House activity
The Ohio House passed House Bill (HB) 312 by a vote of 90-0. This legislation deals with the use of credit cards and debit cards by political subdivisions. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Senate activity
The Ohio Senate passed HB 170 by a vote of 31-0. This bill calls for developing optional academic content standards and model curriculum for computer science. HB 170 also addresses educator qualifications for computer science.
House Education and Career Readiness Committee
The committee heard HB 176 which would make changes to standards, assessments, model curricula and teacher evaluations. The committee accepted an amendment to the bill by a vote of 8-7. The amendment would do the following:
• specify that state exams must be the Iowa Test of Basic Skills;
• eliminate the fall third-grade English language arts assessment;
• require schools to detail any data applications they are using and any grants for which they have applied;
• prohibit the state from requiring that state assessments be taken on computers.
The committee also heard HB 338 regarding school bus driver medical examinations. There were no witnesses present to testify on the bill. The committee passed the bill out of committee.
The committee also heard a presentation from Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria on the proposed mathematics and English language arts model curriculum.
House Ways and Means Committee
The committee heard testimony on HB 343. This bill would require a school board or the legislative authority of a county, municipal corporation or township to pass a resolution approving the complaint or count-complaint at a public meeting before filing a property tax complaint or counter-complaint.
The committee also heard testimony on HB 371. This legislation would exempt from property tax the increased value of unimproved land that has been subdivided for residential development until construction begins or the land is sold.
House Criminal Justice Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 426 from Rep. Christina Hagan (R-Alliance). This bill would prohibit an employee of a school who is not in a position of authority from engaging in sexual conduct with certain students.
Senate Education Committee
The committee heard opponent and interested-party testimony on Senate Bill (SB) 216. This legislation would enact the Ohio Public School Deregulation Act dealing with the administration of preschool and primary and secondary education programs.
The committee also heard a presentation from Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria on the proposed mathematics and English language arts model curriculum.