NE Ohio Times

The House Finance Committee has accepted Substitute House Bill 54, the state transportation budget bill for fiscal years 2026-27. This was announced by State Representatives Bill Roemer and Steve Demetriou. A key inclusion in the bill is the E-Check Ease Act, a legislative proposal aimed at reducing both administrative and financial burdens on Ohio drivers.

Roemer and Demetriou sponsor this measure, which proposes an alternative system to comply with the E-Check program. Vehicle owners would have the option to obtain an alternative emissions certificate under this new plan.

"E-Check unfairly penalizes hard working Ohioans living in Northeast Ohio," stated Roemer. "This legislation is a commonsense solution to provide Ohioans some relief from this burdensome federal program."

Demetriou echoed these sentiments: "My constituents have, for decades, faced the burden of a mandate imposed on Ohio by the federal bureaucracy called E-check," he said. "This legislation will relieve Ohioans from this unnecessary burden by making it as easy as possible to comply with the E-check program."

Substitute House Bill 54 will undergo further consideration by the House Finance Committee before proceeding to a full vote on the House floor.