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As Passed by the House
136th
General Assembly
Regular
Session
Am. H. B. No. 428
2025-2026
Representatives Thomas, D., Williams
Cosponsors: Representatives Click,
King, Glassburn, Brennan, Bird, Dovilla, Ghanbari, Gross, Hall, D.,
John, Klopfenstein, Lear, Mathews, A., Miller, K., Mullins,
Piccolantonio, Ritter, Robb Blasdel, Schmidt, Sigrist, Young
To
amend sections
9.481,
735.01
,
and
737.01 of the Revised Code
regarding
residency requirements for the city director of public service and
the city director of public safety.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section
1.
That
sections
9.481,
735.01
,
and
737.01 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:
Sec.
9.481.
(A)
As used in this section:
(1)
"Political subdivision" has the same meaning as in section
2743.01 of the Revised Code.
(2)
"Volunteer" means a person who is not paid for service or
who is employed on less than a permanent full-time basis.
(B)(1)
Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, no
political subdivision shall require any of its employees, as a
condition of employment, to reside in any specific area of the state.
(2)(a)
Division (B)(1) of this section does not apply to a volunteer.
(b)
To ensure adequate response times by certain employees of political
subdivisions to emergencies or disasters while ensuring that those
employees generally are free to reside throughout the state, the
electors of any political subdivision may file an initiative petition
to submit a local law to the electorate, or the legislative authority
of the political subdivision may adopt an ordinance or resolution,
that requires any individual employed by that political subdivision,
as a condition of employment, to reside either in the county where
the political subdivision is located or in any adjacent county in
this state. For the purposes of this section, an initiative petition
shall be filed and considered as provided in sections 731.28 and
731.31 of the Revised Code, except that the fiscal officer of the
political subdivision shall take the actions prescribed for the
auditor or clerk if the political subdivision has no auditor or
clerk, and except that references to a municipal corporation shall be
considered to be references to the applicable political subdivision.
(c)
The legislative authority of a city may adopt an ordinance to require
the director of public service under section 735.01 of the Revised
Code or the director of public safety under section 737.01 of the
Revised Code to reside within the city not later than six months
after the director's appointment.
(C)
Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section,
employees of political subdivisions of this state have the right to
reside any place they desire.
Sec.
735.01.
In
each city there shall be a department of public service which shall
be administered by a director of public service
.
The director shall be
appointed by the mayor
and
need not be a resident of the city at the time of his appointment but
shall become a resident thereof within six months after his
appointment unless such residence requirement is waived by ordinance
.
He
The
director
shall make rules and regulations for the administration of the
affairs under
his
the
director's
supervision.
Sec.
737.01.
In
each city there shall be a department of public safety, which shall
be administered by a director of public safety
.
The director shall be
appointed by the mayor
and
need not be a resident of the city at the time of his appointment but
shall become a resident thereof within six months after his
appointment unless such residence requirement is waived by ordinance
.
Section
2.
That
existing sections
9.481,
735.01
,
and
737.01 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.