Columbus, OH – On Tuesday, The Buckeye Institute testified (see full text below or download a PDF) before the Ohio House General Government Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 59, which opens doors to Ohio’s workers by eliminating and reforming unnecessary occupational licensing requirements that make it harder to start a new career or get a promotion.

In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, noted that while “[o]ccupational licensing rules may not make news headlines,” “they do make a difference in the lives of workers looking to start or extend their careers.”

Lawson urged lawmakers to adopt the recommendations outlined in The Buckeye Institute’s third Opening Doors policy brief and eliminate or reform 39 state-required licenses. 

Lawson went on to praise lawmakers for improving upon “the current review process by requiring licensing entities to include updated quantitative data regarding” the number of license applicants; number of application approvals and denials; number of new approvals; number of renewals, number of disciplinary actions taken; and changes in revenue and costs. Lawson pointed out that this “specificity will better inform legislative hearings and make future licensing reviews more thorough and effective.”

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Occupational Licensing Reform Opens Doors to Ohio’s Workers

Interested Party Testimony
Ohio House General Government Committee
Ohio House Bill 59

Greg R. Lawson
Research Fellow
The Buckeye Institute
November 4, 2025

As Prepared for Delivery

Thank you, Chair Ray, Vice Chair LaRe, Ranking Member Brent, and members of the Committee for the opportunity to testify regarding Ohio House Bill 59. 

My name is Greg R. Lawson. I am a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, an independent research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to advance free-market public policy in the states.

With Senate Bill 255, the 132nd General Assembly instructed legislative panels to periodically review Ohio’s bureaucratic thicket and remove unnecessary licensing boards and training requirements. The Buckeye Institute championed that directive and supports the latest review of licensing requirements in House Bill 59.

Occupational licensing rules may not make news headlines, but they do make a difference in the lives of workers looking to start or extend their careers. House Bill 59 improves upon the current review process by making the quantitative data from licensing boards and related entities more specific. That specificity will better inform legislative hearings and make future licensing reviews more thorough and effective.

The Buckeye Institute’s latest Opening Doors policy brief recommends eliminating or reforming 39 state-required licenses. Many of these recommendations also appear in House Bill 59, including license fee reductions for physicians, physician assistants, podiatrists, radiologic assistants, environmental health specialists, and lead abatement contractors. The bill would consolidate several separate radon-related licenses into a single “Radon Mitigation Specialist” license and reduce the relevant fees. It also would eliminate licenses for “Tough Guy” contests and lighten continuing education burdens for licensed school counselors.

House Bill 59 will improve the entire licensing review process by requiring various licensing entities to include updated quantitative data regarding:

• The number of applicants; 
• The number of application approvals and denials;
• The number of new approvals; 
• The number of renewals, including approval of applicants who previously had approval; 
• The number of disciplinary actions taken by the licensing body; and
• Changes in revenue and costs.

Thank you, Chair Ray and members of the Committee, for your diligent efforts to reduce Ohio’s bureaucratic burdens. I would be happy to answer any questions that the Committee might have.

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