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Ohio Senate Bill 225 Paves the Way for Greater Investment in Opportunity Zones and Historic Districts

Client Alert

Ohio Senate Bill 225 is poised to make dramatic enhancements to certain tax credit programs in Ohio, specifically those surrounding investments in “Opportunity Funds” and historic buildings. Signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine in June 2022, the Bill is positive news for real estate developers working to revitalize Ohio communities with investment and rehabilitation projects. 

Features include: 

Tax Credits for Opportunity Zones 

  • Awarded tax credits cannot exceed $75 million for the fiscal biennium beginning July 1, 2021, ending June 30, 2023; $50 million for fiscal year 2024; or $25 million for each fiscal year thereafter. 

  • A critical element of the Bill is that the term “taxpayer” is differentiated from the term “person,” allowing non-taxpaying entities to take advantage of the program as well as Ohio residents and taxpayers who have different qualifications. 

  • The tax credit equals 10-percent of the amount of the person’s investment in the fund that the fund invested during the immediately preceding investment period in Ohio opportunity zones, with a $2 million cap for all applicants.  

  • The investment period is the six-month period from January 1 to June 13, or from July 1 to December 31. 
  • In 2021, there were $10 million in tax credits left over; therefore the increase in funding incentivizes investors to contribute to low-income communities and opportunity zones with a high probability of being awarded credits. 

Tax Credits for the Restoration of Historic Buildings 

  • There is a $120 million limit on rehabilitation tax credits for 2023 and 2024, and $60 million of rehabilitation tax credits for each year thereafter. This allocation is doubled from the current $60 million cap. 

  • Total tax credits for any single project cannot exceed $10 million for any year. 

  • The certificate holder may claim a tax credit equal to 35-percent of the dollar amount indicated on the tax credit certificate if any county, township, or municipal corporation within which the project is located has a population of less than 300,000 according to the 2020 census, and 25-percent otherwise. 
  • For rehabilitations not exceeding 24 months, a rehabilitation tax credit certificate cannot be issued before the rehabilitation is complete. For rehabilitations not exceeding 60 months, a rehabilitation tax credit certificate cannot be issued before a stage of rehabilitation is complete.  

  • This program will be critical for continued investments by developers in low-income areas and will also serve in further expanding Ohioans’ pride through revitalization of Ohio’s most important landmarks. 

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Jason Butterworth at jabutterworth@bmdllc.com.


Your Workplace Under Biden

This is my favorite recurring post – Predictions of How a New Administration Will Affect Your Workplace. Four years ago, we accurately called the emasculation of the 2016 proposed FLSA Overtime Rules (the salary exemption threshold was set at $35,568 in 2019, rather than $47,476 as proposed), we forecasted a conservative shift of the NLRB and its results (a roll-back of employee rights, social media policy evaluations, and joint employer rules), and we nailed the likelihood of multiple conservative appointments to the United States Supreme Court and its long-term effects (although I completely failed to predict that my ND classmate Amy Coney Barrett would fill the final vacancy during the Trump administration). This time, the L+E Practice of BMD has decided to make it a group effort at predicting what will happen, what probably happen, and what might happen under President Biden. As always, please save this in your important files and pull it out four (or eight) years from now to judge our accuracy.

HHS Provider Relief Funds Reporting Requirements: Important Updates Every Provider Should Know

HHS continues to revise its reporting requirements for the use of the Provider Relief Funds. Providers with more than $10,000 in Provider Relief Fund payments must report on the use of the funds through December 31, 2020. The reporting window will begin on January 15, 2021 and providers must complete reporting obligations for FY 2020 by February 15, 2021 through a portal designed by HHS. However, providers that have unexpended funds as of December 31, 2020, will have an additional 6 months to use the remaining funds through June 30, 2021. These providers must submit a second and final report no later than July 31, 2021.

Should I Apply for Phase 3 Funds? Important Considerations Every Provider Should Know

On October 1, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced an additional $20 billion in new funding for providers through a Phase 3 distribution. Importantly, providers that previously received HHS Provider Relief Funds or already received payments of approximately 2% of annual revenue from patient care are eligible to apply. Eligible providers have until November 6, 2020 to apply for these Phase 3 Funds. However, the question from providers continues to be: Should I Apply for Phase 3 Funds?

CISA Ransomware Practices

On October 28, 2020, the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert warning of imminent threats to US hospitals and healthcare providers. The specific threat involves RYUK Ransomware attacks. RYUK is a novel ransomware that goes undetected by commercial anti-virus/malware detection programs. Once deployed, RYUK encrypts all data and disables systems. In short, it cripples all functionality down to phone systems and automated doors. Healthcare providers should alert their employees to remain hyper-vigilant and report any suspicious activity seen in email or on networks. It has been reported healthcare providers in New York, Pennsylvania and Oregon have been targeted in the last 48 hours. If your organization encounters issues, BMD can assist in mobilizing a response team and has contacts with forensic IT firms that are familiar with RYUK. It is advisable to engage professionals with experience dealing with this specific threat.

HHS Announces an Additional $20 Billion In Provider Relief Grants

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced an additional $20 billion in new funding for providers on October 1, 2020. Eligible providers include those that have already received Provider Relief Fund payments as well as previously ineligible providers, such as those who began practicing in 2020, and an expanded group of behavioral health providers confronting the emergence of increased mental health and substance use issues exacerbated by the pandemic. The new Phase 3 General Distribution is designed to balance an equitable payment of 2% of annual revenue from patient care for all applicants plus an add-on payment to account for revenue losses and expenses attributable to COVID-19.