Senate Passes Reynolds, McColley Bill Increasing Access to Justice

COLUMBUS— The Ohio Senate today passed Senate Bill 21, sponsored by Senators Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) and Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), authorizing local licensure appeals to improve judicial access for all Ohioans.

Senate Bill 21 modifies the process for Ohioans appealing an order from a state agency regarding the denial, revocation or suspension of a license to improve judicial efficiency and provide Ohioans with better access to justice while saving them time and money.

"The goal of this legislation is to save Ohioans’ time and money by allowing them to contest state agency orders in their county of residence rather than Franklin County," said Reynolds. "This bill is truly about helping Ohioans have better access to justice." 

Specifically, the legislation permits the appeal to be filed with the Court of Common Pleas in the county in which the individual resides or the business is located, in addition to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. 

"While it is true that current law is a convenience for state agencies who get to defend their decisions in Franklin County, it inconveniences citizens and businesses aggrieved by agency actions by requiring them to travel to Columbus. We need to consider business owners from across the state who have an extra time commitment and expense to travel to and from Franklin County," said McColley. 

Senate Bill 21 will now be sent to the Ohio House for further consideration. Learn more here.