Rep. Romanchuk's Bill to Help Spur Business Creation Signed by Governor Kasich

State Representative Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario) is pleased to announce that Governor John Kasich has signed into law a bill aimed at making it easier to create new businesses in Ohio.

House Bill 3, which Rep. Romanchuk cosponsored with Rep. Tim Derickson (R-Hanover Twp.), reduces filing fees for small businesses and entrepreneurs, all with the intent of continuing Ohio’s momentum related to workforce development and job creation. It also strives to update the state’s job-searching website, “Ohio Means Jobs.”

“I applaud Governor Kasich for signing this very important bill into law,” Romanchuk said. “This legislation will provide added encouragement to Ohio’s entrepreneurs, and to those wishing to come to Ohio, to establish new businesses and create jobs.”

To initiate a new business, owners are required to file with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office. House Bill 3 lowers the filing fee from $125 to $99—a reduction of 21 percent, making it cheaper and easier for small businesses to get started in Ohio. According to bill testimony, in 2014, 93,775 businesses filed in 2014, setting a record number of business filings over the last five years.

Streamlining access to the job search site, OhioMeansJobs, was also a priority of the bill. The legislation works to ensure that Ohio-based companies that are in good standing have access to the website and its various functions by developing deadlines for employers to have equal access over the next 18-24 months. The bill also requires that Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) annually report information regarding usage on the site including the number of jobs posted by employers and the number of resumes on the site that were aggregated from other websites.