On Tuesday, October 31, an Ohio committee is taking testimony from supporters of a bill that will provide tax credits to pet-friendly landlords.
Dog owners in Ohio are encouraged to contact the members of the House Ways and Means Committee in support of House Bill 277, which seeks to address shelter population concerns by helping pet owners in rental properties keep both their home and their well-behaved pets. Scroll down for hearing and committee contact information.
Summary:
According to the sponsors, House Bill 277 was introduced to address shelter population concerns in the state. Shelter directors informed them that housing concerns are a top reason for animals being relinquished to Ohio shelters. This bill would provide tax credits of up to $750 per rental unit to landlords so long as they do not charge a non-refundable fee or additional rent to pet owners, and their policies are not breed-specific.
The bill would not mandate these provisions, but simply provide tax credits to landlords who offer these benefits to their tenants. Landlords would also be permitted to have additional policies for pets kept on their properties.
The AKC supports this bill, which provides a proactive solution to addressing shelter population concerns that keeps pets in homes with their responsible owners and also recognizes that dogs should not summarily be banned from rental properties based solely on breed.
What You Can Do:
Those who wish to express their support for this bill can do the following:
1) Consider testifying at the committee hearing on Tuesday, October 31:
House Ways and Means Committee Hearing
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
2:30 p.m.
Ohio Statehouse, Room 12. Those wishing to testify should complete this form and send it to the chair’s office (see email address below).
2) Contact the members of the House Ways and Means Committee and express your support for House Bill 277:
Rep. Bill Roemer, Chair (Richfield)
(614) 644-5085
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/bill-roemer/contact
Rep. Brian Lorenz, Vice Chair (Powell)
(614) 644-6711
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/brian-lorenz/contact
Rep. Daniel Troy, Ranking Member (Willowick)
(614) 466-7251
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/daniel-p-troy/contact
Rep. Sean Brennan (Parma)
(614) 466-3485
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/sean-p-brennan/contact
Rep. Richard Dell’Aquila (Lebanon)
(614) 466-3100
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/richard-dellaquila/contact
Rep. Steve Demetriou (Bainbridge Twp.)
(614) 644-5088
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/steve-demetriou/contact
Rep. Thomas Hall (Madison Twp.)
(614) 644-5094
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/thomas-hall/contact
Rep. Dani Isaacsohn (Cincinnati)
(614) 466-5786
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/dani-isaacsohn/contact
Rep. Angela King (Celina)
(614) 466-9624
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/angela-n-king/contact
Rep. Beth Lear (Galena)
(614) 466-1431
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/beth-lear/contact
Rep. Adam Mathews (Lebanon)
(614) 644-6027
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/adam-mathews/contact
Rep. Riordan McClain (Upper Sandusky)
(614) 644-6265
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/riordan-t-mcclain/contact
Rep. Elgin Rogers, Jr. (Toledo)
(614) 466-1401
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/elgin-rogers-jr/contact
Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus (Paris Twp.)
(614) 466-9078
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/reggie-stoltzfus/contact
Rep. Terrence Upchurch (Cleveland)
(614) 466-7954
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/terrence-upchurch/contact
Rep. Scott Wiggam (Wayne County)
(614) 466-1474
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/scott-wiggam/contact
Rep. Tom Young (Washington Twp.)
(614) 466-6504
https://ohiohouse.gov/members/tom-young/contact