Licking Today

State Representative Kevin Miller has announced the successful passage of House Bill 44 from the House Public Safety Committee. The bill, which received unanimous support, aims to streamline the hiring process for local police departments by allowing them to fill vacant positions without requiring unnecessary exams.

"Our ultimate goal is to quickly get well-trained officers into the workforce," said Representative Kevin Miller. "By eliminating unnecessary civil service processes for police officers who are laterally transferring between agencies, we expedite the hiring process. Thank you to the Ohio House Public Safety committee for realizing the benefit this legislation brings to our law enforcement community."

House Bill 44 is a bipartisan effort led by State Representatives Kevin Miller and Joe Miller. It seeks to empower police departments with the ability to bypass exams if they can demonstrate that such competitive components are unnecessary and that applicants possess exceptional qualifications. This provision would apply equally to statutory cities as it does to charter cities.

The proposed legislation also includes provisions for police chiefs to establish training programs for new cadets. Graduates of these programs could be hired directly into relevant departments if they meet the necessary requirements.

With its approval from the committee, House Bill 44 will now proceed to the House floor for further deliberation.