Ohio House Bill 184: First Responder and Student-Athlete Support

The Fostoria Free Press | Published: November 20, 2025

Current Status: Introduced in the 136th General Assembly; pending in committee (no House passage as of November 20, 2025).

This bill combines mental health support for public safety personnel with regulations in collegiate athletics.

Key Provisions:

• Provides $40 million in funding for post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) treatment programs targeted at first responders (police, firefighters, EMS).
• Opens state grants to private and volunteer fire departments.
• Limits name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation for student-athletes to the duration of their athletic eligibility.

The measure addresses rising mental health challenges among first responders and aims to preserve fairness in college sports.