Rep. Brown's HB 279 to cut red tape for wrongful death settlements signed into law

COLUMBUS– State Rep. Richard D. Brown (D-Canal Winchester) announced that House Bill (HB) 279, his bipartisan bill with joint-sponsor Rep. Scott Oelslager, which will significantly cut down on the red-tape required to obtain probate court approval of a settlement when a wrongful death occurs, was signed into law last week.  

“I am proud to see this bill signed into law,” said Rep. Brown. “This commonsense legislation will help assist legal practitioners and families across the state of Ohio when they are in the difficult time of grieving the loss of a relative and need to go through the process of contacting next of kin about the decedent’s estate.” 

This legislation will: 

Provide clarity to a confusing process of ensuring proper relatives are notified about the existence of an estate; 
Create a more defined and streamlined process of making a claim against an estate.

House Bill 279 will go into effect in 90 days from Jan. 3, 2023.