COLUMBUS (WJW) — Mail delays during the pandemic reportedly caused some Ohioans to miss important communication from billing companies. Now, two state representatives want to eliminate any late fees that may have been incurred due to delayed bills.
“The coronavirus pandemic has affected our lives in numerous unexpected and unavoidable ways, including the consistency of how we receive mail,” State Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) said in a statement “It is critical that we shield our citizens from late fees accrued due to these irregularities, especially older Ohioans who receive their bills solely through our mailing system.”
State Rep. Shayla L. Davis (D-Garfield Heights) is the co-sponsor on the bill, which would apply to all debt collectors including the government. Davis said the bill would work to ease the burden many Ohioans have felt during the pandemic.
The bill would eliminate late fee debt for the period between March 9, 2020, and 30 days after June 18, 2021, the dates the pandemic emergency Executive Order 2020-01D was enacted.
The bill has officially been introduced but has not yet been given to a committee or been assigned a number.