Ohio residents would have to approve any large-scale data center before it could be built or expanded in their community under a bill introduced Tuesday by State Rep. Jennifer Gross, who represents West Chester Township.
Gross and co-sponsor Rep. Michelle Teska of Clearcreek Township filed House Bill 983, dubbed the Data Center Accountability and Citizen Protection Act.
The bill goes well beyond local zoning measures already adopted in Butler County, proposing statewide mandates that would reshape how and whether data centers get built in Ohio.
What the bill would do
HB 983's key provisions:
- Voter approval required before construction or expansion of large-scale data centers and their associated power-generation facilities.
- Ban on future local tax incentives for data centers or related power plants.
- Self-generated electricity required, so operators cannot shift infrastructure costs onto ratepayers.
- Environmental standards set by the Ohio EPA for air emissions and wastewater discharges, with independent testing and public reporting.
- Chemical disclosure for cooling systems and wastewater treatment.
- Financial liability for operators whose facilities damage local water supplies or infrastructure.
- Public records status for all development and supply agreements tied to data centers.
"Economic development should never come at the expense of the people who already live here," Gross said in a statement announcing the bill. "Ohioans deserve transparency, accountability, and the right to decide whether projects of this magnitude belong in their communities."
Local context
The bill arrives one week after Liberty Township trustees voted 3-0 on Tuesday, July 21, to require public hearings and a trustee vote for any future data center proposal. That zoning change takes effect Saturday, August 22.
Liberty Township Trustee President Todd Minniear said in June, when the zoning commission advanced the measure, that energy use, water consumption, and noise were his biggest concerns. "We want more business in Liberty Township, but it has to be the right kind of business for our citizens," Minniear said at the time.
The legislation also follows Gov. Mike DeWine's May 27 decision to pause the state's data center sales tax exemption after it cost Ohio nearly $1.6 billion in 2025, roughly 11 times the state's original $136 million estimate. Ohio has inked sales tax agreements with 18 data center companies and currently hosts 204 data centers statewide, ranking sixth nationally.
What's next
HB 983 awaits committee assignment in the Ohio House. No hearing date has been scheduled. The House has a bipartisan Select Committee on Data Centers, though it is not confirmed whether the bill will be referred there or to another panel.
