12/11/2025

JCARR Sends Aging Rule to CSI for Further Review

The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review voted unanimously this week to refer a proposed Ohio Department of Aging rule to the Common Sense Initiative for a business impact analysis. The draft rule, 173-2-08, would require area agencies on aging to secure departmental approval before entering commercial arrangements with private entities.

Area agencies testified that the rule could slow or deter partnerships that help expand services for older Ohioans. Kelsey Bergfeld of the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging said the approval process would add bureaucracy without improving accountability, noting that federal guidance encourages leveraging private resources rather than restricting them. Nan Cahall of the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio added that her agency contracts with hundreds of small businesses each year, and delays could jeopardize service delivery.

The Ohio Department of Aging argued that federal law already requires state oversight of these commercial relationships and said a state-level policy is now needed under updated federal rules. Department staff also noted that the January 1 deadline for finalizing the rule is self-imposed.

Following testimony, committee members expressed uncertainty about the rule’s reach and supported directing it to CSI. Representatives Beryl Brown Piccolantonio and Latyna Humphrey later said the proposal could burden area agencies and create delays in essential services. 

AGE is now accepting comments on the already-filed rule and the related application form here. Interested parties are free to review these items, then submit comments to rules@age.ohio.gov no later than December 18, 2025 at 11:59 p.m..

LeadingAge Ohio will continue to monitor the rulemaking process and assess its implications for providers across the state’s aging network.