Our July 2026 Legislative Committee Updates covers important bills currently in the Ohio General Assembly. We welcome your comments and your help as we work together to build strong, empowered communities in Ohio.
Legislative Spotlight: State Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson
Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson (District 11) has demonstrated strong commitments to protecting our air, water, and soil in both urban and rural areas of Ohio. She has introduced or cosponsored three key bills that address environmental justice and food security.
Sen. Hicks-Hudson has worked with Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association on Senate Bill 233, a bill that will establish the Ohio Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force. Hicks-Hudson points out that 14 percent of Ohioans are food insecure and that many Ohioans live in areas where food security is not even an option. SB 233 will identify ways to strengthen local, organic food systems and to make fresh and affordable Ohio-grown foods more accessible. Sen. Hicks-Hudson recognizes that local farmers are on the front line of the climate crisis and that they “can play a leading role in building a more sustainable future.”
Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson participated in the Great Ohio Climate March Lobby Day in Columbus. She points out that “Climate change is not a distant problem. It is already impacting communities across Ohio. We see its effects through harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, increased flooding that damages homes and farmland, worsening air quality, and rising temperatures that threaten public health. These challenges require urgent action and meaningful investments in clean energy that can create jobs, strengthen our electric grid, and protect our environment for future generations.”
Sen. Hicks-Hudson is a primary sponsor of SB 329 that will prohibit the surface application of brine waste from oil and gas wells on our roads. Brine waste from oil and gas wells often contain unsafe levels of heavy metals and radioactive materials. SB 329 will prohibit its use as a deicer. Passage of SB 329 will protect our waterways, our soil, our natural areas, and our communities.
Senate Bill 120, Sen. Hicks-Hudson’s Youth Urban Farmer Initiative legislation, has passed out of the Senate and has been introduced to the Ohio House Agriculture committee. Hicks-Hudson writes that “urban agriculture is playing an increasingly important role in communities across Ohio.” She recognizes that sustainable food systems “provide fresh, healthy food while creating economic opportunity and environmental benefits. Urban farming helps transform vacant lots into productive green spaces, strengthens local food security, improves neighborhood health outcomes, and creates pathways for workforce development and entrepreneurship.” By investing in the next generation of urban farmers, we help cultivate future community leaders while strengthening local food systems.
Thank you, Sen. Hicks-Hudson for your commitment to environmental justice, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, and a healthier future for all Ohioans.
Call to Action!
Energy bills are going up, air quality is not improving, climate change is worsening, and Ohio’s outdated reliance on legacy fuels such as coal and natural gas threatens to exacerbate these and a host of related problems. In fact, many Ohioans who want to choose clean and affordable renewable energy are actively stymied by a statewide energy policy that chokes access to solar and wind resources.
Ohio now has the opportunity to join at least 20 other states in solving these problems through the House Bill 303, the Community Energy Program. HB 303 would allow Ohioans who can’t afford residential solar, who don’t own their homes, or who don’t have a property that is suitable for solar installation (for example, the property is shaded or doesn’t have adequate space for solar panels), to share solar resources with their neighbors and benefit from affordable, abundant, and clean energy.
HB 303 passed the Ohio house in November 2025 by a wide-margin. It had full support in the House Energy Committee and passed on the House Floor with a 77-8 vote. This bill has broad bipartisan support and addresses real needs for our state. SB 303 offers something for everyone – ratepayers, businesses, homeowners, renters, and municipalities – all benefit from a stronger local economy.
HB 303 has been sent to the Senate and now the Senate Energy Committee must take action to make Community Energy available to all.
You can do two things to help:
- Contact your state senator and the Senate Energy Committee and ask them to move forward with the next hearing. Talking points and contact information is linked here.
- Reach out to your City Council or local municipal government and ask them to pass a resolution in support of HB 303. A sample statement is linked here. A sample municipal resolution is linked here.
When Ohioans can enjoy clean, affordable Community Energy, everyone benefits — children struggling with acute asthma, farmers who are beset with the complications of climate change, electric utilities who are swamped with surging demands from data centers, families balancing their checkbooks, and consumers who benefit from an opportunity to make choices that that are in their best interests.
Join us in demanding that Ohio tear down the roadblocks to Community Energy, pass HB 303, and give Ohioans the energy freedom that we deserve.
Bill Tracker
The Ohio Sierra Club Legislative Committee is tracking these bills. Please consider reaching out to your state senator or representative about these proposed pieces of legislation.
The Ohio Chapter supports House Bill 303: Establishment of community energy program and pilot program
House Bill 303 would authorize and create a pilot program for community energy generation in Ohio. Community energy generation would allow Ohio residents to offsite solar energy projects without the need for individual rooftop capacity or financing. Community energy has the potential to greatly expand access to clean, renewable energy for Ohioans. Proponents are urging Senate leadership to schedule hearings and send HB 303 to the Governor before the end of this legislative session.
House Bill 303 was introduced in September 2025. Primary sponsors of HB303 are Rep. Sharon A Ray and Rep. James M. Hoops. HB303 was passed by the House with bipartisan support of 77-8. It is now in the Senate Energy Committee waiting for a hearing to be scheduled.
The Ohio Chapter supports House Bill 755: Portable solar generation devices
House Bill 755 would authorize the use of certified portable (balcony) solar devices in Ohio. Both HB 303 and HB 755 would expand access to solar resources for individuals across Ohio. Portable solar is already popular in other parts of the world. Portable, “balcony” or “plug-in” solar devices are designed for renters or homeowners to mount outside the home and connect directly to standard 120-volt wall outlets using inverters. Generally, users can see a 10-30 percent reduction in energy costs. By allowing the use of these portable devices, Ohio would allow for greater adoption of solar power.
A bipartisan companion bill in the Senate (SB 383) has been cosponsored by Sen. Louis Blessing and Sen. Casey Weinstein. Each of the bills should have at least one hearing before the end of the legislative session.
HB755 was introduced on March 18 2026. Primary sponsors are Rep. Tristan Rader and Rep. Chris Glassburn. It is assigned to the House Energy Committee. No hearings have been scheduled.
The Ohio Chapter supports House Bill 399 and Senate Bill 132: HB399 Prohibit oil and gas removal from under Lake Erie or a state park; SB132 Preserve Act
The Ohio General Assembly and the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission are leasing our state parks for toxic fracking operations. Between May 2023 and May 2026, approximately 12,000 acres of public lands in state parks and wildlife areas were leased for fracking. On June 29, 2026, Texas and Oklahoma companies were given the right to frack an additional 15,000 acres of Ohio’s publicly owned land. This extractive industry threatens the air, water, and soil in and around our parks and wildlife areas, and puts our communities at risk. The Sierra Club is opposed to oil and gas extraction generally, and especially in sensitive environments and areas that are accessible for recreation and that provide water to 11 million people.
Both bills have been introduced and sent to committee. The primary sponsors for HB399 are Rep. Tristan Rader and Rep. Christine Cockley. The primary sponsor for SB132 is Sen. Nickie Antonio. Neither bill has been scheduled for a hearing that would allow public input.
The Ohio Chapter supports Senate Bill 329: Prohibit the surface application of brine from oil and gas wells
Senate Bill 329 and its companion bill House Bill 439 would prohibit the surface application of brine from oil and gas wells. In Ohio brine from oil and gas wells may still be legally used for de-icing roads and dust control. Brine from oil and gas wells contains a number of pollutants, including radioactive material, and its use is environmentally harmful.
SB 329 was introduced in February 2026. SB 329’s primary sponsors are Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson and Sen. Kent Smith. HB 439’s primary sponsors are Representative Tristan Rader and Representative Sean P. Brennan. SB 329 has had one public hearing with 70 proponent testimonies.
The Ohio Chapter supports House Bill 815: Require rules on drinking water contaminants, water quality
HB 815 would require the Director of Environmental Protection to protect public health by adopting rules establishing maximum allowable contaminant levels in drinking water and water quality standards for certain contaminants. These water quality regulations would focus on harmful drinking water contaminants like PFAS (forever chemicals), and chromium-6 (a known carcinogen), and 1,4-dioxane (exposure causes live and kidney damage). HB 815 would require the Ohio EPA to set maximum allowable contaminant levels that protect vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women. HB 815 would also require the state to review and update these safety rules every year based on new science.
HB 815 was introduced in April 2026 by Rep. Alison Russo and Rep. Tristan Rader. It was referred to the House Natural Resources Committee and has not yet been given a sponsor hearing.
The Ohio Chapter supports Senate Bill 233: Create the Ohio Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force
HB 815 will create a Local and Organic Food and Farm Taskforce that will offer recommendations to the General Assembly to expand and support local food systems throughout Ohio. This bill addresses food insecurity and food access in urban and rural areas while supporting local growers and community leaders. Sen. Hicks-Hudson has worked with the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association about SB 233 to ensure it serves Ohio communities well and that it supports organic standards.
SB 233 was introduced in July 2025 and assigned to the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in October 2025.
The Ohio Chapter opposes Senate Bill 294: Declare the State’s energy siting policy
Senate Bill 294 favors natural gas projects and erroneously defines natural gas as a “clean energy source.” It does not consider battery storage, a key component of renewable energy generation, when determining the reliability of a power source. The bill’s preference for energy projects with a “minimum capacity factor of fifty percent” would eliminate wind (34 percent) and solar (23 percent). SB 294 would put renewable energy generation further behind in Ohio, and it would continue to prop up natural gas.
SB 294 was introduced in October 2025. Its primary sponsors are Sen. George Lang and Sen. Mark Romanchuk. SB 294 has passed the Senate 24 to 9 with only Republican support. It was introduced in the House on June 16.
Join Our Legislative Team!
You are invited to the next monthly meeting of our Ohio Chapter Legislative Committee!
Wednesday, August 5, 6:00 – 7:00pm
Google Meet joining info: Video call link
