Rep. Brown Passes Three House Bills, Saving Taxpayer Money, Incentivizing Organ Donations, Modernizing Our Court Systems

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester) today announced the bipartisan passage of three pieces of legislation from the Ohio House, including House Bill (HB) 390, HB 399, and HB 305 as part of Senate Bill (SB) 94.

HB 390 was passed unanimously and will revise existing Ohio law regarding the notice of excess funds to a taxpayer after property foreclosure.

“These changes will ultimately allow us to help save taxpayer money, streamline the process for our elected officials, and, in turn, give Ohioans a better opportunity to receive the excess funds to which they are entitled,” said Rep. Brown.  

HB 390 will:

• Increase the amount required to “trigger” a notice from $100 to $500;
• Eliminate the requirement that the Clerk of Courts mail a notice to a judgment debtor whose address is unknown; and
• Update the current process of public notification;

House Bill 399 will serve as a powerful tool to alleviate financial burdens on living organ donors and incentivize employers to offer paid leave to organ donors.

“Kidney disease is a significant problem for many Ohioans. Kidney disease is a killer. It is costly and time consuming to treat. It often ultimately requires a kidney transplant to survive,” said Rep. Brown. “This legislation, if signed into law, will encourage organ donations, thus increasing the pool of available organs for transplantation, and saving lives.” 

HB 399 will create a new income tax credit for employers who provide paid leave to an employee who makes an organ donation, provided that the compensation paid to the employee as a donation leave benefit is equal to the compensation the employee would have received if the employee had been working as usual. This credit to the employer is a reduction in the tax owed.

House Bill 305 will modernize our court systems and bring Ohio into the 21st century by requiring that the Clerk of Courts of Common Pleas, Municipal Courts, and County Courts permit electronic filing of court pleadings and documentations.

“Electronic filing is not a new concept, House Bill 305 will modernize Ohio’s court systems,” said Rep. Brown. “This is a commonsense bill which will reduce costs for litigators, individuals, and businesses who use our court systems to resolve disputes.” 

HB 305 originally passed the entire Ohio House unanimously and was later amended into SB 94 which was passed by both chambers. HB 305, as part of SB 94, will now head to the governor for a signature to be signed into law.

HB 390 and HB 399 now await referral to a Senate committee for additional hearings.