As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 739

2025-2026

Representative Young

To require the Department of Health to assess its central warehousing operations and to make an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. All items in this act are hereby appropriated as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the credit of the designated fund. For all operating appropriations made in this act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 2026 and those in the second column are for fiscal year 2027. The operating appropriations made in this act are in addition to any other operating appropriations made for these fiscal years.

Section 2.

HEALTH PROGRAM SUPPORT

The foregoing appropriation item 440485, Health Program Support, shall be used by the Department of Health as follows:

(A) To support an assessment of the Department's central warehousing operations by doing the following:

(1) Deploying quality assurance and operations professionals to conduct a comprehensive assessment and audit of the warehouse's existing inventory;

(2) Inspecting and evaluating products contained within the inventory for damages, defects, or nonconformance;

(3) Disposing of damaged, defective, or nonconforming products in accordance with Department recommendations described in division (B) of this section;

(4) Sorting, separating, and organizing all products by type and disposition;

(5) Implementing a digital warehouse management system to catalog and track products in real time for improved visibility, accountability, and deployment efficiency;

(6) Cataloging and entering into the digital warehouse management system the products described in division (A)(4) of this section.

(B) In partnership with a third-party entity, to conduct a report on the readiness of the central warehouse's inventory and stockpile and to develop recommendations regarding all of the following topics:

(1) Inventory quality, safety, and efficacy;

(2) Enhancements to its emergency response readiness;

(3) Improvements to its space and operational efficiencies;

(4) Efforts to ensure good manufacturing practice compliance and promote proper warehouse hygiene.

Section 3. Within the limits set forth in this act, the Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation made in this act, and shall determine the manner in which appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from operating appropriations contained in this act shall be accounted for as though made in, and are subject to all applicable provisions of, H.B. 96 of the 136th General Assembly.