“Today we have reaffirmed our commitment to establishing an environment that allows Ohioans and businesses to thrive,” said Rep. Hagan, who sponsored the companion legislation, House Bill 489, with Rep. Dovilla. “This is just one of the ways we have reformed and improved Ohio’s government structure to help put Ohioans back to work and make our business climate more conducive to growth. I’m pleased that the legislature supported this bipartisan measure that will help put us back on track toward success.”

The legislation also creates the Office of TourismOhio, which will be funded through a five-year pilot program that links funding for TourismOhio to the growth in sales tax revenues of tourism-related industries. The TourismOhio Advisory Board that this bill creates will include industry experts to provide guidance and support efforts to promote Ohio tourism.

“Ohio tourism brings in more than $36 billion annually and accounts for 439,000 jobs in our state,” said Rep. Hagan. “I’m pleased that the Ohio House, Ohio Senate, and governor have passed this legislation that shows our continued commitment to improving the way we market our state and bring in revenue. The transition to the ODSA and the creation of TourismOhio are both promising investments for Ohio that will help create jobs in numerous ways.”