On January 4, 2019, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed a bill into law to reform Ohio’s occupational licensing laws with the intent to remove barriers to enter the job market. The law includes a Senate amendment that protects voluntary programs like APA’s payroll certification programs [S.B. 255, L. 2019].
APA’s letter to Ohio requesting the amendment explained that APA’s certification programs, including APA’s Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) and Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC), are not harmful to the job market, but act to increase economic opportunities.
S.B. 255 establishes a statewide policy on occupational regulation and requires the state Legislative Service Commission to issue reports of occupational licensing bills and state regulation of occupations. It also allows individuals to request licensing authority to determine whether they are disqualified from receiving or holding professional licenses based on criminal conviction history.
The Professional Certification Coalition (PCC), in which APA is a member, was pleased to work with S.B. 255’s sponsor Sen. Rob McColley to change key provisions in the bill that were of greatest concern to the PCC. Most notably, Sen. McColley agreed to amend a provision that would have called on the state government to “offer” a governmental certification program in certain circumstances. Because that language would have set up the state as a competitor to voluntary certification programs, the PCC negotiated new language to promote voluntary programs.
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