H.B. 25 Summary

• Reorganizes Ohio's executive branch by reducing the number of administrative departments from 19 to 11, renaming several departments (e.g., "Department of Budget and Management" becomes "Department of Finance and Operations," "Department of Commerce" becomes "Department of Business").

• Establishes specific divisions within each department with defined responsibilities, including detailed divisions for Education (primary/secondary, higher education for 4-year and 2-year colleges, finance, technology, cultural resources), Public Safety (uniformed services, public safety services, homeland security, grants, prevention/enforcement), and Public Health (health/well-being, community care, Medicaid, medical professional regulation, and others).

• Changes department heads from "directors" to "executive directors" and creates assistant executive directors for each department to assume leadership duties during vacancies or absences.

• Requires the Auditor of State to conduct performance audits of the newly reorganized departments and their divisions to ensure effective and efficient operations.

• Establishes an effective date of January 1, 2011, requiring the General Assembly to enact additional legislation before that date to implement the reorganization and transfer duties and functions from existing departments to the new structure.