Following House Passage, Four Bills Sponsored by Rep. Dever Headed to Governor Kasich

During this week’s voting sessions, the Ohio House of Representatives passed four pieces of legislation sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Dever (R-Madeira), which now await consideration by Governor John Kasich.
 
HB 158 removes the term “mental retardation” and its derivatives from the Ohio Revised Code and replaces it with “intellectual disability” and its derivatives. Similar legislation has been introduced in prior General Assemblies, but was never able to clear both chambers. HB 158 unanimously passed the Senate and the House unanimously concurred on Tuesday.
 
HB 171 targets those who traffic heroin by lowering the amount of heroin in possession to be considered a “major drug offender.” This legislation equalizes the possession amounts for heroin to that of cocaine. HB 171 passed the Senate with a vote of 28-5 on Wednesday.
 
HB 303 provides lenders to allow homeowners facing foreclosure an option to stay in their home. This will help communities avoid blight, keep children in the schools, and provide additional resources to local governments. The House unanimously concurred on the Senate amendments.
 
HB 387 raises the limit of the monetary jurisdiction of small claims court to $6,000. Supported by both the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and NFIB Ohio, this legislation will greatly benefit Ohio’s small businesses. HB 387 passed the Senate unanimously on Tuesday.
 
In addition, HB 463, which Rep. Dever sponsored and passed the House on May 11th was amended into another bill and will also be sent to the Governor for consideration.