Grassroots groups want lawmakers to pass a measure they say will give the state legislature more oversight over Ohio’s state agencies and increase transparency and accountability for taxpayers.
House Bill 11 “is designed to accomplish three main objectives – Restore legislative control, increase transparency, and empower the people of Ohio,” state Rep. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, said in prepared testimony. “...As we all know, our country and our state were built on the idea that we have three co-equal branches of government, but in 2025, there is a quasi-fourth branch of government -- an unelected bureaucracy, which is not elected by the people.
“It is our job as elected representatives to express the voice of the people we represent, and under the current system of regulatory oversight, only 10 of the 132 elected legislators get the opportunity to review proposed rules,” Ferguson added. “...To recap all of that succinctly, it is easier for unelected regulators to pass a rule, which has the same force as a law, then it is for any of us elected representatives to pass a law.”
The bill is a state-level version of the Regulations from the Executive In Need Of Scrutiny (REINS) Act.
“As the federal government attempts to reel in a bloated bureaucracy, Ohio needs to follow suit,” state Rep. Brian Lorenz, R-Powell, said in prepared sponsor testimony. “Every budget cycle, state agencies approach the table requesting more funding. Yet, the growth in our agency’s budgets, seems to rarely lead to a proportional increase in agency performance.
“House Bill 11 would provide more oversight regarding agency administrative rules that meet specific conditions,” Lorenz added. “To approve an administrative rule which would either increase the agency’s expenditures during the current biennium by more than [$100,000] or would cost a directly affected person more than [$100,000] to comply, a member of the House or Senate would have to introduce legislation authorizing the agency to adopt the proposed rule, and that rule would need to be passed by the state legislature.”
Americans for Prosperity-Ohio, The Foundation for Government Accountability, the Pacific Legal Foundation and Ohioans for Tax Reform are among the groups advocating for lawmakers to advance the measure.
“Ohioans deserve transparency and accountability at every level,” FGA State Government Affairs Director Emma Garelick said in a statement. “Instead, they’re often stuck dealing with the consequences of costly, complex rules handed down by unelected bureaucrats, without any real say in the process.
“The REINS Act is a bold and crucial step to restoring the balance of power in Columbus and is essential to keeping Ohio families safe from the costly government rules making life more expensive,” Garelick added.
The organizations talked up a trio of key provisions in the letter that they said would benefit Ohioans. They said it would restore accountability and transparency, protect taxpayers and foster a pro-growth regulatory environment. They argue it will promote accountable policymaking, protect small businesses from excessive burdens and support innovation and investment across Ohio.
“Burdensome government regulations hinder growth, stifle economic development, and make life harder for everyday Ohioans,” AFP-OH State Director Donovan O’Neil said in a release. “The REINS Act is a necessary step to ensure regulatory policies work in the best interest of the people, not bureaucratic interests.
“…We are encouraged by the progress of H.B. 11, and we see its impending passage as a major step towards breaking down barriers to growth within our rulemaking process,” O’Neil added.
Groups such as Americans for Prosperity have been pushing state-level REINS Acts in jurisdictions nationwide.
“All the parts of this bill were created to ensure state agency accountability, by granting elected officials the chance to thoroughly review bureaucratic spending,” Lorenz said. “Civil and public servants usually do great work, that is not in question, however, they are not elected by the people, we are.”
