This week marked the end of the 135th General Assembly (GA). All legislation that did not receive a favorable vote from both the House and Senate will “die” in this GA – to become laws, those bills will need to be introduced again in the new year by the next set of legislators. The 136th General Assembly will hold their ceremonial opening session on Monday, January 6, 2025. Bill introductions will commence the following week, with both chambers slated to return for session the week of January 20, 2025.
Governor’s Activity
On Thursday, Governor DeWine signed HB 78. Sponsored by Reps. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) and Joe Miller (D-Amherst), the act makes retired teachers who are reemployed in positions covered by the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) eligible to seek election to the STRS Board. HB 78 also includes student teachers who hold a pre-service permit and are substitute teachers as STRS members. The law will take effect in 90 days.
Governor DeWine also signed HB 70. Sponsored by Reps. Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) and Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester), this act will require schools to adopt a policy regarding the administration of over-the-counter medications. The law will take effect in 90 days.
The Senate concurred with the House’s amendments to SB 163 with a vote of 31-0. This bill began as legislation to create the Dublin City Schools license plate but became a “license plate omnibus bill”, now also including license plates for the Norton Music Boosters, Hillard Davidson Wildcats and Blanchester Wildcats and for Jackson Local Schools. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for signature.
The chamber also concurred with the House’s amendments to SB 208 with a vote of 31-0. SB 208 was sponsored by Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) regarding open enrollment policy exceptions for military children, school district and educational service center purchases of technological equipment, virtual services provided under special needs scholarship programs, public school employee in-service training in child sexual abuse prevention, pre-service teacher permits, and student and driver training instruction in peace officer interactions. The bill also establishes early childhood education Regional Partnerships Programs and exempts home education groups from child care regulations and county and township zoning regulations. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for signature.
The Senate passed HB 8 with a vote of 24-7. Sponsored by Reps. D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) and Sara P. Carruthers (R-Hamilton), this bill would enact the "Parents' Bill of Rights" to require public schools to adopt a policy on parental notification on student health and well-being and instructional materials with sexually explicit content as well as a policy on release time for religious instruction (RTRI). The Senate Education Committee approved various amendments before favorably reporting the bill earlier in the day, including:
- Language clarifying a student who is excused from instruction with sexually explicit content is permitted to participate in an alternative assignment,
- Removal of language that defines core curriculum as it pertains to RTRI and puts in place alternative language that says district boards collaborate with the RTRI entity to offer courses during the school day, and
- Language that allows board of education to include in policy a requirement for background checks of employees and volunteers of RTRI sponsor, with the district determining the manner for checks.
The House concurred with the Senate’s amendments to HB 8 with a vote of 57-31. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for signature.
The chamber passed HB 206 with a vote of 23-7. Sponsored by Reps. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Monica Robb Blasdel (R-Columbiana), this bill would make changes regarding the expulsion of a student from a public school for actions that endanger the health and safety of other students or school employees. The Senate Education Committee approved several amendments before favorably reporting the bill earlier in the day. The bill now:
- Requires public schools to include specified demographic data on expelled students and information on those expulsions in the expulsion records submitted to the Department of Education and Workforce under the bill;
- Explicitly states that a superintendent must comply with the same written notice and hearing procedure requirements for the original expulsion period when deciding to extend the expulsion for an additional period;
- Exempts from closure requirements for the 2024-2025 school year any community school that meets established closure criteria but, for any of the 2022-2023, 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 school years, receives a performance index score on its report card within five points below the score required to receive two stars on its achievement rating and makes other changes based on performance on the subsequent two school years;
- Increases the funding for school choice program administration by $4,140,000 in FY 2025; and
- Allows a school to store a drug prescribed to a student for a seizure disorder in an easily accessible location, permits a student to possess a drug prescribed to that student for a seizure disorder if the school principal and school nurse have received written approval from the student's physician and parent/guardian and permits an authorized school employee, contractor or volunteer to administer a drug prescribed to a student to prevent or alleviate the symptoms of a seizure if they receive either a copy of the written approval issued by the student's physician or training regarding the circumstances under which the drug is to be administered to the student.
The House concurred with the Senate’s amendments to HB 206 with a vote of 61-25. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for signature.
The chamber passed HB 257 with a vote of 29-1. HB 257 was sponsored by Rep. James A. Hoops (R-Napoleon) and would authorize certain public bodies to meet virtually. The House concurred with the Senate’s amendments to HB 257 with a vote of 81-0. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for signature.
The Senate passed HB 496 with a vote of 29-1. Sponsored by Rep. Hoops (R-Napoleon), the bill would revise the law governing property and lodging taxes and county auditors. The House concurred with the Senate’s amendments to HB 496 with a vote of 82-0. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for signature.
The House passed SB 234 with a vote of 90-1. SB 234, sponsored by Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), would designate May as “Food Allergy Awareness Month” and “Lupus Awareness Month”, and require schools and higher education institutions to include the national suicide and crisis lifeline telephone number on student identification cards, student planners and electronic portals (language formally a part of HB 571). The Senate concurred with the House’s amendments to SB 234 with a vote of 29-0. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for signature.
The chamber also passed SB 54 with a vote 76-14 after accepting an amendment. Sponsored by Sen. Michelle Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), the bill was heavily amended in the House Finance Committee earlier in the week, during which the committee removed all provisions of SB 54 and replaced it with substitute language that funds various programs and capital projects. One education-related item was an appropriation of $250,000 for the 1in5 Foundation to promote suicide prevention in schools. Click here for the full list of SB 54 changes. The Senate concurred with the House’s amendments to SB 54 with a vote of 28-1. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for signature.
This week, a conference committee hearing was held for HB 315. Sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) and Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati), the bill aimed to make changes to township law. Over the past several weeks HB 315 had received several amendments, and the House refused to concur with the Senate version of the bill. Early Thursday morning, a conference committee agreed on final amendments to HB 315, including the authorization for townships to extend a tax increment financing districts for 15 additional years. The final version of the bill passed the Senate with a vote of 27-1 and the House with a vote of 76-7. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for signature.
The committee held its fourth hearing on SB 295, sponsored by Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware). This bill would require schools in the bottom five percent of the performance index and bottom ten percent of the progress measure for three consecutive years to choose to either close or implement an alternative to closure. Chairman Brenner announced that the committee would not be moving this bill, but that he would be reintroducing it next year for consideration.
Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee
The committee heard invited testimony from Superintendent Craig Heath, Mentor Schools; Dr. Joe Glavan, director of workforce development for Mentor Schools and Lakeland Community College; and other representatives from Lake County on the Lake County Workforce Training collaborative. This partnership hub combines the efforts of local businesses, the community college and Mentor Schools to prepare students for jobs within the local economy.
House Transportation Committee
The committee held its first hearing on SB 233, sponsored by Sen. William P. Demora (D-Columbus) and Stephanie Kunze (R-Dublin). This bill would require vehicle operators to watch, listen and stop for on-track equipment that may be approaching a railroad crossing. The committee accepted an amendment to the bill before favorably reporting it out of committee, folding language from SB 279, the “School Bus Safety Act,” into the bill. This amendment changed the source of funding for the $25 million appropriation for school bus safety grants from Ohio General Revenue Funds to state lottery funding. The bill did not receive time on the House floor but will likely be a part of budget considerations next year.
The committee held its second hearing on HB 518, sponsored by Rep. Jon Cross (R-Kenton). This bill would authorize a civil penalty system related to drivers who illegally pass a school bus but cannot be identified and designate the month of October as "School Bus Safety Awareness Month." No witnesses were present to testify on the bill. The bill did not receive a vote out of committee but will likely be a part of budget considerations next year.
Recently Introduced Bills
- SB 342 – Sponsored by Sen. Louis Blessing (R – Colerain Township) and Kent Smith (D-Euclid), this bill would modify the law governing property, income, sales and use, severance and lodging taxes; provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to public and chartered nonpublic school students; increase the Local Government Fund; modify funding for the Low- and Moderate-income Housing Trust Fund; and name this act “A Good Deal for Ohio”.
- HB705 - Sponsored by Rep. Adam C. Miller (D-Columbus) and Sean P. Brennan (D-Parma), this bill would alter policies for assault leave at educational service centers.
Introduced in the last week of the General Assembly, these bills received no legislative attention and will need to be re-introduced in January to receive public hearings.
Rules Activity
The Department of Education and Workforce has no rules open for public comment at this time.
The State Board of Education has the following rule open for public comment at this time:
- Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Rule 3302-24-05 – Licensure
Click here to view the SBOE rules open for public comment.
Federal Update
Please click here to read the most recent Federal Advocacy Report from COSSBA, which includes up-to-date information on federal education efforts.