Grassroots Advocacy

The 136th General Assembly (GA) officially convented on January 1, 2025, marking the start of a new two-year legislative cycle. The GA operates on a biennial schedule, running through December 31, 2026. Meet the state legislators of the GA: House Directory and Senate Directory. For health policy advocates, ongoing education of new legislators about our role and scope of practice is the key to the successful passage of a bill. While there were over 1,100 bills introduced in the 135th Ohio GA, only a small number were enacted into law.

A bill expires at the end of a two-year GA unless it is passed by both chambers — the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate — and signed by the Governor to become law. Bills that do not advance before the end of a GA may be reintroduced in the next legislative session. For more information, see How a Bill Becomes a Law in Ohio.

Historical Successes

Legislative & Other Policy Updates

136th Ohio General Assembly (2025-2026)

The following are state legislative bills that we are monitoring:

House Bill 508 – Enact the the Better Access to Health Care Act (retires the standard care arrangement for Ohio’s APRNs, improving healthcare access for Ohioans)
House Bill 12 – Enact the Jeff, Dave, and Angie Patient Right to Try Act (reintroduced version of House Bill 73 from the previous General Assembly which would allow for the explicit prescribing of off-label drugs based on a patient’s informed consent)
House Bill 33 – Insurance Coverage for Prostate Cancer Screening
House Bill 52 – CRNA Modernization
House Bill 77 – Department of Health (DOH) Develop Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) Information for Parents
House Bill 141 – Regards Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Centers
House Bill 224 – Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) Scope of Practice
House Bill 254 – Increase Education and Awareness of Alzheimer’s
House Bill 257 – Ohio Medical Debt Fairness Act
Senate Bill 140 – Freestanding Birth Centers
Senate Bill 165 – Prohibit Denial of Insurance Claim for Certain Factors

119th U.S. Congress (2025-2026)

Improving Care and Access to Nurses (I CAN) Act (H.R. 1317 and S. 575)

Ohio Board of Nursing Updates

Joint Regulatory Statement of the State Medical Board of Ohio, Ohio Board of Pharmacy, and Ohio Board of Nursing Regarding Retail IV Therapy Clinics (date issued: May 15, 2025).

135th Ohio General Assembly (2023-2024)

Substitute House Bill 5 | Modernize the Adoption Process: Law effective on March 20, 2025.
Amended Substitute Senate Bill 196 | APRN Global Signature Authority: Law effective on March 20, 2025.
Substitute Senate Bill 81 | Authorize Certain Nurses to Sign Hospital Patient Documents: Law effective on September 20, 2024.
- Authorizes physician assistants, certified nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists,
  and certified nurse midwives to sign documents related to the admission, treatment,
  and discharge of psychiatric inpatients, if certain conditions are met.
- Authorizes an insurance navigator to receive compensation from a health insurer
  offering insurance through an exchange operating in Ohio so long as the compensation
  is not in connection with enrollment in a qualified health benefit plan.
- Replaces the Ohio Board of Nursing’s Substance Use Disorder Monitoring Program with the Safe Haven Program. This program is conducted by the Ohio Professionals Health Program (OhioPHP), under contract with the Board, and monitors applicant and practitioner impairment resulting from substance use or mental or physical disability.
- What is a Safe Haven Program and Who is Eligible? A confidential path for all licensees, certificate holders, or applicants of the Ohio Board of Nursing to seek help for burnout, mental health or substance use disorders, and a therapeutic alternative to regulatory action for chronic illnesses.