HB 107: Enact the Platinum Providers Act

As Introduced

6th General Assembly Regular Session 2025-2026

H. B. No. 107

Representative Williams

A B I L L

To amend section 122.1710 and to enact sections 1
122.1712 and 122.1713 of the Revised Code to 2
modify the Individual Microcredential Assistance 3
Program(IMAP), to create platinum provider 4
programs for certain IMAP participants, and to 5
name this act the Platinum Providers Act. 6

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

Section 1. That section 122.1710 be amended and sections 7
122.1712 and 122.1713 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as 8
follows: 9

ec. 122.1710. (A) As used in this section: 10

(1) "Low-income individual" has the same meaning as "low- 11
income person" in section 122.66 of the Revised Code. 12
(2) "Microcredential" has the same meaning as in section 13
122.178 of the Revised Code. 14
(3) "OhioMeansJobs web site" has the same meaning as in 15
section 6301.01 of the Revised Code. 16
(4) "Partially unemployed" and "totally unemployed" have 17
the same meanings as in section 4141.01 of the Revised Code. 18

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

(5) "Training provider" means all of the following: 19
(a) A state institution of higher education as defined in 20
section 3345.011 of the Revised Code; 21
(b) An Ohio technical center as defined in section 3333.94 22
of the Revised Code; 23
(c) A private business or institution that offers training 24
to allow an individual to earn one or more microcredentials. 25
(6) "Fiscal year" means the fiscal year of this state as 26
specified in section 9.34 of the Revised Code. 27
(B) There is hereby created the individual microcredential 28
assistance program to reimburse training providers for training 29
costs for individuals to earn a microcredential. The department 30
of development, in consultation with the governor's office of 31
workforce transformation, shall administer the program. The 32
director shall administer the program so that the total 33
reimbursement to each training provider approved to participate 34
in the program occurs at least once per fiscal year. 35
(C) A training provider seeking to participate in the 36
program shall submit an application to the director of 37
development at the beginning or before the beginning of a fiscal 38
year, but not later than the date established by the director. 39
The training provider shall include in the application all of 40
the following information: 41
(1) The number of microcredentials the training provider 42
will seek a reimbursement for and the names of the 43
microcredentials; 44
(2) The cost of the training for each microcredential; 45
(3) The total amount of the reimbursement the training 46

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

provider will seek; 47
(4) The training provider's plan to provide opportunities 48
for individuals who are low income, partially unemployed, or 49
totally unemployed to participate in a training program and 50
receive a microcredential; 51
(5) Any other information the director requires. 52
(D)(1) The director shall consider the following factors 53
in determining whether to approve an application submitted under 54
division (C) of this section: 55
(a) The duration of the training program; 56
(b) The cost of the training; 57
(c) Whether approving an application will promote regional 58
diversity in apportioning reimbursements uniformly across the 59
state; 60
(d) The training provider's commitment to providing 61
opportunities for individuals who are low income, partially 62
unemployed, or totally unemployed to participate in a training 63
program and receive a microcredential. 64
(2) In determining regional diversity under division (D) 65
(1)(c) of this section, the director shall use the regions 66
established under division (G) of section 122.178 of the Revised 67
Code. 68
(3) The director shall not approve an application 69
submitted under this section if either of the following apply: 70
(a) The microcredentials identified in the application are 71
not included in the list the chancellor of higher education 72
establishes under section 122.178 of the Revised Code. 73

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

(b) The training provider has violated Chapter 4111. of 74
the Revised Code within the four fiscal years immediately 75
preceding the date of application. 76
(4) The director shall notify a training provider in 77
writing of the director's decision to approve or deny the 78
training provider's application to participate in the program. 79
(E) A participating training provider shall not charge an 80
individual participating in a training program to earn a 81
microcredential for which the training provider is seeking a 82
reimbursement for either of the following: 83
(1) Any costs associated with the individual's 84
participation in the training program; 85
(2) Any costs to the training provider resulting from an 86
individual not completing the training program. 87
(F)(1) Each participating training provider seeking 88
reimbursement for training costs for one or more 89
microcredentials earned by one or more individuals in a training 90
program shall submit an application to the director after the 91
individual or individuals have earned a microcredential. The 92
training provider shall submit the reimbursement application 93
during the fiscal year in which the training provider applied 94
under division (C) of this section, but not later than the date 95
established by the director. The training provider shall include 96
in the reimbursement application all of the following 97
information: 98
(a) The actual cost for the training provider to provide 99
each individual with the training; 100
(b) Evidence that each individual earned a 101

microcredential; 102

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

(c) Any demographic information of each individual that 103
the individual provides to the training provider, including race 104
and gender. 105
(2) The amount of the reimbursement shall be not more than 106
three thousand dollars for each microcredential an individual 107
receives. A participating training provider may not receive a 108
reimbursement for any additional individual who earns a 109
microcredential beyond the number of microcredentials included 110
in the application under division (C) of this section. A 111
participating training provider may receive a total 112
reimbursement of five hundred thousand dollars in a fiscal year. 113
However, each participating training provider that is a state 114
institution of higher education may receive a total 115
reimbursement or advance payment amount under section 122.1713 116
of the Revised Code of one million dollars in a fiscal year. 117
(3) A training provider may request that an individual 118
participating in the training provider's program provide 119
demographic information to the training provider, including race 120
and gender. An individual is not required to provide that 121
information. 122
(G) The director shall do both all of the following 123
regarding the operation of the program: 124
(1) Create an application to participate in the program 125
and an application for reimbursement; 126
(2) Create applications to participate in and seek advance 127
payments under the platinum provider programs established under 128
sections 122.1712 and 122.1713 of the Revised Code; 129
(3) Create and distribute a survey to each individual who 130
successfully earned a microcredential because of a reimbursement 131

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

to a training provider under this section inquiring as to the 132
individual's occupation and wages at the time of completing the 133
survey. 134
(H) The director shall include on the internet web site 135
maintained by the department, and the governor's office of 136
workforce transformation shall include on the office's internet 137
web site and the OhioMeansJobs web site, all of the content 138
created under division (G) of this section. 139

(I) The director may adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code as the director considers necessary to implement this section and sections 122.1712 and 122.1713 of the Revised Code, including establishing priority guidelines for approving applications under division (D) of this section.

(J) Any personal information of an individual the director receives in connection with the individual microcredential assistance program created under this section is not a public record for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code. However, the director may use the information as necessary to complete the reports required under section 122.1711 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 122.1712. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Fiscal year" means the fiscal year of this state as 154
specified in section 9.34 of the Revised Code. 155
(2) "Individual microcredential assistance program" means 156
the individual microcredential assistance program created under 157
section 122.1710 of the Revised Code. 158
(3) "Microcredential" has the same meaning as in section 159
122.178 of the Revised Code. 160

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

(4) "Training provider" means both of the following: 161
(a) An Ohio technical center as defined in section 3333.94 162
of the Revised Code; 163
(b) A private business or institution that offers training 164
to allow an individual to earn one or more microcredentials. 165
(B) The director of development, in consultation with the 166
governor's office of workforce transformation, shall establish a 167
platinum provider program. A training provider that is approved 168
to participate in the individual microcredential assistance 169
program and that meets the requirements specified under this 170
section is eligible to participate in the platinum provider 171
program. A training provider approved to participate in the 172
platinum provider program may receive one or more advance 173
payments to cover the training costs for individuals to earn a 174
microcredential under the individual microcredential assistance 175
program. 176
(C) A training provider seeking to participate in the 177
platinum provider program shall apply to the director on a form 178
prescribed by the director after the training provider is 179
approved to participate in the individual microcredential 180
assistance program. The training provider shall include in the 181
application all of the following information: 182
(1) The advance payment amount the training provider is 183
seeking, not to exceed twenty per cent of the total 184
reimbursement amount the training provider seeks under division 185
(C) of section 122.1710 of the Revised Code; 186
(2) Evidence that at least eighty per cent of individuals 187
who participated in training programs offered by the training 188
provider in the previous fiscal year earned a microcredential 189

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

under the individual microcredential assistance program; 190
(3) The number of microcredentials for which the training 191
provider is seeking an advance payment and the names of the 192
microcredentials; 193
(4) The cost of the training for each microcredential for 194
which the training provider is seeking an advance payment; 195
(5) Proof that the training provider has obtained a surety 196
bond that meets the requirements of division (J) of this 197
section. 198
(D) The director shall notify a training provider in 199
writing of the director's decision to approve or deny an 200
application the training provider submits under division (C) of 201
this section. If the director approves the application, the 202
director shall do both of the following: 203
(1) Designate the training provider as a platinum 204
provider; 205
(2) Provide an initial advance payment to the platinum 206
provider in the amount specified in the application but not 207
exceeding any of the amounts described under division (F) of 208
this section. 209
(E) After each training program that a platinum provider 210
administers during a fiscal year that results in at least one 211
individual earning a microcredential, the provider may apply for 212
a subsequent advance payment of not more than the least of the 213
amounts described under division (F) of this section. The 214
provider shall include in the application the same information 215
as described under division (C) of this section. If a provider 216
applies for a subsequent advance payment under this division, 217
one of the following applies depending on the training program's 218

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

completion rate:

(1) If at least eighty per cent of the individuals who participated in the training program earned a microcredential, the director shall provide a subsequent advance payment to the provider in the amount specified in the application.

(2) If less than eighty per cent of the individuals who participated in the training program earned a microcredential, to be eligible for a subsequent advance payment, the provider shall refund to the director a certain per cent of the advance payment amount that was last provided to the provider during the fiscal year as determined under division (E)(2)(a) of this section.

(a) The per cent a provider must refund to be eligible for a subsequent advance payment under division (E)(2) of this section is the difference between eighty per cent and the per cent of individuals who earned a microcredential.

219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247

(b) For a provider to whom division (E)(2) of this section applies, if the provider complies with that division, the director shall provide a subsequent advance payment to the provider in the amount specified in the provider's application. If the provider does not comply with that division, the director shall not provide a subsequent advance payment.

(F) In no case shall the director provide an advance payment under this section that exceeds the least of the following amounts:

(1) Twenty per cent of the total amount of reimbursement the platinum provider seeks under division (C) of section 122.1710 of the Revised Code;

(2) The amount of the provider's surety bond required by

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

division (J) of this section, less any previous advance payment 248
the provider is required to refund to the director under 249
division (G) of this section, if the provider has not yet 250
completed the refund; 251
(3) One hundred thousand dollars. 252
(G)(1) If the director approves a reimbursement 253
application that a platinum provider submits under division (F) 254
of section 122.1710 of the Revised Code, the director shall 255
reimburse the platinum provider for the total actual cost for 256
the platinum provider to provide training to individuals who 257
earned a microcredential in accordance with that division less 258
the total advance payment amount provided to the platinum 259
provider under this section. The director shall not reimburse 260
the platinum provider for any amounts the platinum provider 261
refunded to the director under division (E)(2) of this section. 262
If the platinum provider specifies in the reimbursement 263
application that the total actual cost for the platinum provider 264
to provide the training is less than the total advance payment 265
amount provided to the platinum provider under this section, the 266
platinum provider shall refund to the director the difference 267
between the advance payment amount and the actual training cost. 268
(2) If a platinum provider fails to apply for 269
reimbursement under division (F) of section 122.1710 of the 270
Revised Code, the director shall require the platinum provider 271
to refund the total advance payment amount provided to the 272
platinum provider under this section. 273
(H) If, at the time a platinum provider seeks 274
reimbursement under division (F) of section 122.1710 of the 275
Revised Code, the director determines that less than eighty per 276
cent of individuals who participated in training programs 277

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

provided by the platinum provider in the fiscal year earned a microcredential or that the platinum provider has failed to maintain the bond required under division (J) of this section, both of the following apply:

(1) The director shall revoke the provider's status as a platinum provider;

(2) The provider is ineligible to participate in the platinum provider program for the following fiscal year.

(I) A training provider whose platinum status is revoked under division (H) of this section may reapply to participate in the platinum provider program in the fiscal year that follows the fiscal year in which the training provider is ineligible to participate in the program under that division.

278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306

(J) A training provider that is certified as a platinum provider or that seeks to participate in the platinum provider program shall maintain a surety bond issued by a bonding company or an insurance company licensed to do business in this state. The bond shall be in favor of the director in an amount not less than the sum of the total advance payments received by the provider for the fiscal year plus any advance payments for previous fiscal years that the provider is required to refund under division (G) of this section, if the provider has not yet completed the refund. The provider shall maintain the bond for so long as it participates in the program and shall not allow it to expire or terminate until all of the provider's obligations under division (G) of this section are fulfilled.

Sec. 122.1713. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Fiscal year" means the fiscal year of this state as specified in section 9.34 of the Revised Code.

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

(2) "Individual microcredential assistance program" means
the individual microcredential assistance program created under
section 122.1710 of the Revised Code. (3) "Microcredential" has the same meaning as in section
122.178 of the Revised Code. (4) "State institution of higher education" has the same
meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code. (B) The director of development, in consultation with the
governor's office of workforce transformation, shall establish
an institutional platinum provider program for state
institutions of higher education approved to participate in the
individual microcredential assistance program. (C) Each state institution of higher education shall do
both of the following: (1) Provide at least two in-person training programs and
at least one online training program for individuals to earn a
microcredential; (2) Not later than the thirty-first day of December
immediately after the effective date of this section, and not
later than the thirty-first day of December of each year
thereafter, apply to participate in the individual
microcredential assistance program. (D) If the director approves a state institution of higher
education's application to participate in the individual
microcredential assistance program, all of the following apply: (1) The director shall designate the institution as an
institutional platinum provider. (2) The institution may participate in the institutional

307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

platinum provider program established under this section. 335

(3) The institution is eligible to apply for one or more advance payments under this section to cover training costs for individuals to earn a microcredential.

(E) An institutional platinum provider may apply for an initial advance payment of not more than twenty per cent of the total reimbursement amount the institution seeks under division (C) of section 122.1710 of the Revised Code. If an institution submits an application under this division, the director shall provide an advance payment to the institution in the amount specified in the application.

(F) After each training program that an institutional platinum provider administers during a fiscal year that results in at least one individual earning a microcredential, the institution may apply for a subsequent advance payment of not more than twenty per cent of the total reimbursement amount the institution seeks under division (C) of section 122.1710 of the Revised Code. If an institution applies for a subsequent advance payment under this division, one of the following applies depending on the training program's completion rate:

(1) If at least fifty per cent of the individuals who participated in the training program earned a microcredential, the director shall provide a subsequent advance payment to the institution in the amount specified in the application.

(2) If less than fifty per cent of the individuals who participated in the training program earned a microcredential, to be eligible for a subsequent advance payment, the institution shall refund to the director a certain per cent of the advance payment amount that was last provided to the institution during

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

the fiscal year as determined under division (F)(2)(a）of this

section.

(a) The per cent an institution must refund to be eligible 366

） o 367

section is the difference between fifty per cent and the per 368 cent of individuals who earned a microcredential. 369

(b） For an institution to whom division (F)(2) of this 370

section applies, if the institution complies with that division, 371

372

institution in the amount specified in the institution's 373

application. If the institution does not comply with that 374

division, the director shall not provide a subsequent advance 375

payment. 376

(G)In no case shall the total amount of the advance 377

payments an institutional platinum provider receives under this 378

section during any fiscal year exceed the total reimbursement 379

amount the institution seeks under division (C) of section 380

122.1710 of the Revised Code. 381

(H) If the director approves a reimbursement application 382

that an institutional platinum provider submits under division 383

(F） of section 122.1710 of the Revised Code， the director shall 384

reimburse the institution in accordance with that division for 385

386

individuals who earned a microcredential less the total advance 387

payment amount provided to the institution under this section. 388

The director shall not reimburse the institution for any amounts 389

390

of this section. If the institution specifies in the 391

392

reimbursement application that the total actual cost for the

393

H. B. No. 107 As Introduced

advance payment amount provided to the institution under this 394
section, the institution shall refund to the director the 395
difference between the advance payment amount and the actual 396
training cost. 397
Section 2. That existing section 122.1710 of the Revised 398
Code is hereby repealed. 399
Section 3. This act shall be known as the Platinum 400
Providers Act. 401