Senate Passes Gavarone Bill to Streamline State Government

COLUMBUS—The Ohio Senate today unanimously passed Senator Theresa Gavarone's (R-Bowling Green) bill to cut red tape, streamline laws, and make our government work more efficiently for all Ohioans. Senate Bill 74 is the product of a two-year joint effort between Gavarone and State Treasurer Robert Sprague to modernize and clean up the Ohio Revised Code, and to identify and eliminate government inefficiencies.

"This bill is the type of good government legislation that doesn't always grab the headlines, but is nevertheless vitally important to the way government operates for Ohio's citizens," said Gavarone. "Ensuring that the Ohio Revised Code is modern, efficient, and relevant is especially important to the State Treasurer's office, given its unique role in state government."

Many of these technical updates are decades overdue, including the elimination of unnecessary paper work requirements that do not reflect modern electronic financial transactions and processes. Gavarone's bill does not create any new programs, expand any authorities, or make any policy changes. It cuts hundreds of pages from the Ohio Revised Code and repeals dozens of outdated statutes, condensing and replacing them with about 10. The bill also repeals more than 60 code sections and amends more than 100.

Senate Bill 74 contains common-sense, good government reforms that will move the Ohio Treasurer’s office and its operations further into the 21st century. These modernization measures were thoroughly vetted by all the state agencies and local entities affected with no indication of opposition.