API Ohio Testifies in Support of Senate Bill 219 to Update Oil and Gas Law, Protect Fund for Well Plugging in Ohio
Columbus, Ohio, October 22, 2025 — Today, the American Petroleum Institute Ohio (API Ohio) provided testimony at an Ohio Senate Energy Committee hearing in support of Senate Bill 219 to revise the law governing oil and gas wells.
"S.B. 219 updates and strengthens Ohio’s oil and gas law to reflect the progress and innovation that have defined the industry since the shale revolution over a decade ago,” said API Ohio Associate Director Claire Linkhart. Amending the statute to incorporate technological advancements that have modernized operations, making oil and natural gas industry assets safer and more efficient than ever before, would provide important clarity to both industry and regulators alike, she said.
Linkhart also pointed out that the bill includes a provision to protect revenue intended for plugging wells and regulatory oversight from future budget raids.
Under current law, the Ohio Oil and Gas Well Fund – funded wholly through industry severance tax revenue – includes two line items: one to fund the Ohio Division of Oil and Gas’s core regulatory and oversight functions, and the other to plug idle, orphaned and abandoned wells.
“As an organization founded on standards-making, the API holds this fund—focused on protecting public health and safety—paramount to our core mission,” said Linkhart.
Over the past decade, however, the Oil and Gas Well Fund has been the subject of budget raids for purposes beyond regulating the industry and plugging wells.
API Ohio, the Ohio Oil and Gas Association and several environmental groups sent a joint letter expressing opposition to redirecting money from the Oil and Gas Well Fund for purposes other than regulatory oversight and well plugging.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry, supporting nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. With approximately 600 members, API companies produce, process, and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy. Founded in 1919, API has developed over 800 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
###