Cutrona, Ohio House Establish Legislative Oversight and Transparency

State Rep. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) announces that he and the Ohio House passed Sub. Senate Bill 22, which establishes legislative oversight and transparency over orders issued during a state of emergency. Cutrona is a cosponsor of the bill.

“This has always been about checks and balances. We need to give our constituents a fair shot to have their voices heard on these very concerning issues amid this pandemic,” said Cutrona. “Now is the time to move forward with these new rules, as other states have, to ensure we have legislative oversight and transparency on these health orders for the people we serve.”

Provisions in the bill give the Legislature the ability to oversee orders issued by any department under the administration in response to public health emergencies. Orders may be extended or rescinded by the General Assembly through a concurrent resolution.

The bill also ensures that local communities may determine the course of local health orders. As a result, the bill provides parameters for local boards of health in which they must operate when issuing county and district wide orders.

Senate Bill 22 was met with concurrence in the Senate and it now heads to the governor’s desk for further action.