Representiave Kevin Miller Announces House Bill 44 was Voted out of House Public Safety Committee

State Representative Kevin Miller (R-Newark) today announced that House Bill 44 – bi-partisan legislation that works to grant local police departments the power to fill vacant positions in civil service without unnecessary exams – passed unanimously out of the House Public Safety Committee. 

“Our ultimate goal is to quickly get well-trained officers into the workforce,” said Representative Kevin Miller. "By eliminating unnecessary civil service processes for police officers who are laterally transferring between agencies, we expedite the hiring process. Thank you to the Ohio House Public Safety committee for realizing the benefit this legislation brings to our law enforcement community."

House Bill 44, championed by State Representatives Kevin Miller and Joe Miller, would grant police departments the power to fill vacant positions without an exam if the department presents evidence that the competitive component of exams is deemed unnecessary, and that the applicant has exceptional qualifications needed to fill the role. This bill provides the same opportunity for statutory cities as charter cities in hiring law enforcement. 

Additionally, the bill would grant police chiefs the ability to facilitate training programs for new cadets. Upon completion of these training programs, the graduate may be hired directly to a relevant department, if the graduate possesses the requirements for the original appointment.

The bill now heads to the House floor for further consideration.