SB 287: Create the Farming and Workforce Development Program
The bill creates a farming and workforce development program to provide training for eligible individuals to prepare them for seasonal crop farming employment. Eligible individuals must be between 16 and 35 years old, residents of the state, and meet certain criteria. The program will be administered by county office of the Ohio State University Extension and Central State University Extension. The program's guidelines and policies will be developed by the respective offices. The bill appropriates $500,000 from the state treasury for the program's operating costs. The funds will support the activities of the program, which aims to prepare individuals for seasonal crop farming employment. The bill also establishes accounts to track the source and amount of funds for each appropriation and requires expenditures to be accounted for as though made in the previous fiscal year.
| Oct. 15, 2025 | Referred to committee: Finance |
| Oct. 08, 2025 | Introduced |
As Introduced
136th General Assembly
Regular Session
Senator Hicks-Hudson
To create the Farming and Workforce Development Program and to make an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. (A) As used in this section, "eligible individual" means an individual who meets all of the following criteria:
(2) The individual is a resident of this state.
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(B) The Farming and Workforce Development Program is hereby created, which shall provide training to eligible individuals to prepare such individuals for seasonal crop farming employment. Each county office of the Ohio State University Extension and Central State University Extension shall develop guidelines and policies for the application process, training coursework, and implementation of the Program. A person who has been convicted of or plead guilty to a felony in this state or another state is eligible to participate in the program so long as the person meets the definition of "eligible individual."
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Section 2. 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.
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Section 3.
| A | AGR DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE | ||
| B | General Revenue Fund | ||
| C | GRF 700514 Special Projects | $500,000 | $0 |
| D | TOTAL GRF General Revenue Fund | $500,000 | $0 |
| E | TOTAL ALL BUDGET FUND GROUPS | $500,000 | $0 |
SPECIAL PROJECTS
The foregoing appropriation item 700514, Special Projects, shall be used to support the activities of the Farming and Workforce Development Program established under Section 1 of this act.
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Section 4. 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.
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