As Introduced
135th General Assembly
Regular Session S. B. No. 340
2023-2024
Senators Blessing, Ingram
A BILL
To amend Section 259.30 of H.B. 33 of the 135th 1
General Assembly to make changes to the law 2
relating to the Low- and Moderate-income Housing 3
Trust Fund. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That Section 259.30 of H.B. 33 of the 135th 5
General Assembly be amended to read as follows: 6
Sec. 259.30. MINORITY BUSINESS BONDING FUND 7
Notwithstanding Chapters 122., 169., and 175. of the 8
Revised Code, the Director of Development may, upon the 9
recommendation of the Minority Development Financing Advisory 10
Board, pledge up to $10,000,000 in the biennium ending June 30, 11
2025, of unclaimed funds administered by the Director of 12
Commerce and allocated to the Minority Business Bonding Program 13
under section 169.05 of the Revised Code. 14
If needed for the payment of losses arising from the 15
Minority Business Bonding Program, the Director of Budget and 16
Management may, at the request of the Director of Development, 17
request that the Director of Commerce transfer unclaimed funds 18
that have been reported by holders of unclaimed funds under 19
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As Introduced
section 169.05 of the Revised Code to the Minority Bonding Fund 20
(Fund 4490). The transfer of unclaimed funds shall only occur 21
after proceeds of the initial transfer of $2,700,000 by the 22
Controlling Board to the Minority Business Bonding Program have 23
been used for that purpose. If expenditures are required for 24
payment of losses arising from the Minority Business Bonding 25
Program, such expenditures shall be made from appropriation item 26
195658, Minority Business Bonding Contingency in the Minority 27
Business Bonding Fund, and such amounts are hereby appropriated. 28
BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 29
The foregoing appropriation item 195649, Business 30
Assistance Programs, shall be used for administrative expenses 31
associated with the operation of loan incentives. 32
STATE SPECIAL PROJECTS 33
The State Special Projects Fund (Fund 4F20), may be used 34
for the deposit of private-sector funds from utility companies 35
and for the deposit of other miscellaneous state funds. State 36
moneys so deposited may also be used to match federal funding 37
and to support programs of the Community Service Division and 38
Business Services Division. 39
MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE LOAN 40
The foregoing appropriation item 195646, Minority Business 41
Enterprise Loan, shall be used for awards under the Minority 42
Business Enterprise Loan Program and to cover operating expenses 43
of the Minority Business Development Division. All repayments 44
from the Minority Development Financing Advisory Board Loan 45
Program shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit 46
of the Minority Business Enterprise Loan Fund (Fund 4W10). 47
BROADBAND POLE REPLACEMENT AND UNDERGROUNDING PROGRAM 48
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As Introduced
The foregoing appropriation item 1956G9, Broadband Pole 49
Replacement and Undergrounding Program, shall be used by the 50
Department of Development to support the Broadband Pole 51
Replacement and Undergrounding Program under section 191.27 of 52
the Revised Code. 53
ONE TIME PRIORITY PROJECTS 54
(A) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 55
Priority Projects, $10,000,000 in each fiscal year shall be 56
allocated to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. 57
(B) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 58
Priority Projects, $9,500,000 in each fiscal year shall be 59
allocated for the GRIT program to be administered by the 60
Governor's Office of Appalachia and the Department of 61
Development. The program shall expand the qualified worker 62
pipeline, remove barriers to fill local and remote jobs, and 63
promote entrepreneurial endeavors in economically distressed and 64
at-risk areas within the Appalachian region of Ohio, as defined 65
in section 107.21 of the Revised Code, and other like counties 66
within the state. The amount set aside for the GRIT program 67
under this division shall be used for the following: 68
(1) In collaboration with private businesses and public 69
sector partners, to establish virtual workforce development 70
centers and supportive resources and to place unemployed and 71
underemployed youth and adults into jobs; 72
(2) To support the assessment, coaching, wraparound 73
services, and other career development and training activities 74
for both high school youth and adults. 75
The amount set aside for the GRIT program under this 76
division may be used for operating costs. 77
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As Introduced
(C) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 78
Priority Projects, $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 shall be used 79
to support the Mentor Erosion Mitigation Project. Any funds 80
distributed for this project under this division shall be 81
matched in an amount equal to $500,000 using city or county 82
funding sources. 83
(D) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 84
Priority Projects, $1,835,000 in fiscal year 2024 shall be 85
allocated to the Tuscarawas County Commissioners for 86
infrastructure improvements or demolition in Tuscarawas County. 87
An amount equal to the unexpended, unencumbered portion of the 88
amount allocated to Tuscarawas County Commissioners in this 89
division at the end of fiscal year 2024 is hereby reappropriated 90
for the same purpose in fiscal year 2025. 91
(E) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 92
Priority Projects, $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 shall be 93
allocated to the Ohio Manufacturing and Innovation Center. 94
(F) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 95
Priority Projects, $500,000 in fiscal year 2024 shall be 96
allocated to Mercer County to support the construction of the 97
Market Hall. 98
(G) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 99
Priority Projects, $500,000 in fiscal year 2024 shall be used to 100
support a study, including the acquisition of any necessary 101
equipment, to determine an estimate of storage capacity and 102
maximum annual yield of the network of aquifers that are in the 103
state of Ohio and north of the Maumee River, but that may also 104
cross into other states. 105
(H) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 106
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As Introduced
Priority Projects, $300,000 in each fiscal year shall be used to 107
support the Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training 108
Center and the Youngstown Air Reserve Station. 109
(I) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 110
Priority Projects, $300,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $125,000 in 111
fiscal year 2025 shall be allocated to the Buckeye Lake Region 112
Corporation for operating expenses associated with community 113
development activities in the Buckeye Lake region, including, 114
but not limited to, development planning, technical assistance 115
for small businesses, and community clean energy projects. 116
(J) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 117
Priority Projects, $200,000 in each fiscal year shall be 118
allocated to Flying HIGH Inc., in partnership with a local 119
economic development organization, to operate integrated 120
workforce development services for regional in-demand jobs. This 121
portion of the appropriation shall be used for services 122
including career coaching, support services to overcome 123
employment barriers, primary and behavioral health care, housing 124
assistance, pre-apprenticeship vocational training, job 125
placement, and post-placement follow-up. 126
(K) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 127
Priority Projects, $200,000 in fiscal year 2024 shall be 128
allocated to West Chester Township to support security costs at 129
the Voices of America Country Music Fest located in the 130
township. 131
(L) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 132
Priority Projects, $200,000 in fiscal year 2024 shall be used 133
for Eldora Speedway located in Darke County for improvements or 134
assisting with operations. 135
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(M) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 136
Priority Projects, $30,000 in fiscal year 2024 shall be used for 137
the Armstrong Air and Space Museum. 138
(N) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 139
Priority Projects, $4,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 shall be 140
allocated to the Cleveland Water Alliance Sustainable Water 141
Technologies Initiative. 142
(O) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 143
Priority Projects, $3,000,000 in FY 2024 shall be used to 144
support runway improvements and extensions for the Youngstown- 145
Warren Regional Airport in Trumbull County. An amount equal to 146
the unexpended, unencumbered portion of this appropriation at 147
the end of fiscal year 2024 is hereby reappropriated for the 148
same purposes in fiscal year 2025. 149
(P) Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H2, One Time 150
Priority Projects, $250,000 in each fiscal year shall be 151
allocated to Heritage Ohio to support the Ohio Community 152
Revitalization Program. 153
WELCOME HOME OHIO PROGRAM 154
The foregoing appropriation item 1956H3, Welcome Home Ohio 155
Program, shall be used for grants under the Welcome Home Ohio 156
Program established in sections 122.631 through 122.633 of the 157
Revised Code. Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H3, 158
Welcome Home Ohio Program, $25,000,000 in each fiscal year shall 159
be used to distribute grants for land banks to purchase 160
residential property at foreclosure sales under section 122.631 161
of the Revised Code. Of the foregoing appropriation item 1956H3, 162
Welcome Home ohio Ohio Program, $25,000,000 in each fiscal year 163
shall be used to distribute grants to rehabilitate or construct 164
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residential property for income-restricted owners under section 165
122.632 of the Revised Code. 166
On July 1, 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter, the 167
Director of Development shall certify to the Director of Budget 168
and Management the unexpended, unencumbered balance of the 169
appropriation item 1956H3, Welcome Home Ohio Program, at the end 170
of fiscal year 2024 to be reappropriated in fiscal year 2025. 171
The amount certified is hereby reappropriated to the same 172
appropriation item for the same purpose in fiscal year 2025. 173
WATER AND SEWER QUALITY PROGRAM 174
The foregoing appropriation item 1956A1, Water and Sewer 175
Quality Program, shall be used to award grants under the Water 176
and Sewer Quality Program established in Section 259.30 of H.B. 177
168 of the 134th General Assembly. This appropriation shall be 178
used to fund a new round of grants under which all political 179
subdivisions may apply for water and sewer improvements under 180
the program. 181
COUNTY AND INDEPENDENT FAIRS GRANT 182
The foregoing appropriation item 1956H4, County and 183
Independent Fairs Grant, shall be used to award grants to county 184
and independent fairs to increase fair access or economic 185
impact. The Department of Development shall set an application 186
deadline and distribute grants evenly among all grant 187
applicants. 188
BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS 189
On July 1, 2023, or as soon as possible thereafter, the 190
Director of Development shall certify to the Director of Budget 191
and Management the unexpended, unencumbered balance of the 192
appropriation item 195550, Broadband Development Grants, at the 193
S. B. No. 340 Page 8
As Introduced
end of fiscal year 2023 to be reappropriated in fiscal year 194
2024. The amount certified is hereby reappropriated to the same 195
appropriation item for the same purpose in fiscal year 2024. 196
On July 1, 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter, the 197
Director of Development shall certify to the Director of Budget 198
and Management the unexpended, unencumbered balance of the 199
appropriation item 195550, Broadband Development Grants, at the 200
end of fiscal year 2024 to be reappropriated in fiscal year 201
2025. The amount certified is hereby reappropriated to the same 202
appropriation item for the same purpose in fiscal year 2025. 203
ADVANCED ENERGY LOAN PROGRAMS 204
The foregoing appropriation item 195660, Advanced Energy 205
Loan Programs, shall be used to provide financial assistance to 206
customers for eligible advanced energy projects for residential, 207
commercial, and industrial business, local government, 208
educational institution, nonprofit, and agriculture customers. 209
The appropriation item may be used to match federal grant 210
funding and to pay for the program's administrative costs as 211
provided in sections 4928.61 to 4928.63 of the Revised Code and 212
rules adopted by the Director of Development. 213
SPORTS EVENTS GRANTS 214
The foregoing appropriation item 195496, Sports Events 215
Grants, shall be used for grants as described in sections 122.12 216
and 122.121 of the Revised Code. 217
On July 1, 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter, the 218
Director of Development shall certify to the Director of Budget 219
and Management the amount of the unexpended, unencumbered 220
balance of appropriation item 195496, Sports Events Grants, at 221
the end of fiscal year 2