Governor activity
Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law House Bill (HB) 51. The bill allows a public body, including a board of education, to temporarily meet remotely until June 30, 2022. It also revises the process for adjusting property values due to instances that result in injury or destruction to the property and includes federal tax law conformity provisions. Both the ability for a public body to meet remotely and the federal tax law provisions took immediate effect.

State Board of Education
The State Board of Education’s Performance and Impact Committee approved the state report card administrative rules, which now go before the entire State Board at its March 15 meeting. Click here to read the rules.

The State Board’s Teaching, Leading and Learning Committee delayed a vote on the Dyslexia Guidebook. The members of the committee will provide forthcoming recommendations to be considered by the Ohio Dyslexia Committee.

Ohio Redistricting Commission
The Ohio Redistricting Commission failed to approve state legislative maps by the Feb. 17 deadline established by the Ohio Supreme Court. The commission still must act to approve congressional district maps by March 15, 2022.

House Finance Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 290, sponsored by Reps. Riordan T. McClain (R-Upper Sandusky) and Marilyn S. John (R-Shelby), which would establish the Backpack Scholarship Program, under which all students would be eligible for $5,500 or $7,500, depending on grade level, to use for private school tuition or other allowable expenses. A substitute version of the bill was introduced, but the committee did not vote on whether to accept the substitute bill. Click here to read the proposed substitute bill.

House State and Local Government Committee
The committee accepted a substitute version of HB 327, which would prohibit school districts and state agencies, among others, from teaching, advocating or promoting divisive concepts and allow the Ohio Department of Education to withhold funding for noncompliance. The substitute bill makes changes regarding which concepts are prohibited and not prohibited. It also removes the noncompliance funding penalties and requires the State Board to amend the professional code of conduct for educators. Additionally, the bill includes specific requirements for boards of education:

  • Requiring each school board or other public school governing authority to annually adopt a policy approving a list of balanced partisan and nonpartisan activities that are consistent with the bill’s code of conduct provisions and do not promote one opportunity over the other.
  • Permitting a school district, school or teacher to require a student to participate in a political campaign, lobbying effort, or practicum involving social or public policy provided the student selects from the school board approved list of opportunities.

The substitute version of HB 327 makes other extensive changes to the bill. Click here to read the comparative synopsis of the bill that provides detailed information on all the changes within the bill.

Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on Senate Bill (SB) 276, sponsored by Sen. Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township), which would allow board of education employees to use accrued but unused sick leave for a parental leave of absence.

The committee held a second hearing on SB 233, also sponsored Blessing, which would require the State Board to adopt licensure rules for school nurses and school nurse wellness coordinators and require membership in the state retirement system.

Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a third hearing on HB 123, which would modify community reinvestment areas (CRAs) by increasing the threshold to exempt school district approval from 50% to 75%. The bill also would establish a revenue-sharing agreement for income over $3 million and annually index the amount to inflation. Additionally, the bill would allow limited home rule townships to use CRAs. OSBA, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators provided opponent testimony. Click here to read the testimony. Testifying in opposition of the bill were:

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 45, sponsored by Reps. Thomas West (D-Canton) and Bill Roemer (R-Richfield), which would require the state tax commissioner to administer a temporary amnesty program from July 1, 2022, through Aug. 31, 2022, with respect to delinquent state, local sales and use taxes and also certain fees.

Lastly, the committee held sponsor testimony on SB 159, sponsored by Sen. Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus), which would reduce property taxes on qualifying owner-occupied homes to the extent that property taxes increase by more than 105% from the previous year, excluding certain conditions.

Senate Judiciary Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 288, sponsored by Sen. Nathan H. Manning (R-North Ridgeville), which would revise laws regarding aggravated rape, aggravated burglary and trespassing and would update employment laws as it pertains to Head Start agencies.

House Criminal Justice Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 459, sponsored by Reps. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) and Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Township), which would prohibit an individual in the restricted offender category from being in a position as an employer, employee, independent contractor or a volunteer with any person, group or organization who has extensive contact with minor children.

House Transportation and Public Safety Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 494, sponsored by Rep. Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria), which would authorize a municipal corporation, county or township to propose, by resolution, to establish a school adjacent zone on any street or highway located within a half mile of a school. The bill also would require consultation with school administration and the county engineer before adopting the resolution.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 465, sponsored by Reps. Michael Sheehy (D-Toledo) and Adam C. Bird (R-New Richmond), which would require the Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to notify any school impacted by an additional state highway, a significant change to a state highway or other street or roadway. The bill also would require the ODOT director, or any person preparing a traffic safety study for ODOT, to consider the impact of a proposed project on traffic through a designated school zone and evaluate any increase or decrease of traffic through a designated school zone.

House Government Oversight Committee
The committee held a third hearing on HB 455, which would provide an opportunity for a concealed handgun licensee or qualified military member to avoid charges for carrying a deadly weapon into a prohibited place, including a school zone, if the person leaves upon request, and penalize failure to leave upon request or returning with a firearm.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a third hearing on HB 482, which would create the temporary Tax Fraud Study Commission to report on state income tax fraud.

The committee held sponsor testimony on House Concurrent Resolution 41, sponsored by Rep. Thomas E. Brinkman Jr. (R-Mt. Lookout), which would declare the General Assembly's intention to repeal the state individual income tax within a decade.

House Insurance Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 499, sponsored by Rep. Adam C. Miller (D-Columbus), which would allow a board of education member of a school district or ESC to continue to receive a disability benefit during the term of office.

Senate Agriculture Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 397, sponsored by Reps. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) and Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville), which would revise the law regarding agricultural leases.

House Families, Aging and Human Services Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 454, sponsored by Reps. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Diane V. Grendell (R-Chesterland), which would prohibit certain procedures to alter a minor child's sex. The bill also would prohibit all school personnel from encouraging or coercing a student to withhold from his or her parent the fact that the minor's perception of his or her gender is inconsistent with his or her sex and prohibit all school personnel from withholding information related to the minor’s perception of his or her gender if inconsistent with his or her sex. Additionally, the bill would designate this act as the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act.

Ohio Department of Education
ODE has the following proposed rules open for public comment:

  • OAC 3301-24-19 Alternative resident educator licenses for teaching in grades kindergarten to 12
  • OAC 3301-106-01 Community learning center elections.

Click here to view the rules open for public comment.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 2/18/2022