The request comes amid deep federal cuts and growing demand for services across the state.

Supporters of House Bill 96 say the 15 million dollar state allocation it provides would fund emergency hotlines, hospital accompaniment, legal advocacy, and education efforts.

Rosa Beltré, president and CEO of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, says thousands could be left without help if the bill doesn’t pass.

Between October 2023 and September 2024, Ohio’s rape crisis centers responded to over forty thousand hotline calls and provided more than five hundred hours of legal advocacy each week.