Rep. Brown applauds unanimous committee passage of his House Bill 279

COLUMBUS— Today, State Rep. Richard D. Brown (D-Canal Winchester) applauded the unanimous passage of his House Bill (HB) 279 in the Ohio House Civil Justice Committee. Along with Rep. Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton), Brown advocated for the passage of this legislation that will significantly cut down on the red-tape required to obtain probate court approval of a settlement determination when a wrongful death occurs. 

“This commonsense legislation will help legal practitioners and families in our state when they are grieving the loss of a relative and need to go through the process of contacting next of kin about the decedent’s estate,” said Rep. Brown. 

The legislation would provide a statutory definition of next of kin, providing clarity to a confusing and often duplicative process of ensuring that the proper relatives are notified about the existence of an estate and the need to assert a claim. HB 279 would also change timelines to provide that notification to the next of kin, creating a more defined and streamlined process of making a claim against an estate. 

“I am proud to have the support of both my Democratic and Republican colleagues, as well as supportive dialogue with esteemed legal organizations such as the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Judicial Conference,” Rep. Brown continued. 

HB 279 now heads to the Rules and Reference Committee, where Brown is hopeful that it will be assigned a date to be approved on the House floor.