As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 885

2025-2026

Representatives Brennan, Humphrey

Cosponsors: Representatives Synenberg, Piccolantonio, Upchurch

To enact section 5180.23 of the Revised Code to require the Children and Youth Advisory Council to develop a plan to establish a universal home visiting program for parents and caregivers of children and to name this act the Family Home Visits Act.

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

Section 1. That section 5180.23 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 5180.23. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Eligible family" means a family that may receive evidence-based home visiting services under the universal home visiting program established in accordance with the plan required under division (B) of this section, including the following:

(a) A foster caregiver of a child in a planned permanent living arrangement;

(b) An adoptive parent of a newly adopted child of any age;

(c) A new family, friend, and neighbor care provider;

(d) A pregnant or postpartum inmate who maintains parental rights.

(2) "Family, friend, and neighbor care provider" means an individual who is caring for a child other than the individual's own child in a home setting and who is not licensed as a caregiver, including a kinship caregiver, as defined in section 5180.50 of the Revised Code, or a child care provider.

(3) "Home visiting program" means an evidence-based home visiting model that is proven to improve child health and to be cost effective, as measured by the "Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE)" review established by the United States department of health and human services.

(4) "Planned permanent living arrangement" has the same meaning as in section 2151.011 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) Not later than one hundred days after the effective date of this section, the children and youth advisory council established under section 5180.04 of the Revised Code shall develop a plan to implement a universal home visiting program for eligible families. The council shall submit the plan to the director of children and youth, and the director shall publish the plan on the department of children and youth's internet web site and, in accordance with section 101.68 of the Revised Code, submit the plan to the general assembly.

(2) The plan may include the following:

(a) Expansion of existing programs that offer home visiting, including the help me grow program established under section 5180.21 of the Revised Code, or the establishment of a new program to offer universal home visiting;

(b) Proposed applications for federal and private grant funding;

(c) Recommendations regarding pay for success and social impact bond programs;

(d) Any other programs or actions the council identifies that would result in the efficient expansion of home visiting service offerings, including seeking opportunities to expand home visiting to foster caregivers of children in planned permanent living arrangements, new adoptive families, and new family, friend, and neighbor care providers;

(e) Establishment or expansion of home visiting programs for pregnant and postpartum inmates who have maintained parental rights.

(3) The plan shall do the following:

(a) Target expansion of home visiting by at least twenty per cent annually over a five-year period;

(b) Specify actions the department of children and youth may take in accordance with the plan that do not require legislative action;

(c) For actions that require legislative action, specify what actions are needed, including appropriation requests.

(C) Not later than sixty days after the council submits the plan, the department of children and youth shall begin to implement the actions identified under division (B)(3)(b) of this section.

(D) Not later than one year after the effective date of this section, the department of children and youth shall develop and execute an outreach plan to notify new family, friend, and neighbor care providers of their eligibility for home visiting programs.

(E) Not later than one hundred twenty days after the effective date of this section, the director of children and youth, the director of job and family services, and the director of health shall adopt rules to establish processes for automatic enrollment of eligible families in the universal home visiting program through the central intake and referral system operated by the department of children and youth under section 5180.22 of the Revised Code.

(1) The processes shall include enrollment through the following mechanisms:

(a) A checkbox or similar mechanism on forms related to filing a birth certificate where a parent may consent to enroll in a home visiting program;

(b) A checkbox or similar mechanism on forms related to foster care or adoption where an eligible foster caregiver of a child in a planned permanent living arrangement or new adoptive parent may consent to enroll in a home visiting program;

(c) A checkbox or similar mechanism on forms related to postpartum care and annual pediatric and gynecological exams where an expectant parent, parent, guardian, or custodian may consent to enroll in a home visiting program;

(d) A checkbox or similar mechanism on any integrated application for public assistance benefits and services provided by the state where an expectant parent, parent, guardian, or custodian may consent to enroll in a home visiting program.

(2) After an individual consents to enroll in the universal home visiting program, the department of children and youth shall ensure that consent is entered into the central intake and referral system, shall cross-reference information to the extent possible to determine the individual's eligibility, and shall contact the individual to discuss any additional information needed and, if eligible, how to complete enrollment.

Section 2. This act shall be known as the Family Home Visits Act.