Ohio House Passes Bill to Address Public Safety Workforce Needs

COLUMBUS—State Representative Kevin Miller (R-Newark) is pleased to announce that House Bill 44, legislation to grant local police departments the power to fill vacant civil service positions without unnecessary exams, passed out of the Ohio House of Representatives with overwhelming support. 

The bipartisan measure, sponsored by Miller and State Representative Joe Miller (D-Amherst), will allow police departments to fill vacant positions without an exam if the department presents evidence that the competitive component of the exam is deemed unnecessary, and that the applicant has exceptional qualifications needed to fill the role. This bill will provide the same opportunity for statutory cities as charter cities in hiring law enforcement. 

“House Bill 44 will expedite the process to get well-trained officers on the field, ultimately increasing the safety of our communities and directly addressing workforce needs,” said Miller. 

The bill will also grant police chiefs the ability to facilitate training programs for new cadets. Upon completion of these training programs, the graduate may be hired directly to a relevant department, if the graduate possesses the requirements for the original appointment.

Finally, the bill was amended to include a measure to modify police chief training requirements in Ohio. Under Ohio law, new police chiefs are required to take a new chief of police training course. Rather than solely being offered in Columbus, this legislation will permit localized new chief trainings at approved regional training facilities throughout the state.

House Bill 44 awaits consideration from the Ohio Senate.