Representative Bob Gibbs
Sponsored Legislation
127th Ohio General Assembly
House Bill 5: Eminent Domain Statutory Reform
Implements the recommendations of the Eminent Domain Task Force and creates other procedures to protect the rights of property owners.
Status: Approved by the House Judiciary Committee and the Full House on June 13, 2007. House Bill 5 was amended into Senate Bill 7. Amended Substituted Senate Bill 7 was approved by both the House and the Senate in June, 2007 and signed by Governor Strickland in July, 2007. Sub. SB 7 includes a property owner’s “bill of rights,” provides for attorney fees and other costs to be reimbursed to the property owner under certain circumstances, defines blight and provides for relocation expenses and sharing of appraisals.
House Bill 47: Conservancy District Reforms (MWCD Restructuring)
Revises the membership and the appointing authority of the board of directors of a conservancy district that includes all or parts of more than sixteen counties, to require the board of directors of such a district rather than the conservancy court to perform certain functions under the Conservancy Districts Law, to prohibit the levying of a first-time assessment by the board of directors of a conservancy district on land that is owned by a church within the district unless the governing authority of the church requests that the church's land be subject to the assessment, and to authorize the board of directors of such a conservancy district to revise the boundaries of the district to include lands that are within the watershed in which the district is located.
Status: Passed House 64-31 on Sept. 11, 2007. Assigned to the Natural Resources Committee in the Senate and is awaiting hearings.
Update: A taskforce was formed by Senator Niehaus to figure out a solution and is meeting weekly.
House Bill 48: Charitable Auction Reform
Exempts certain tax exempt organizations and schools that sell at auction items donated to them from license and contract requirements for such an auction, to require those organizations and schools to maintain records of the auction for two years, and to preclude claims against the Auction Recovery Fund for any loss associated with those types of auctions.
Status: Passed House 90-0 on Feb. 5, 2008. Passed by Senate, Signed by Governor on June 12, 2008
Questions & Answers Regarding HB 48
House Bill 49: Charitable Bingo Revision- Allow 501(c) Organizations Permits
Allows a charitable organization to obtain a short-term license to conduct bingo, instant bingo at a bingo session, or instant bingo other than at a bingo session.
Status: Currently pending in the House State Government Committee. No future hearings scheduled.
House Bill 165: Streamlined Sales Tax Revision
Authorizes retail vendors with annual delivery sales in Ohio of less than $500,000 to continue to use origin-based situsing rules for determining the appropriate sales tax jurisdiction in which a sale is taxable, to authorize all retail vendors currently using origin-based situsing to continue to do so if the Tax Commissioner determines that the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement does not allow origin-based situsing by vendors with delivery sales of less than $500,000, to authorize out-of-state sellers with annual delivery sales in Ohio of less than $500,000 to collect Ohio use taxes at a single uniform rate if the Commissioner makes that determination, and to provide for the distribution of use tax collected at a single uniform rate to counties and transit authorities.
Status: Approved by the House Ways & Means Committee on June 13, 2007. Language was adopted in the State Budget, House Bill 119, on June 27, 2007 and approved by Governor Strickland on June 30, 2007.
Passage of this legislation was the impetus for the Governing Board of the Multi-State Streamline Sales Tax Project (SSTP), to create a 25 member task force to make a recommendation to amend the multi-state agreement by October 1, 2007. Representative Gibbs was appointed to represent Ohio.
House Bill 323: Line Fence Legislation (In Cooperation with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation)
Implements recommendations made by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s Line Fence Talk Force Report from May, 2005 to revise and update Ohio’s antiquated Line Fence Law. The bill is still in the drafting phase and is expected to be introduced into the General Assembly sometime in Fall 2007.
Status: Passed both Chambers of General Assembly, signed by Governor on June 27, 2008, effective in 90 days
House Bill 319: Natural Gas Pipeline Transmission Legislation
Changes the current tax structure for new intrastate natural gas pipelines. The purpose is to treat all natural gas pipelines equally and to encourage economic development. Ohio currently taxes interstate and intrastate pipelines with a gross receipts tax of 6.75% and a property tax rate at 88%. Distribution pipelines are taxed at a lower rate, GRT 4.75% and property tax at 25%. Tax policy is stifling investment in new pipelines to bring natural gas from other regions. Currently, most of Ohio’s natural gas comes from the Gulf Coast which historically is higher priced than western and Canadian gas and subject to supply disruptions from hurricanes. This is not only a tax policy issue but also is energy and an economic development issue. This legislation will provide needed infrastructure to meet the raising demand for natural gas and create jobs especially in northern Ohio.
Status: Referred to the Public Utilities Committee and is pending
House Bill 318: Non-Maintained Road Legislation (In Cooperation with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and the Township Association)
Cleans up the process when roads are put on non-maintained status to by requiring two public meetings before putting a road on non-maintained status as well as helping the townships to become more cost efficient in the process.
Status: Passed in House, pending in Senate
House Bill 429: Origin-based Sourcing
Requires intrastate sales to be taxed based on the origin-based rates.
Status: Passed out of the House of Representatives 89-1 on February 19, 2008.Passed by Senate, Signed by Governor April 2008, took effect immediately.