COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio House of Representatives has passed legislation that would require local governments across the state to submit spending and revenue information to the Ohio Checkbook, a publicly accessible online database that tracks government finances.
House Bill 413, sponsored by state Representatives Tom Young and Bob Peterson, would expand mandatory participation in the Ohio Checkbook program to include counties, cities, villages, townships, public libraries, park districts, school districts, regional water and sewer districts, regional transit authorities, and state retirement systems. Those entities would also be required to post a prominent link to the platform on their websites.
The Ohio Checkbook is an existing state database that allows residents to view how public funds are collected and spent. Under current law, participation by local governments is not universally required. The bill would mandate both expenditure and revenue reporting.
The legislation now moves to the Ohio Senate for consideration.