Environment & Energy Issues
February 2012
HB1 JOBSOHIO (DUFFEY M) To authorize the Governor to create JobsOhio, a nonprofit economic development corporation.
Current Status: 2/18/2011 – SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; Eff. 2/18/2011
HB2 PERFORMANCE AUDITING (SNITCHLER T) To require performance auditing of most state agencies.
Current Status: 3/8/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Finance
HB10 REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SITE (SEARS B) To authorize refundable tax credits for the completion of a voluntary action to remediate a contaminated site and for the return of such sites to productive use, and to exempt persons through 2017 who have issued covenants not to sue under the Voluntary Action Program from certain fees and penalties for one year after the issuance of such a covenant.
Current Status: 3/2/2011 – House Ways and Means, (Fifth Hearing)
HB32 SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEMS (AMSTUTZ R) To exempt from the Professional Engineers and Surveyors Law the preparation of plans or drawings for a sewage treatment system or components and measurements necessary to comply with the Household and Small Flow On-site Sewage Treatment Systems Law.
Current Status: 2/1/2012 – PASSED BY SENATE; Vote 26-3
HB51 MUNICIPAL UTILITIES (SNITCHLER T) To require a municipal utility supplying surplus electricity to nonresidents to provide written notice of termination one year before terminating the service.
Current Status: 2/1/2011 – Referred to Committee House Public Utilities
HB87 WATER WORKS/SEWAGE DISPOSAL COMPANIES (GOYAL J, GROSSMAN C) To limit recovery of rate-case expenses for certain water-works and sewage disposal system companies.
Current Status: 4/6/2011 – House Public Utilities, (Fourth Hearing)
HB89 AGRICULTURE WEEK (DERICKSON T) To designate the second full week of March as Ohio Agriculture Week.
Current Status: 3/11/2011 – SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; Eff. 6/10/11
HB95 NATURAL GAS RATES (STAUTBERG P) To permit certain rate-calculation adjustments for natural gas companies, eliminate public notice requirements for rate cases, and for natural gas companies, to make other regulatory changes concerning audits, alternative rate plans, and forecast reports, and allowing applications for natural gas company capital expenditure programs.
Current Status: 6/2/2011 – SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; Eff. 9/9/2011
HB112 ENGINE COOLANT/ANTIFREEZE (GROSSMAN C, LETSON T) To require the inclusion of a bittering agent in engine coolant and antifreeze.
Current Status: 5/18/2011 – REPORTED OUT, House Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security, (Fourth Hearing)
HB120 WATER ACCESS TO EVERY RESIDENCE (CAREY, JR. J) To create the Water Access to Every Residence Task Force.
Current Status: 6/28/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Health, Human Services & Aging
HB133 OIL AND GAS LEASING/DRILLING ON STATE LAND (ADAMS J) To create the Oil and Gas Leasing Board and to establish a procedure by which the Board may enter into leases for oil and gas production on land owned or under the control of a state agency for the purpose of providing funding for capital and operating costs for the agency.
Current Status: 6/30/2011 – SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; Eff. 9/30/2011
HB153 BIENNIAL BUDGET (AMSTUTZ R) To make operating appropriations for the biennium beginning July 1, 2011, and ending June 30, 2013, and to provide authorization and conditions for the operation of state programs.
Current Status: 6/30/2011 – SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; Effective 6/30/2011; some sections different dates, 7 line item vetos
HB158 AMATEUR STATION ANTENNA STRUCTURES (STEBELTON G, OKEY M) To codify federal restrictions on local zoning of amateur station antenna structures thereby preserving amateur radio service communications as a Homeland Security resource and place burden of proof for compliance on zoning authority.
Current Status: 1/25/2012 – Senate State & Local Government & Veterans Affairs, (Fifth Hearing)
HB163 COAL MINING LAWS (BALDERSON T) To revise the coal mining laws regarding permit application and set-back requirements.
Current Status: 6/30/2011 – SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; Eff, 9/30/2011
HB185 AGGREGATES AND INDUSTRIAL MINERALS (CAREY, JR. J) To designate the third week of July as “Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Awareness Week.”
Current Status: 1/31/2012 – PASSED BY SENATE; Amendment Accepted Bill Vote 31-0
HB204 ADVANCED ENERGY FUND (FOLEY M) To reimburse the Advanced Energy Fund revenue rider on retail electric distribution service rates and to clarify how Advanced Energy Fund grant amounts are to be determined.
Current Status: 5/25/2011 – House Public Utilities, (Second Hearing)
HB207 OHIO COAL MINERS WEEK (BALDERSON T, LETSON T) To designate the week in which Labor Day occurs each year as “Ohio Coal Miners Week.”
Current Status: 1/31/2012 – REPORTED OUT, Senate Insurance, Commerce & Labor, (Second Hearing)
HB223 EMERGENCY SERVICE TELECOMMUNICATORS (PATMON B) To require certification of emergency service telecommunicators and modify training requirements.
Current Status: 6/15/2011 – House Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security, (Second Hearing)
HB231 LAKE ERIE WATERS (WACHTMANN L) To establish a program for the issuance of permits for the withdrawal and consumptive use of waters from the Lake Erie basin.
Current Status: 7/15/2011 – VETOED BY GOVERNOR
HB238 REFINERS/WHOLESALERS OF PETROLEUM (GERBERRY R, HAGAN R) To require refiners and wholesalers of petroleum products to submit monthly reports to the Director of Commerce regarding petroleum products shipped into, used in, and exported from this state and to create the Gasoline Practices Oversight Commission for the period ending December 31, 2013.
Current Status: 5/25/2011 – Referred to Committee House State Government and Elections
HB240 OHIO SUSTAINABLE FOOD ADVISORY COUNCIL (WEDDINGTON C, AMSTUTZ R) To create the Ohio Sustainable Food Advisory Council to address program and policy considerations regarding the development of a sustainable food economy in Ohio.
Current Status: 5/25/2011 – Referred to Committee House Agriculture and Natural Resources
HB257 LAKE ERIE WATERS (MURRAY D) To establish a program for the regulation of withdrawals and consumptive uses of waters from the Lake Erie basin.
Current Status: 6/15/2011 – Referred to Committee House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee
HB261 ALTERNATIVE FUEL FACILITY (MCGREGOR R) To allow a credit against the personal income tax or commercial activity tax for the installation of an alternative fuel facility.
Current Status: 9/21/2011 – House Ways and Means, (Second Hearing)
HB274 TRANSFER FEE COVENANT (LETSON T) To provide that a transfer fee for purposes of a transfer fee covenant does not include any payment required pursuant to a conservation easement or agricultural easement.
Current Status: 11/15/2011 – House Judiciary and Ethics, (First Hearing)
HB276 DEFINITION OF AGRICULTURE FOR ZONING (BUCHY J, GENTILE L) To include the production from certain feedstocks of biodiesel, biomass energy, electric or heat energy, and biologically derived methane gas in the definition of “agriculture” for purposes of the laws governing zoning, township zoning, and current agricultural use valuation.
Current Status: 2/8/2012 – Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources, (Third Hearing)
HB297 MOTOR FUEL QUALITY TESTING (WEDDINGTON C, FENDE L) To require the Department of Agriculture to establish a motor fuel quality testing program under which county auditors may conduct such testing.
Current Status: 9/13/2011 – Referred to Committee House Agriculture and Natural Resources
HB304 LAKE ERIE OIL/NATURAL GAS (ANTONIO N) To ban the taking or removal of oil or natural gas from and under the bed of Lake Erie.
Current Status: 9/13/2011 – Referred to Committee House Agriculture and Natural Resources
HB340 SOCIAL SECURITY NO. ON FISHING LICENSES (PATMON B, DOVILLA M) To specify that an applicant for a fishing license cannot be required to provide more than the last four digits of the applicant’s Social Security number.
Current Status: 11/9/2011 – Referred to Committee House Agriculture and Natural Resources
HB342 AGREEMENTS TO PRIVATIZE STATE PROPERTY (PILLICH C, DRIEHAUS D) To limit agreements to privatize state property, facilities, services, or functions.
Current Status: 11/9/2011 – Referred to Committee House State Government and Elections
HB345 STIMULATION OF OIL AND GAS WELLS (DRIEHAUS D, HEARD T) Establishes a moratorium on horizontal stimulation of oil and gas wells until the USEPA publishes a report containing the results of a study of the relationship of hydraulic fracturing to drinking water resources and the Chief of the Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management issues a report analyzing how Ohio’s rules address issues raised in the USEPA report.
Current Status: 11/9/2011 – Referred to Committee House Agriculture and Natural Resources
HB351 WELL STIMULATION/BRINE DISPOSAL (ANTONIO N, FEDOR T) To establish requirements governing well stimulation, brine disposal and water that is used in the drilling/operation of oil and gas wells, including a requirement that oil and gas permitees pay a seven per cent overriding royalty for each well that is stimulated.
Current Status: 11/9/2011 – Referred to Committee House Agriculture and Natural Resources
HB364 SECURITIZATION COSTS STANDARDS-ELECTRIC UTILITIES (ROEGNER K, DUFFEY M) To establish standards for the securitization of costs for electric distribution utilities.
Current Status: 12/21/2011 – SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; Eff. 3/22/2012
HB379 WATER-WORKS/SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM COMPANIES (BLESSING L) To permit for water-works and sewage disposal system companies, certain rate-calculation adjustments and a tax adjustment surcharge, to make changes regarding water and sewer infrastructure improvement surcharges, and alter language regarding utility requirements for when rate increases may take effect in the absence of administrative action.
Current Status: 12/14/2011 – House Public Utilities, (Second Hearing)
HB380 ASBESTOS EXPOSURE COMPENSATION (BLESSING L) To require claimants in asbestos tort actions to make certain disclosures pertaining to asbestos trust claims that have been submitted to asbestos trust entities for the purpose of compensating the claimant for asbestos exposure.
Current Status: 1/31/2012 – Referred to Committee Senate Judiciary
HB389 WILD ANIMAL HUNTING PRESERVE LAW (HALL D, OKEY M) To establish requirements and procedures governing propagating and hunting captive deer and to revise the law governing wild animal hunting preserves.
Current Status: 2/8/2012 – Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources, (Third Hearing)
HB390 SCRAP METAL DEALERS (COMBS C) To prohibit scrap metal dealers from purchasing or receiving copper plumbing pipe from any person other than a plumber and purchasing or receiving an air conditioning unit from any person other than a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning contractor.
Current Status: 12/13/2011 – Referred to Committee House Local Government
HB415 AGRICULTURAL LINKED DEPOSIT PROGRAM (SPRAGUE R, HILL B) To modify the Agricultural Linked Deposit Program with respect to the maximum amount the Treasurer of State may invest in
agricultural linked deposits, the interest rate at which loans are made under the Program, and the maximum loan amount.
Current Status: 2/8/2012 – House Agriculture and Natural Resources, (Second Hearing)
HB416 PUBLIC POOLS-SPAS-SPECIAL USE POOLS (BLAIR T) Regarding public pools, spas, and special use pools.
Current Status: 1/24/2012 – Referred to Committee House Health and Aging
HB418 FRACKING MORATORIUM (HAGAN R) To establish a moratorium until January 1, 2015, on the disposal by injection into an underground formation of brine and other waste substances associated with the exploration or development of oil and gas resources.
Current Status: 1/24/2012 – Referred to Committee House Agriculture and Natural Resources
HCR4 URANIUM ENRICHMENT (ROSENBERGER C) To urge the President of the United States to direct the United States Department of Energy to ensure the continuation of the uranium enrichment work being developed by USEC, Inc. at its Piketon, Ohio plant by granting USEC’s application for a federal loan guarantee and to direct the Secretary of Energy to strongly consider providing federal funding assistance for the Clean Energy Park Demonstration Project.
Current Status: 4/12/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate State & Local Government & Veterans Affairs
HCR9 PROPOSED AIR POLLUTION TRANSPORT RULE (THOMPSON A) To urge the Congress, the President of the United States, and the United Environmental Protection Agency to immediately suspend the Proposed Air Pollution Transport Rule.
Current Status: 5/17/2011 – REPORTED OUT, House Agriculture and Natural Resources, (Third Hearing)
HCR12 ENCOURAGE DOMESTIC PRODUCTION OF COAL (THOMPSON A) To urge the Administration of President Barack Obama to reconsider proposals to increase taxes on producers of coal, natural gas, and petroleum and instead commit to adopting policies that encourage domestic production of these important resources.
Current Status: 6/15/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources
HCR15 AIR QUALITY/GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (BALDERSON T) To urge Congress to take certain actions regarding the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed regulations on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
Current Status: 5/25/2011 – REPORTED OUT, House Agriculture and Natural Resources, (Second Hearing)
HR97 TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE PROJECT (SEARS B) To urge Congress to support the continued and increased importation of oil derived from Canadian oil sands and urge Congress to ask the U.S. Secretary of State to approve the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline project from Alberta to Oklahoma.
Current Status: 6/15/2011 – ADOPTED BY HOUSE; Vote 92-0
SB1 JOBSOHIO (WAGONER M) To authorize the creation of JobsOhio, the non-profit economic development corporation.
Current Status: 2/2/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Finance
SB22 NPDES PERMITS SEWAGE SYSTEMS (SCHAFFER T) To require the Director of Environmental Protection to consider, to the extent allowable under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, specified factors before issuing NPDES permits for sewerage systems, requiring and approving long-term control plans for wet weather discharges from sewerage systems, and enforcing provisions of that Act as applied to sewerage systems.
Current Status: 6/30/2011 – SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; Eff. 9/30/2011
SB78 NATURAL GAS LAKE ERIE (SKINDELL M) To ban the taking or removal of oil or natural gas from and under the bed of Lake Erie.
Current Status: 2/23/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources
SB96 WATER SYSTEM’S ANNUAL REPORT (STEWART J) To require a community water system’s annual report to its customers to include information concerning the amount of water lost by the system during the transmission of water between the source waters utilized by the system to the consumers serviced by the system.
Current Status: 4/5/2011 – Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources, (First Hearing)
SB108 OIL & GAS LEASING (JORDAN K) To create the Oil and Gas Leasing Board and to establish a procedure by which the Board may enter into leases for oil and gas production on land owned or under the control of a state agency for the purpose of providing funding for capital and operating costs for the agency.
Current Status: 3/29/2011 – Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources, (Third Hearing)
SB137 COAL MINING LAWS (STEWART J) To revise the coal mining laws regarding permit application and set-back requirements.
Current Status: 6/7/2011 – Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources, (First Hearing)
SB140 BITTERING AGENT IN ENGINE COOLANT (BACON K, SKINDELL M) To require the inclusion of a bittering agent in engine coolant and antifreeze.
Current Status: 11/15/2011 – Senate Judiciary, (Second Hearing)
SB150 RATE-CASE EXPENSES FOR WATER/SEWER (HUGHES J) To limit recovery of rate-case expenses for certain water-works and sewage disposal system companies.
Current Status: 9/27/2011 – Senate Energy & Public Utilities, (First Hearing)
SB164 WATER RESOURCES PROJECT (OBHOF L) To declare that a water resources project of a regional water and sewer district remains under the jurisdiction of the district after the municipal annexation of the territory where the project is located, to establish contracting authority for regional water and sewer districts regarding the conveyance of water resource projects to municipal corporations, and to expand the scope of the contracting authority of a county sewer district when conveying water supply facilities and sewer facilities to a municipal corporation.
Current Status: 5/10/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources
SB168 AGGREGATES/INDUSTRIAL MINERALS (WILSON J) To designate the third week of July as “Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Awareness Week.”
Current Status: 5/17/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources
SB170 WITHDRAWAL/USE OF LAKE ERIE WATERS (GRENDELL T) To establish a program for the issuance of permits for the withdrawal and consumptive use of waters from the Lake Erie basin.
Current Status: 6/21/2011 – Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources, (Second Hearing)
SB179 OHIO GEOLOGY LICENSE PLATE (WILSON J) To create the “Ohio Geology” license plate and to require the Ohio Geology Advisory Council to establish and administer a grant program utilizing the contributions that are paid by persons who obtain the license plate.
Current Status: 1/25/2012 – Referred to Committee House Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security
SB188 ALTERNATIVE FUEL FACILITY (PATTON T) To allow a credit against the personal income tax or commercial activity tax for the installation of an alternative fuel facility.
Current Status: 9/22/2011 – Senate Ways & Means & Economic Development, (First Hearing)
SB198 MOTOR FUEL QUALITY TESTING PROGRAM (TAVARES C) To require the Department of Agriculture to establish a motor fuel quality testing program under which county auditors may conduct such testing.
Current Status: 9/20/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources
SB212 OIL/GAS WELL STIMULATION (SKINDELL M) To establish requirements governing well stimulation, brine disposal, and water that is used in the drilling and operation of oil and gas wells on state land, including a requirement that oil and gas permittees pay a five per cent overriding royalty for each well that is stimulated.
Current Status: 9/20/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources
SB213 MORATORIUM ON HORIZONTAL STIMULATION OF OIL/GAS WELLS (SKINDELL M) Establishes a moratorium on horizontal stimulation of oil and gas wells until the USEPA publishes a report containing the results of a study of the hydraulic fracturing to drinking water resources and the Chief of the Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management issues a report analyzing how Ohio’s rules address such issues raised in the USEPA report.
Current Status: 9/20/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources
SB216 ELECTRIC COMPANIES (JORDAN K) To repeal the requirement that electric distribution utilities and electric services companies provide 25% of their retail power supplies from advanced and renewable energy resources by 2025.
Current Status: 2/1/2012 – Senate Energy & Public Utilities, (First Hearing)
SB242 RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDITS (PATTON T) To specify that renewable energy resources do not have to be converted to electricity to receive renewable energy credits.
Current Status: 11/9/2011 – Referred to Committee Senate Energy & Public Utilities
SB245 USED VEHICLE DEALERS MANDATORY TRAINING (HUGHES J) To establish mandatory training for used motor vehicle dealers.
Current Status: 2/8/2012 – House Commerce & Labor, (First Hearing)
SB248 ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION UTILITIES (BALDERSON T) To establish standards for the securitization of costs for electric distribution utilities.
Current Status: 1/24/2012 – Referred to Committee House Public Utilities
SB281 AGRICULTURAL LINKED DEPOSITS (BEAGLE B) To modify the Agricultural Linked Deposit Program with respect to the maximum amount the Treasurer of State may invest in agricultural linked deposits, the interest rate at which loans are made under the Program, and the maximum loan amount.
Current Status: 1/25/2012 – Senate Financial Institutions, (First Hearing)
SB289 COGENERATION TECHNOLOGY (COLEY W, SCHIAVONI J) To include cogeneration technology using waste or byproduct gas from an air contaminant source as a renewable energy resource.
Current Status: 2/8/2012 – Senate Energy & Public Utilities, (First Hearing)
SCR4 URANIUM ENRICHMENT (DANIELS D) To urge the President of the United States to direct the United States Department of Energy to ensure the continuation of the uranium enrichment work being developed by USEC, Inc. at its Piketon, Ohio plant by granting USEC’s application for a federal loan guarantee and to direct the Secretary of Energy to strongly consider providing federal funding assistance for the Clean Energy Park Demonstration Project.
Current Status: 6/15/2011 – ADOPTED BY HOUSE; Vote 87-6