Representative Richardson Votes in Support of House Budget Bill
State Representative Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville) today voted in support of Am. Sub. House Bill 96 – the House’s version of the State Operating Budget. This forward-looking, fiscally responsible budget plan invests in Ohio families and the state’s future – approving over $4 billion in record property tax relief for Ohioans and ensuring that every school district in the state receives an increase in school funding in fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
“It has been a demanding and intense budget cycle beginning in January 2025. The House Budget significantly reduces the Governor’s proposed budget but still ensures that our schools, libraries, communities, and more are provided with support,” said Representative Richardson. “I want to remind residents that the budget process is lengthy, and the House Budget will now be considered in the Senate. My goal during the process is to be fiscally responsible with hard-earned taxpayer dollars and ensure a balanced budget.”
Representative Richardson would like to highlight the following specific provisions to the House’s version of the Budget:
- Creates the child care credit program within the Department of Children and Youth (DCY). This program allows for the costs of childcare to be split between participating employees, employers, and DCY, and appropriates $10M in FY26.
- Provides support for law enforcement training.
- Establishes a study committee for certain types of PTSD treatments for veterans
- Eliminates the Governor’s proposal to double the tax rate for sports gaming
- Increases the maximum award for the Autism Scholarship and Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship to assist special needs students.
- Increases the funding for the historic preservation tax program, helping communities invest in the redevelopment of historic buildings.
- Restores the law that permits an individual to pay with cash for a ticket to a school-affiliated event.
BOOSTING FUNDING FOR OHIO’S SCHOOLS
House Bill 96 prioritizes the education and well-being of students, ensuring that every school district in the State of Ohio receives an increase in funding over the next biennium.
Compared to today, this budget provides public schools with $207.6 million more in FY26 than they received in FY25, and in FY27, that increases to $347.6 million above their FY25 support. This equates to a $555.2 million increase in state aid for public schools over the coming biennium. Additionally, under the House plan, every student in Ohio will receive more per-pupil funding from the state.
DELIVERING A LOCAL REQUIREMENT FOR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF TO OHIOANS
In an effort to provide much-needed property tax relief to Ohioans, the bill implements a process for schools that carry forward more than 30 percent in unspent cash at the end of each year to be distributed back to Ohioans in the form of property tax relief, totaling more than $4 billion. District cash carryovers have increased year over year since tracking began in 2012, from $3.6 billion then to $10.5 billion today. In FY24, 486 traditional school districts carried over cash greater than 30 percent of their expenditures for that year.
SUPPORTING OHIO FAMILIES
To help families who need assistance paying for child care, the budget establishes the Child Care Choice program, providing $100 million each fiscal year for eligible families, helping more Ohioans cover the cost of needed child care services. House Bill 96 also increases funding for the Help Me Grow program, which helps pregnant women, caregivers with new babies, and families with young children and children with developmental delays and disabilities have access to early intervention, developmental screenings, and more.
PRIORITIZING WORKFORCE READINESS AND HIGHER EDUCATION IN OHIO
This budget makes a marked effort to prioritize workforce readiness in Ohio, investing in various higher education programs such as the Governor’s Merit Scholarship, the Choose Ohio First Scholarship, and an increase in the State Share of Instruction by 2%, helping lower costs for students at Ohio’s state institutions of higher education. The bill also continues support for Ohio’s TechCred program, which allows employers to upskill current or future employees at no cost to them.
EMPOWERING SCHOOL CHOICE
House Bill 96 continues the state’s commitment to school choice by increasing the maximum award for the Autism Scholarship and Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship while also establishing an option for parents whose children attend a non-chartered non-public school to utilize an education savings account to help with the cost of their education.
PROMOTING MEDICAID TRANSPARENCY
In an effort to promote transparency in the Medicaid program, the bill works to protect taxpayer dollars and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse through a number of provisions, creating a variety of new reporting requirements that the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) must provide to the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee (JMOC) for review.
House Bill 96 now goes to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.