

COLUMBUS — State Reps. Joe Miller (D-Amherst) and Kevin Miller (R-Newark) Wednesday celebrated the Ohio House and Senate’s passage of House Bill (HB) 44, which streamlines the process of filling vacant police officer positions and making training more accessible. The bipartisan bill passed with a vote of 91-1 in the Ohio House of Representatives and unanimously in the Ohio Senate.

“After four General Assemblies and countless hours spent with proponents and interested parties, we have a good bill for the governor to sign. It is imperative that our police departments have the staffing needed to provide for the public’s safety, and this bill ensures that the redundancies currently faced when an officer transfers departments are eliminated,” said Rep. Joe Miller. “I especially want to thank Joseph LaVeck, Chief Heinz von Eckartsberg, Chief Jim McCann, Chief Ed Kinney, Corey Jordan, and Robert Butler for their support over the years in helping get this to the governor.”

“House Bill 44 will expedite the process to get well-trained officers in the field, ultimately increasing the safety of our communities and directly addressing workforce needs,” said Rep. Kevin Miller.

Once it becomes law, HB 44 allows a police department to fill a vacant position in the classified civil service without a competitive examination under certain circumstances, allow police chiefs to conduct training schools for prospective law enforcement, and allow the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission to establish more locations for police chief training courses.

HB 44 now heads to the governor’s office for review and his signature.