Enact the Platinum Providers Act

As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
H. B. No. 107

2025-2026

Representative Williams

A
BILL

To
amend section 122.1710 and to enact sections 122.1712 and
122.1713

of the Revised Code
to
modify the Individual Microcredential Assistance Program(IMAP), to
create platinum provider programs for certain IMAP participants, and
to name this act the Platinum Providers Act.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
That
section 122.1710 be amended and sections 122.1712 and
122.1713

of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
122.1710.
(A)
As used in this section:

(1)
"Low-income individual" has the same meaning as "low-income
person" in section 122.66 of the Revised Code.

(2)
"Microcredential" has the same meaning as in section
122.178 of the Revised Code.

(3)
"OhioMeansJobs web site" has the same meaning as in section
6301.01 of the Revised Code.

(4)
"Partially unemployed" and "totally unemployed"
have the same meanings as in section 4141.01 of the Revised Code.

(5)
"Training provider" means all of the following:

(a)
A state institution of higher education as defined in section
3345.011 of the Revised Code;

(b)
An Ohio technical center as defined in section 3333.94 of the Revised
Code;

(c)
A private business or institution that offers training to allow an
individual to earn one or more microcredentials.

(6)
"Fiscal year" means the fiscal year of this state as
specified in section 9.34 of the Revised Code.

(B)
There is hereby created the individual microcredential assistance
program to reimburse training providers for training costs for
individuals to earn a microcredential. The department of development,
in consultation with the governor's office of workforce
transformation, shall administer the program.
The
director shall administer the program so that the total reimbursement
to each training provider approved to participate in the program
occurs at least once per fiscal year.

(C)
A training provider seeking to participate in the program shall
submit an application to the director of development

at the beginning or before the beginning of a fiscal year, but not
later than the date established by the director
.
The training provider shall include in the application all of the
following information:

(1)
The number of microcredentials the training provider will seek a
reimbursement for and the names of the microcredentials;

(2)
The cost of the training for each microcredential;

(3)
The total amount of the reimbursement the training provider will
seek;

(4)
The training provider's plan to provide opportunities for individuals
who are low income, partially unemployed, or totally unemployed to
participate in a training program and receive a microcredential;

(5)
Any other information the director requires.

(D)(1)
The director shall consider the following factors in determining
whether to approve an application submitted under division (C) of
this section:

(a)
The duration of the training program;

(b)
The cost of the training;

(c)
Whether approving an application will promote regional diversity in
apportioning reimbursements uniformly across the state;

(d)
The training provider's commitment to providing opportunities for
individuals who are low income, partially unemployed, or totally
unemployed to participate in a training program and receive a
microcredential.

(2)
In determining regional diversity under division (D)(1)(c) of this
section, the director shall use the regions established under
division (G) of section 122.178 of the Revised Code.

(3)
The director shall not approve an application submitted under this
section if either of the following apply:

(a)
The microcredentials identified in the application are not included
in the list the chancellor of higher education establishes under
section 122.178 of the Revised Code.

(b)
The training provider has violated Chapter 4111. of the Revised Code
within the four fiscal years immediately preceding the date of
application.

(4)
The director shall notify a training provider in writing of the
director's decision to approve or deny the training provider's
application to participate in the program.

(E)
A participating training provider shall not charge an individual
participating in a training program to earn a microcredential for
which the training provider is seeking a reimbursement for either of
the following:

(1)
Any costs associated with the individual's participation in the
training program;

(2)
Any costs to the training provider resulting from an individual not
completing the training program.

(F)(1)
Each participating training provider seeking reimbursement for
training costs for one or more microcredentials earned by one or more
individuals in a training program shall submit an application to the
director after the individual or individuals have earned a
microcredential. The training provider shall
submit
the reimbursement application during the fiscal year in which the
training provider applied under division (C) of this section, but not
later than the date established by the director. The training
provider shall
include
in the reimbursement application all of the following information:

(a)
The actual cost for the training provider to provide each individual
with the training;

(b)
Evidence that each individual earned a microcredential;

(c)
Any demographic information of each individual that the individual
provides to the training provider, including race and gender.

(2)
The amount of the reimbursement shall be not more than three thousand
dollars for each microcredential an individual receives. A
participating training provider may not receive a reimbursement for
any additional individual who earns a microcredential beyond the
number of microcredentials included in the application under division
(C) of this section. A participating training provider may receive a
total reimbursement of five hundred thousand dollars in a fiscal
year.
However,
each participating training provider that is a state institution of
higher education may receive a total reimbursement or advance payment
amount under section 122.1713 of the Revised Code of one million
dollars in a fiscal year.

(3)
A training provider may request that an individual participating in
the training provider's program provide demographic information to
the training provider, including race and gender. An individual is
not required to provide that information.

(G)
The director shall do
both

all

of
the following regarding the operation of the program:

(1)
Create an application to participate in the program and an
application for reimbursement;

(2)

Create
applications to participate in and seek advance payments under the
platinum provider programs established under sections 122.1712 and
122.1713 of the Revised Code;

(3)

Create
and distribute a survey to each individual who successfully earned a
microcredential because of a reimbursement to a training provider
under this section inquiring as to the individual's occupation and
wages at the time of completing the survey.

(H)
The director shall include on the internet web site maintained by the
department, and the governor's office of workforce transformation
shall include on the office's internet web site and the OhioMeansJobs
web site, all of the content created under division (G) of this
section.

(I)
The director may adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the
Revised Code as the director considers necessary to implement this
section

and sections 122.1712 and 122.1713 of the Revised Code
,
including establishing priority guidelines for approving applications
under division (D) of this section.

(J)
Any personal information of an individual the director receives in
connection with the individual microcredential assistance program
created under this section is not a public record for purposes of
section 149.43 of the Revised Code. However, the director may use the
information as necessary to complete the reports required under
section 122.1711 of the Revised Code.

Sec.
122.1712.
(A)
As used in this section:

(1)
"Fiscal year" means the fiscal year of this state as
specified in section 9.34 of the Revised Code.

(2)
"Individual microcredential assistance program" means the
individual microcredential assistance program created under section
122.1710 of the Revised Code.

(3)
"Microcredential" has the same meaning as in section
122.178 of the Revised Code.

(4)
"Training provider" means both of the following:

(a)
An Ohio technical center as defined in section 3333.94 of the Revised
Code;

(b)
A private business or institution that offers training to allow an
individual to earn one or more microcredentials.

(B)
The director of development, in consultation with the governor's
office of workforce transformation, shall establish a platinum
provider program. A training provider that is approved to participate
in the individual microcredential assistance program and that meets
the requirements specified under this section is eligible to
participate in the platinum provider program. A training provider
approved to participate in the platinum provider program may receive
one or more advance payments to cover the training costs for
individuals to earn a microcredential under the individual
microcredential assistance program.

(C)
A training provider seeking to participate in the platinum provider
program shall apply to the director on a form prescribed by the
director after the training provider is approved to participate in
the individual microcredential assistance program. The training
provider shall include in the application all of the following
information:

(1)
The advance payment amount the training provider is seeking, not to
exceed twenty per cent of the total reimbursement amount the training
provider seeks under division (C) of section 122.1710 of the Revised
Code;

(2)
Evidence that at least eighty per cent of individuals who
participated in training programs offered by the training provider in
the previous fiscal year earned a microcredential under the
individual microcredential assistance program;

(3)
The number of microcredentials for which the training provider is
seeking an advance payment and the names of the microcredentials;

(4)
The cost of the training for each microcredential for which the
training provider is seeking an advance payment;

(5)
Proof that the training provider has obtained a surety bond that
meets the requirements of division (J) of this section.

(D)
The director shall notify a training provider in writing of the
director's decision to approve or deny an application the training
provider submits under division (C) of this section. If the director
approves the application, the director shall do both of the
following:

(1)
Designate the training provider as a platinum provider;

(2)
Provide an initial advance payment to the platinum provider in the
amount specified in the application but not exceeding any of the
amounts described under division (F) of this section.

(E)
After each training program that a platinum provider administers
during a fiscal year that results in at least one individual earning
a microcredential, the provider may apply for a subsequent advance
payment of not more than the least of the amounts described under
division (F) of this section. The provider shall include in the
application the same information as described under division (C) of
this section. If a provider applies for a subsequent advance payment
under this division, one of the following applies depending on the
training program's completion rate:

(1)
If at least eighty per cent of the individuals who participated in
the training program earned a microcredential, the director shall
provide a subsequent advance payment to the provider in the amount
specified in the application.

(2)
If less than eighty per cent of the individuals who participated in
the training program earned a microcredential, to be eligible for a
subsequent advance payment, the provider shall refund to the director
a certain per cent of the advance payment amount that was last
provided to the provider during the fiscal year as determined under
division (E)(2)(a) of this section.

(a)
The per cent a provider must refund to be eligible for a subsequent
advance payment under division (E)(2) of this section is the
difference between eighty per cent and the per cent of individuals
who earned a microcredential.

(b)
For a provider to whom division (E)(2) of this section applies, if
the provider complies with that division, the director shall provide
a subsequent advance payment to the provider in the amount specified
in the provider's application. If the provider does not comply with
that division, the director shall not provide a subsequent advance
payment.

(F)
In no case shall the director provide an advance payment under this
section that exceeds the least of the following amounts:

(1)
Twenty per cent of the total amount of reimbursement the platinum
provider seeks under division (C) of section 122.1710 of the Revised
Code;

(2)
The amount of the provider's surety bond required by division (J) of
this section, less any previous advance payment the provider is
required to refund to the director under division (G) of this
section, if the provider has not yet completed the refund;

(3)
One hundred thousand dollars.

(G)(1)
If the director approves a reimbursement application that a platinum
provider submits under division (F) of section 122.1710 of the
Revised Code, the director shall reimburse the platinum provider for
the total actual cost for the platinum provider to provide training
to individuals who earned a microcredential in accordance with that
division less the total advance payment amount provided to the
platinum provider under this section. The director shall not
reimburse the platinum provider for any amounts the platinum provider
refunded to the director under division (E)(2) of this section. If
the platinum provider specifies in the reimbursement application that
the total actual cost for the platinum provider to provide the
training is less than the total advance payment amount provided to
the platinum provider under this section, the platinum provider shall
refund to the director the difference between the advance payment
amount and the actual training cost.

(2)
If a platinum provider fails to apply for reimbursement under
division (F) of section 122.1710 of the Revised Code, the director
shall require the platinum provider to refund the total advance
payment amount provided to the platinum provider under this section.

(H)
If, at the time a platinum provider seeks reimbursement under
division (F) of section 122.1710 of the Revised Code, the director
determines that less than eighty per cent of individuals who
participated in training programs provided by the platinum provider
in the fiscal year earned a microcredential or that the platinum
provider has failed to maintain the bond required under division (J)
of this section, both of the following apply:

(1)
The director shall revoke the provider's status as a platinum
provider;

(2)
The provider is ineligible to participate in the platinum provider
program for the following fiscal year.

(I)
A training provider whose platinum status is revoked under division
(H) of this section may reapply to participate in the platinum
provider program in the fiscal year that follows the fiscal year in
which the training provider is ineligible to participate in the
program under that division.

(J)
A training provider that is certified as a platinum provider or that
seeks to participate in the platinum provider program shall maintain
a surety bond issued by a bonding company or an insurance company
licensed to do business in this state. The bond shall be in favor of
the director in an amount not less than the sum of the total advance
payments received by the provider for the fiscal year plus any
advance payments for previous fiscal years that the provider is
required to refund under division (G) of this section, if the
provider has not yet completed the refund. The provider shall
maintain the bond for so long as it participates in the program and
shall not allow it to expire or terminate until all of the provider's
obligations under division (G) of this section are fulfilled.

Sec.
122.1713.
(A)
As used in this section:

(1)
"Fiscal year" means the fiscal year of this state as
specified in section 9.34 of the Revised Code.

(2)
"Individual microcredential assistance program" means the
individual microcredential assistance program created under section
122.1710 of the Revised Code.

(3)
"Microcredential" has the same meaning as in section
122.178 of the Revised Code.

(4)
"State institution of higher education" has the same
meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.

(B)
The director of development, in consultation with the governor's
office of workforce transformation, shall establish an institutional
platinum provider program for state institutions of higher education
approved to participate in the individual microcredential assistance
program.

(C)
Each state institution of higher education shall do both of the
following:

(1)
Provide at least two in-person training programs and at least one
online training program for individuals to earn a microcredential;

(2)
Not later than the thirty-first day of December immediately after the
effective date of this section, and not later than the thirty-first
day of December of each year thereafter, apply to participate in the
individual microcredential assistance program.

(D)
If the director approves a state institution of higher education's
application to participate in the individual microcredential
assistance program, all of the following apply:

(1)
The director shall designate the institution as an institutional
platinum provider.

(2)
The institution may participate in the institutional platinum
provider program established under this section.

(3)
The institution is eligible to apply for one or more advance payments
under this section to cover training costs for individuals to earn a
microcredential.

(E)
An institutional platinum provider may apply for an initial advance
payment of not more than twenty per cent of the total reimbursement
amount the institution seeks under division (C) of section 122.1710
of the Revised Code. If an institution submits an application under
this division, the director shall provide an advance payment to the
institution in the amount specified in the application.

(F)
After each training program that an institutional platinum provider
administers during a fiscal year that results in at least one
individual earning a microcredential, the institution may apply for a
subsequent advance payment of not more than twenty per cent of the
total reimbursement amount the institution seeks under division (C)
of section 122.1710 of the Revised Code. If an institution applies
for a subsequent advance payment under this division, one of the
following applies depending on the training program's completion
rate:

(1)
If at least fifty per cent of the individuals who participated in the
training program earned a microcredential, the director shall provide
a subsequent advance payment to the institution in the amount
specified in the application.

(2)
If less than fifty per cent of the individuals who participated in
the training program earned a microcredential, to be eligible for a
subsequent advance payment, the institution shall refund to the
director a certain per cent of the advance payment amount that was
last provided to the institution during the fiscal year as determined
under division (F)(2)(a) of this section.

(a)
The per cent an institution must refund to be eligible for a
subsequent advance payment under division (F)(2) of this section is
the difference between fifty per cent and the per cent of individuals
who earned a microcredential.

(b)
For an institution to whom division (F)(2) of this section applies,
if the institution complies with that division, the director shall
provide a subsequent advance payment to the institution in the amount
specified in the institution's application. If the institution does
not comply with that division, the director shall not provide a
subsequent advance payment.

(G)
In no case shall the total amount of the advance payments an
institutional platinum provider receives under this section during
any fiscal year exceed the total reimbursement amount the institution
seeks under division (C) of section 122.1710 of the Revised Code.

(H)
If the director approves a reimbursement application that an
institutional platinum provider submits under division (F) of section
122.1710 of the Revised Code, the director shall reimburse the
institution in accordance with that division for the total actual
cost for the institution to provide training to individuals who
earned a microcredential less the total advance payment amount
provided to the institution under this section. The director shall
not reimburse the institution for any amounts the institution
refunded to the director under division (F)(2) of this section. If
the institution specifies in the reimbursement application that the
total actual cost for the institution to provide the training is less
than the total advance payment amount provided to the institution
under this section, the institution shall refund to the director the
difference between the advance payment amount and the actual training
cost.

Section
2.
That
existing section 122.1710 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.

Section
3.
This
act shall be known as the Platinum Providers Act.