The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio HB 428 removes mandatory residency rules for city public service and safety directors
Last action · March 4, 2026: Referred to Local GovernmentSponsors: David Thomas and 22 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio HB 428 permits city mayors to appoint public service and safety directors who do not reside within the city at the time of their appointment, provided they move into the city within six months or receive a waiver by ordinance. The measure amends sections 9.481, 735.01, and 737.01 of the Revised Code.
Expands the pool of eligible candidates for municipal department head positions by lifting initial local residency mandates across Ohio cities.
- Ohio municipal law historically maintained various local residency restrictions for city department heads, which local legislatures and state lawmakers have periodically sought to modify to broaden talent pools. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
City Directors Of Public Service
City Directors Of Public Safety
Newly appointed public safety directors are permitted to reside outside the city upon appointment, subject to a six-month relocation window or municipal waiver.
Municipalities
Cities gain the flexibility to hire directors from outside municipal boundaries and may enact local ordinances regarding residency waivers.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must a newly appointed city safety director live in the city when first hired?
How long does a newly appointed service or safety director have to move into the city?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
6 actions- Mar 4, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred to Local Government
- Feb 26, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced
- Feb 25, 2026HouseFloorPassed
- Feb 18, 2026HouseCommitteeReported - Amended (Local Government)
- Sep 15, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Local Government
- Aug 28, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced
Version history & redline
3 versions on fileVoting Record
Passed
Total
91
- Yes
- 80
- No
- 11
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (90)
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66 more members
Show 1 earlier roll call
Favorable Passage
Total
10
- Yes
- 10
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (10)
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 18 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Removal of Initial Municipal Residency Mandates
The bill transitions municipal hiring policy from mandatory pre-appointment residency to a post-appointment relocation window for top safety and service administrators.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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