COLUMBUS, Ohio — A bill introduced in the Ohio General Assembly would require every public and private school in the state to test for radon gas — a colorless, odorless carcinogen that already exceeds safe levels in roughly half of all Ohio homes tested each year.
House Bill 820, introduced by Representative Deeter, would mandate radon testing across all city, local, exempted village, joint vocational, community, STEM, and college-preparatory boarding schools in Ohio. It would also create a tax credit of up to $2,000 for homeowners who install radon mitigation systems — a financial incentive designed to address a problem that state health officials say is widespread and largely invisible.
Ohio is classified as a Zone 1 state by the EPA — the highest possible risk designation for radon exposure. More than half the state sits in that category. In Licking County, the numbers are even more alarming: 75% of homes tested there exceed the EPA’s own safety standard.
Despite that, most Ohioans have never tested their homes. And until now, schools haven’t been required to test either.
What the Bill Would Do
Under HB 820, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce would divide all school districts into four equal groups and develop a testing schedule requiring every school to complete initial radon testing within four years of the bill’s effective date. All subsequent testing would follow the American National Standards Institute’s established protocol for radon measurement in schools and commercial buildings.
Testing would be required in every freestanding building owned or controlled by a school that is routinely used for educational, athletic, or extracurricular activities — meaning gymnasiums, fieldhouses, and athletic facilities would be included alongside classrooms.
The bill appropriates $14 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Ohio Department of Health’s Environmental Health and Radiation Protection program to fund the school testing initiative in fiscal year 2027.
On the residential side, the bill creates a refundable tax credit — available against both personal income tax and the commercial activity tax — equal to the lesser of $2,000 or the actual cost to purchase and install a radon mitigation system. The credit applies beginning with tax years starting January 1, 2027, and can only be claimed once per street address.
Why It Matters
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, responsible for approximately 21,000 deaths annually, according to the EPA. It forms from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil and rock and enters buildings silently — through cracks in foundations, gaps around pipes, and other openings — with no smell, no taste, and no visible sign.
The Ohio Department of Health recommends testing every home in the state. The data suggests why: every year, roughly 50% of all Ohio homes tested come back with elevated radon levels. Children in school buildings spend six to eight hours a day in those structures — and in lower levels of buildings where radon concentrations tend to be highest.
No statewide requirement to test school buildings has previously existed in Ohio.
Where the Bill Stands
HB 820 has been introduced and referred to committee. If passed, the school testing requirement would take effect upon enactment, with the four-year testing window beginning at that point. The tax credit provisions would take effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2027.