Ohio Counseling Conversations

Couch to Capitol: July Legislative Updates

• Ohio Counseling Association

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Governor DeWine's action on Ohio's state budget brings mixed implications for counselors, with vetoes protecting LGBTQ+ resources but remaining provisions limiting gender-affirming care coverage and establishing binary-only sex policies. The national budget bill (HR1) delivers significant Medicaid cuts that will affect 2.57 million Ohioans enrolled in the program, potentially increasing the number of uninsured Americans by 16 million by 2034.

  • DeWine vetoed measures restricting LGBTQIA+ books in libraries and defunding trans-supportive youth homeless shelters
  • Ohio budget now officially recognizes only binary sexes and may deny coverage for gender-affirming mental health care
  • House Bill 390 would shift responsibility for collecting co-pays from providers to insurers
  • Federal budget cuts to Medicaid threaten counselor reimbursement and client access to services
  • National SNAP program facing cuts and stricter work requirements affecting vulnerable populations
  • Immigration enforcement funding increased by $170.7 billion with additional fees for asylum applications

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Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee

·Hosted by Marisa Cargill & Victoria Frazier

·Pre-Production & Coordination by Kailey Bradley, Marisa Cargill, Victoria Frazier, Linda Marcel-Rene & Kendra Thornton

·Editing by Leah Wood & Marisa Cargill


Speaker 1:

Welcome to Ohio Counseling Conversations Couch to Capital, your quick connection from the Counseling Office to where laws meet lives. In this segment we break down the latest legislative and judicial updates, policy changes and advocacy efforts that impact counselors across Ohio. Whether you're licensed in training or just passionate about the field of counseling, we've got what you need to stay informed and empowered.

Speaker 2:

Welcome back to Couch, to Capital on Ohio Counseling Conversations, where we bridge the gap between your clinical couch and the halls of Ohio Statehouse and beyond. I'm Victoria Frazier.

Speaker 1:

And I'm Marissa Cargill, and each month it's our goal to bring you the most relevant legislative updates impacting counselors, clients and the mental health profession across our state. In this episode, we will provide an update on the state and national budget bills and their implications for our profession. Let's start locally. Governor DeWine signed Ohio State budget on June 30th. The final bill was 3,156 pages long and includes changes that affect counselors and clients at large. When signing the bill, dewine issued 67 vetoes, the most in his time as governor.

Speaker 2:

We'll start with some of the relevant vetoes for Ohio counselors. Originally, the bill included measures that would have required public libraries to relocate books referencing sexual orientation or gender in an area away from the public. There was an item that would have restricted funding from youth homeless shelters if they supported trans or non-binary identities. Furthermore, there is a provision limiting the types of flags permitted to be displayed on state-owned buildings and property. These provisions limiting the library's display of LGBTQIA, plus books affecting funding for trans and gender-diverse and farming homeless shelters and flag-related restrictions were vetoed by Governor DeWine. Additionally, there was a provision that would have allowed the legislator to choose the allocation of school funding based on adherence to Ohio Senate Bill 1, the Higher Education Overhaul Bill.

Speaker 2:

The Higher Education Overhaul Bill. A brief reminder this bill has been named the Advanced Ohio Higher Education Act and includes issues like prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, including courses and training, and spending related to DEI. It also changes the ways that universities can instruct and endorse certain topics the state deems controversial Climate, electoral and foreign policies, dei, immigration, police marriage and abortion are listed as examples in the bill. It also creates a mandatory American civics course for students. Furthermore, sb1 includes provisions preventing the faculty from striking, and this begins with students graduating with a bachelor's degree in spring of 2030.

Speaker 1:

Again. Senate Bill 1 was signed into law in March 2025 and became effective in June. However, the line item in Ohio's budget that would have allowed legislators to control where school funding goes, based on compliance, has been vetoed by the governor. While these vetoes are reassuring for counselors and clients, they could be overturned with a vote of three-fifths of each chamber. Currently, ohio Republicans, who largely created the budget, control enough seats to make that vote happen. We can certainly celebrate these changes, but our advocacy efforts do not end here.

Speaker 1:

Unfortunately, there were several measures passed in Ohio's budget that could mean harm for counselors and our clients. This includes a measure banning menstrual products in the men's restrooms and public buildings. Additionally, the state budget now outlines a policy to only two binary sexes male and female. This policy does not have any considerations for those living outside the binary, including trans and intersex individuals. Lastly, and potentially most directly impacting counselors, the past budget includes measures that could deny Medicaid or Medicare coverage for gender-affirming mental health care in Ohio. Due to these budget additions, we can anticipate this may be a challenging time for clinicians and the clients we serve. It's crucial that we remain connected to advocacy groups and legal analysis to ensure ethical legal care.

Speaker 2:

Dwayne Stewart, the Executive Director of Equality Ohio, stated social issues don't belong in public dollars. Stadiums shouldn't be funded while our infrastructure and schools remain in disrepair and taxpayer dollars should never be weaponized to erase, censor or shame our communities. In other Ohio news, representative Gene Schmidt has introduced House Bill 390. This legislation would put the responsibility of collecting patient co-pays, deductibles and other cost-sharing amounts on the insurers. Currently, insurers generally require the provider to collect these cost-sharing amounts and co-pays, even though they are set by the insurer. It also requires all reimbursement for covered services to be made directly to the health care provider. Under the legislation, this change would take effect January of 2027. House Bill 390 is a pro-provider piece of legislation that has been introduced to this General Assembly. This bill has not yet been assigned to a committee, but we will keep you updated as this bill moves forward.

Speaker 1:

Now let's discuss the national budget and its implications for Ohioans. Hr.1, the so-called Big, beautiful Bill, contains major implications for Ohioans. This bill was negotiated through a process called reconciliation, which Congress can use to change laws that affect the country's budget. The process is different from the typical way laws are made. It limits the time the Senate can spend debating to 20 hours, eliminating the possibility of a filibuster. The Senate can spend debating to 20 hours, eliminating the possibility of a filibuster. It also means that the bill can pass with a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate, or 50 plus the vice president's tie-breaking vote, rather than the super majority of 60 votes typically needed to avoid a filibuster.

Speaker 2:

The HR 1 bill approves significant cuts to Medicaid. Medicaid is funded through mandatory federal spending, meaning that the federal government is legally obligated to fund Medicaid based on eligibility rules and service requirements. Medicaid funding typically renews each year without the need for congressional changes. However, Congress does have the power to influence spending through the budget process, including reconciliation bills. Medicaid represents nearly $1 out of every $5 spent on health care in the US. It is administered by states within the federal rules and jointly funded by states and the federal government through a federal matching program.

Speaker 1:

In 2024, $638 billion federal dollars went towards Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP. In the same year, 84.6 million Americans were enrolled in Medicare programs. By June, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that these changes to Medicaid and health insurance would increase the number of nationally uninsured people by 16 million in 2034. As of March 2025, roughly 2.57 million Ohioans were enrolled in Medicaid. According to Policy Matters Ohio, the federal government contributes $1.84 to Medicaid for every $1 Ohio invests. This reduction of the federal Medicaid budget affects the healthcare coverage of clients, especially rural clients, and their ability to access counseling services in the state. Furthermore, the impact will be felt by counselors who rely on Medicaid programs.

Speaker 2:

The HR1 federal budget also proposes cuts to and stricter work requirements for, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, previously referred to as food stamps. In the 2024 fiscal year, 41.7 million people, or 12.3% of Americans, received monthly SNAP benefits. This percentage has largely been the average for the program since 2010, with the exception of 2019 and 2020. Snap accounted for 1.5% of all federal funding in 2024, which amounted to $100 billion that year. The average person using the program would receive $188 per month. The budget has also allocated $170.7 billion in additional funding for immigration and enforcement-related activities to the Department of Homeland.

Speaker 2:

Security, or DHS, and its sub-agencies Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, customs and Border Protection, or CBP, and the Department of Defense, or the DOD. Cbp and ICE were the third and fourth highest-funded Department of Homeland Security agencies in 2024, with budgets of $12.1 billion and $10 billion respectively. The agencies receiving the highest budgets that year were the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Coast Guard. Also included in the bill are additional and increased fees for various immigration procedures, including applying for asylum.

Speaker 1:

Finally, the budget included measures that raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion and eliminate tax credits for new projects that utilize wind and solar energy. While these may not appear to affect our work in Ohio immediately, it's important to recognize that the energy sector was responsible for 5% of all jobs, according to data from 2022. It is possible those reductions will affect those we work to serve. There was a lot to take in this month, both at state and federal levels. Given the potential challenges associated with the federal and state budgets, it is essential for counselors and mental health providers to stay informed and educated about these implications. Included in the show notes are links to resources that we utilize to create this episode. Should you wish for further information, as always, there are also links to the possibilities for further advocacy efforts. If you are so inclined, we can continuously assess our knowledge, develop appropriate resources and prioritize our ongoing self-care and coping strategies.

Speaker 2:

Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an update. If you have questions, feedback or want to get involved with our advocacy efforts, please reach out. We are always looking for new perspectives and input for our show. You can text us at the number found in the show notes or connect with us on our socials.

Speaker 1:

That's it for this edition of Couch to Capital, brought to you by the Ohio Counseling Association and Ohio Counseling Conversations. In the meantime, stay tuned, stay engaged and keep advocating for the future of counseling in Ohio, because what happens at the Capitol doesn't stay at the Capitol. It impacts every counseling conversation.