Rep. Sara Carruthers

Maddy summaryThis bill formally recognizes Elliot Forhan for his distinguished service as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. It designates him as an esteemed representative and directs the House Clerk to send an official copy of the resolution to him. The measure serves as a commemorative gesture honoring his legislative work and community leadership rather than enacting new laws or policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill formally recognizes Mike Loychik for his distinguished service as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. It honors his background as a U.S. Air Force veteran, business owner, and community leader who served constituents in Trumbull, Ashtabula, and Knox counties. The resolution commends his work on various committees and his leadership roles, including co-chairing the Sportsmen's Caucus for Ohio. Finally, it directs the House Clerk to send an official copy of this commendation to Loychik.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the legal penalties for repeat offenders convicted of voyeurism. It specifically targets individuals who secretly record others in private settings, such as through cameras or phones, to view their private areas or undergarments. Under the new provisions, a person caught spying on someone for the second or third time would face felony charges instead of the current misdemeanor penalties. The law also maintains stricter punishments for recording minors and filming through clothing, ensuring these actions remain serious offenses.

Maddy summaryHB 24 requires private health plans and Medicaid in Ohio to cover biomarker testing for diagnosis, treatment management, and ongoing monitoring of diseases, provided the test is deemed medically necessary by a qualified healthcare provider. The bill mandates that coverage decisions be based on established medical evidence, such as FDA labels, federal coverage determinations, or nationally recognized clinical guidelines, while explicitly excluding coverage for screening purposes. To ensure patient care is not disrupted, the legislation also requires that coverage be structured to minimize the need for multiple biopsies or sample collections. Additionally, the law establishes an accessible appeal process for coverage determinations and includes language intended to prevent significant price increases for these tests.

Maddy summaryHB 397 requires the Department of Health to partner with the Department of Aging and community groups to expand public education on cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia. These educational efforts aim to inform healthcare providers and the general public about early warning signs, risk reduction strategies, the importance of timely diagnosis, and available assessment tools. The bill specifically highlights the need to address disparities among diverse cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and emphasizes the role of annual physicals for those aged sixty-five and older in maintaining cognitive health. By integrating this awareness into existing public health outreach, the legislation seeks to improve early detection and promote healthier lifestyles for all communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program to allow the state to collect unpaid medical costs from the estates of individuals who received long-term care services. It expands the definition of an "estate" to include various types of property and assets held in trusts or joint ownership, ensuring these resources can be used to repay the state. The law also clarifies when recovery can occur, specifically protecting the homes of permanently institutionalized individuals if their spouses or certain children still live there, while requiring the state to notify applicants about these recovery rules. Additionally, the bill provides options for reducing or waiving recovery amounts for participants in specific insurance partnership programs or in cases of proven undue hardship.

Maddy summaryHB 79 allows electric distribution utilities to create and submit plans for energy efficiency and demand reduction programs to the Public Utilities Commission. To get approval, utilities must provide detailed information about their proposed programs, including costs, expected energy savings, and how they will be funded without double-charging customers. The bill also defines specific terms like "behavioral energy savings" and requires utilities to include plans for improving smart grid technology and managing peak demand. Once approved, these portfolios enable utilities to help residential and business customers save energy while ensuring the programs remain cost-effective and fair.

Maddy summaryHB 390 updates the rules for handling leftover money from property foreclosure sales in Ohio. When a sale generates more money than needed to pay debts, the court clerk must notify the property owner about the surplus balance. The bill establishes specific mailing procedures and timelines for delivering these notices, depending on whether the balance is large or small and whether the owner's address is known. If the owner does not claim the funds within a set period, the money is treated as unclaimed property and handled according to existing state laws.

Maddy summaryHB 328 amends state laws to specifically address the theft of catalytic converters by elevating such offenses from general theft to a distinct felony charge. The bill mandates that stealing a catalytic converter is automatically classified as a fifth-degree felony, with the severity increasing to a fourth-degree felony if the offender has a prior conviction for catalytic converter theft. Additionally, the legislation imposes specific fines ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for business entities involved in these thefts and directs that these fines be paid to local law enforcement agencies. By creating these targeted penalties, the bill aims to provide stricter legal consequences for individuals and companies stealing these vehicle parts.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits state agencies and local government units from using public money to buy U.S. or Ohio flags that were not manufactured in the United States. It directly affects government entities such as county offices, townships, and municipal corporations by restricting their purchasing choices for these specific flags. The law requires that any flag acquired with taxpayer funds must be produced domestically, ensuring that the purchase supports U.S. manufacturing.