Ohio Advances Comprehensive Property Tax Relief Legislation

Ohio House Bills HB 129, HB 186, HB 309, and HB 335 have passed both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly and are now awaiting Governor Mike DeWine’s signature. All four bills form a legislative package designed to deliver property tax relief to Ohio residents. 

Status Update

As of November 20, 2025, all four bills have cleared the Ohio House and Senate and are pending final action by the Governor.

Overview of Each Bill

• HB 186 – Inflation Cap Credit
  Establishes a new “Inflation Cap Credit” projected to save property owners nearly $1.7 billion over three years. The credit prevents school district property tax increases for districts on the 20-mill floor from exceeding the rate of inflation. It also includes appropriations to “hold harmless” school districts for actual revenue losses.
• HB 335 – Inside Mileage Cap
  Focuses on “inside millage” (unvoted property taxes) by capping collection increases to the rate of inflation. It requires county budget commissions to adjust the rate of each inside millage levy, so growth does not exceed the sum of the previous three years of inflation during property reappraisals or updates.
• HB 129 – 20-Mill Floor Calculation Reform: 
  Adjusts how the 20-mill floor is calculated by requiring emergency, substitute, incremental growth, and conversion levies to count toward the floor. This change would apply the protections of Ohio’s HB 920 (which limits unvoted tax growth) to more school districts, preventing unrestrained tax spikes for many homeowners.
• HB 309 – Millage Adjustment Authority: 
  Expands the authority of county budget commissions to modify or trim unnecessarily high millage rates for levies if a local government has excessive cash balances or service levels, ensuring that collections do not exceed reasonable needs. 

Next Steps

Once signed by Governor DeWine, the reforms could take effect in time for 2026 property tax bills.

You can track the official progress of HB 129 and HB 186 and access the full bill text and analyses on the Ohio Legislature website. 

Andy Hardy
Vice President of Government Relations
andyhardy@columbus.org