Representatives Jennifer Gross and Michelle Teska Introduce Data Center Accountability and Citizen Protection Act

State Representatives Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) and Michelle Teska (R-Clearcreek Township) today introduced House Bill 983, the Data Center Accountability and Citizen Protection Act, legislation that gives Ohio citizens the final say before massive data center projects are built in their communities while protecting taxpayers, ratepayers, private property owners, and Ohio's natural resources.

As data center development rapidly accelerates across Ohio, Gross and Teska say the General Assembly has a responsibility to ensure that local communities, not unelected bureaucrats or powerful corporations, have a meaningful voice in decisions that could permanently reshape their neighborhoods and strain critical public infrastructure.

"Ohio should absolutely welcome innovation and economic growth," said Representative Jennifer Gross. "But economic development should never come at the expense of the people who already live here. Ohioans deserve transparency, accountability, and the right to decide whether projects of this magnitude belong in their communities."

House Bill 983 would:

• Require voter approval before construction or expansion of large-scale data centers and their associated power generation facilities.
• Establish stronger environmental protections through enhanced standards for air emissions and wastewater discharges, independent testing, and public reporting.
• Require full disclosure of chemicals used in cooling systems and wastewater treatment.
• Hold data center operators financially responsible for impacts to local water supplies and infrastructure.
• Increase government transparency by making development and supply agreements related to data centers public records.
• Prohibit future local tax incentives for data centers and associated power generating facilities.
• Ensure future qualifying data centers generate their own electricity rather than shifting infrastructure costs onto Ohio families and businesses.

Representative Michelle Teska said the legislation is about restoring trust in government and ensuring that citizens, not special interests, remain at the center of major land-use decisions.

"For too long, Ohioans have watched enormous projects move forward with little transparency and limited input from the people whose lives will be most affected," said Representative Michelle Teska. "House Bill 983 restores local control, protects our water and air, safeguards taxpayers and ratepayers, and ensures that corporations benefiting from doing business in Ohio are accountable to the communities they seek to serve."

The legislation also directs the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to establish data center-specific safety standards for wastewater discharges and air emissions, requires ongoing independent environmental testing with public disclosure of the results, and establishes clear accountability measures for facilities that fail to meet Ohio's environmental standards.

"Technology and economic development should serve Ohioans, not the other way around," Gross added. "This legislation ensures that our state's growth is driven by transparency, accountability, and respect for the citizens who call these communities home."

House Bill 983 was introduced today and will be assigned to committee for consideration by the Ohio House of Representatives.