HB 795 · Ohio House Medicaid Committee

Stopped movingOhio • Ohio House Medicaid Committee

TL;DR

HB 795, the SHIELD Act, is no longer the bill to watch. The ban on paying family caregivers that was briefly added to it is gone, and the rest of the bill passed as Senate Bill 315, without that ban. SB 315 has now passed both chambers and heads to Governor DeWine.

HB 795

the SHIELD Act

Here is what HB 795 does, in plain language. It has stopped moving for now, but a bill like this can come back or return inside another one. Here is how to tell your lawmakers where you stand, in about five minutes.

Take action now

Bill: HB 795, the SHIELD ActSponsor: Rep. Josh Williams (R-44)Status: HB 795 has stopped moving. The caregiver-pay ban that was briefly added to it was removed after families pushed back, and the bill's Medicaid program-integrity provisions passed instead as Senate Bill 315, without the ban. SB 315 has passed the House and Senate and now heads to the Governor.

Last updated Aug 30, 2026, 4:50 AM ·

What this bill is, in plain language

The basics

✓ Reviewed by The Autism Dad, June 14, 2026

HB 795, the SHIELD Act, was a Medicaid program integrity bill about new electronic checks on home and community based waiver care. In early June a provision was added that would have barred family members from being paid through Medicaid to care for a relative. After strong pushback from disabled Ohioans and their families, that ban was removed.

HB 795 itself stopped advancing. Its program-integrity provisions were folded into Senate Bill 315, which passed the House and Senate on June 10 without the family-caregiver ban. Live-in family caregivers are also exempt from the new GPS tracking. SB 315 now heads to Governor DeWine to be signed into law, and that is where this fight landed.

Read the bill yourself

Bills like this can move fast, and the changes aren't always public until after they happen. This plain-language summary is based on the latest information we could find as of the time shown above. It's a starting point, not the final word. If you have concerns, please read the bill yourself before taking action.

What this could mean for your family

The concerns being raised

The same kind of provision can move between bills, which is how this one went from HB 795 into SB 315. Watching only one bill can miss where the language lands next.
SB 315, the bill that passed, still adds electronic visit verification with GPS tracking for many providers and tougher Medicaid fraud penalties. Live-in family caregivers are exempt from the GPS piece, but other providers and the families who rely on them may see more tracking and paperwork.
How the state writes the rules to put SB 315 into practice will matter, especially the details of who counts as a live-in caregiver.

Pulled from the Ohio Legislature

Where this bill stands

May 19, 2026 • Committee
First hearing
May 27, 2026 • Committee
Second hearing
June 2, 2026 • Committee
Third hearing
June 3, 2026 • Committee
Fourth hearing
June 8, 2026 • Committee
Fifth hearing
June 9, 2026 • Committee
Sixth hearing

Last checked Aug 30, 2026, 4:50 AM. Status can change during a hearing. Confirm on the official page ·

What's being reported in the media

In The News/Updates

The state doesn't update its public site in real time, so official information from the legislature can be delayed. Here's what's being reported in the media.

Loading recent coverage...

News coverage from outside outlets, not the state and not verified by The Autism Dad. The state's official record often lags this reporting, so check the date and read the source.

Make your voice heard

Take action in 5 minutes

These are starting drafts. Read them, make them yours, and double-check before you send or call. You're the one speaking. The bill summary is AI-assisted, so verify anything important against the bill itself.

Email the committee

It's ready. Copy it, or open it in your email app with everyone already in the BCC.

Your email

Open in email app

6 spots to fill in

Dear Legislator,

I'm an Ohio constituent and I'm writing about HB 795, the SHIELD Act.

I'm still following HB 795 closely. It has stopped moving for now, but I want you to hear the concerns families like mine are raising in case it comes back. [Add a sentence or two about why this matters to your family.]

We are paying attention, we vote, and in November we will not forget how you voted on this.

Thank you for your time,
[Your name]
[Your street address]
[City], OH [ZIP]
[Your email or phone]

Subject

Constituent message about HB 795, the SHIELD Act

Send to (paste into BCC)

Rep45@ohiohouse.gov, Rep85@ohiohouse.gov, Rep27@ohiohouse.gov, Rep77@ohiohouse.gov, Rep54@ohiohouse.gov, Rep96@ohiohouse.gov, Rep34@ohiohouse.gov, Rep70@ohiohouse.gov, Rep11@ohiohouse.gov, Rep47@ohiohouse.gov, Rep48@ohiohouse.gov, Rep31@ohiohouse.gov, Rep08@ohiohouse.gov, Rep93@ohiohouse.gov, Rep12@ohiohouse.gov, Rep16@ohiohouse.gov, Rep38@ohiohouse.gov, Rep44@ohiohouse.gov

Fills the [brackets] in the email and call script. These fields stay in your browser and are never sent to us. The email above updates as you type.

First name

Last name

Street address

City

State

ZIP

Phone (optional)

★

Start with the leadership

These 3 decide whether HB 795 gets a vote or a substitute.

The Chair, Vice Chair, and Ranking Member control scheduling and what the committee votes on. Start here, then reach the rest below.

Chair

Jennifer Gross

R • District 45

(614) 466-8550
Rep45@ohiohouse.gov

Vice Chair

Tim Barhorst

R • District 85

(614) 466-1507
Rep85@ohiohouse.gov

Ranking Member

Rachel Baker

D • District 27

(614) 644-6886
Rep27@ohiohouse.gov

Who you are contacting

Everyone on the committee is included by default. Open this only if you want to leave someone out.

Call (it counts even more)

Use the script. Start with the leaders.

Phone script

1 spot to fill in

Hi, my name is [your name] and I'm a constituent. I'm calling about HB 795 (the SHIELD Act). It has stopped moving for now, and I want to make sure you hear the concerns families like mine are raising in case it comes back. Thank you.

Call list (leaders first)

Chair, Jennifer Gross (R-45): (614) 466-8550
Vice Chair, Tim Barhorst (R-85): (614) 466-1507
Ranking Member, Rachel Baker (D-27): (614) 644-6886
Meredith Craig (R-77): (614) 466-1474
Kellie Deeter (R-54): (614) 466-9628
Ron Ferguson (R-96): (614) 466-3735
Derrick Hall (D-34): (614) 466-1177
Brian Lampton (R-70): (614) 644-6020
Crystal Lett (D-11): (614) 644-6030
Diane Mullins (R-47): (614) 644-6721
Scott Oelslager (R-48): (614) 752-2438
Bill Roemer (R-31): (614) 644-5085
Anita Somani (D-8): (614) 466-5358
Jason Stephens (R-93): (614) 466-1366
Brian Stewart (R-12): (614) 466-1464
Bride Rose Sweeney (D-16): (614) 466-3350
Desiree Tims (D-38): (614) 466-1607
Sponsor, Josh Williams (R-44): (614) 466-1418

Also contact your own reps

Your own legislators weigh constituents most. Add them without leaving this page.

Your address (used once to find your districts, not stored)

Your address is used once to find your districts and is not stored. It goes to the U.S. Census geocoder to match your address to a district.

Spread the word

Post it and tag other Ohio parents.

Facebook / social post

OHIO FAMILIES: HB 795 (the SHIELD Act) has stopped moving for now, but it can come back. These are the lawmakers to keep the pressure on.

START WITH THESE:
Chair, Jennifer Gross (R-45): (614) 466-8550
Vice Chair, Tim Barhorst (R-85): (614) 466-1507
Ranking Member, Rachel Baker (D-27): (614) 644-6886

THEN CALL THE REST:
Meredith Craig (R-77): (614) 466-1474
Kellie Deeter (R-54): (614) 466-9628
Ron Ferguson (R-96): (614) 466-3735
Derrick Hall (D-34): (614) 466-1177
Brian Lampton (R-70): (614) 644-6020
Crystal Lett (D-11): (614) 644-6030
Diane Mullins (R-47): (614) 644-6721
Scott Oelslager (R-48): (614) 752-2438
Bill Roemer (R-31): (614) 644-5085
Anita Somani (D-8): (614) 466-5358
Jason Stephens (R-93): (614) 466-1366
Brian Stewart (R-12): (614) 466-1464
Bride Rose Sweeney (D-16): (614) 466-3350
Desiree Tims (D-38): (614) 466-1607
Sponsor, Josh Williams (R-44): (614) 466-1418

No time to call them all? Call three. Then share this and tag every Ohio parent you know.

#autism #parenting

Make sure your voice counts in November

Lawmakers listen hardest to people who vote. Two minutes to make sure you're registered.

"We are paying attention, we vote, and in November we will not forget how you voted on this."

Look up a new bill