House activity
The House passed House Bill (HB) 380, sponsored by Reps. Brett Hudson Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville) and Kevin D. Miller (R-Newark), with a vote of 87-0. This bill would designate a portion of Interstate 70 in Licking County as the “Tuscarawas Valley Memorial Highway.”

The House passed HB 378, sponsored by Reps. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) and Nick Santucci (R-Howland Township), with a vote of 90-1. This bill would authorize a full homestead exemption for surviving spouses of members of the uniformed services killed in the line of duty.

The House also passed HB 178, sponsored by Reps. Juanita O. Brent (D-Cleveland) and Jamie Callender (R-Concord), with a vote of 83-7. This bill would prohibit public schools and public preschools from discriminating against a student because of traits associated with a student’s race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists. The bill also allows an individual alleging a school has discriminated against a student based on traits associated with the student’s race to sue in any court having jurisdiction.

HB 432, sponsored by Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport), was passed by the House with a vote of 86-4. The bill would make changes regarding the teaching of career-technical education.

Senate activity 
The Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 112, sponsored by Sen. Michael A. Rulli (R-Salem), with a vote of 32-1. This bill would require that school buildings comply with national life safety standards and name this act the Ohio Childhood Safety Act.

The Senate also passed SB 186, sponsored by Sens. Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township) and Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati), with a vote of 32-1. This bill would require payment of property taxes and assessments when a lot is split or transferred and to generally prohibit tax-delinquent property owners from purchasing tax-foreclosed property.

Finally, the Senate approved the appointment of Jeremy B. Varner to serve as the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) deputy director of the Division of Career-Technical Education and Workforce.

Senate Education Committee 
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 70 from Reps. Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) and Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester). The bill would require that schools adopt a policy regarding the administration of over-the-counter medications.

The committee held a hearing on HB 147, sponsored by Reps. Fowler Arthur and Adam C. Miller (D-Columbus). This bill would make changes regarding teacher licensure revocation, teacher hiring practices and conduct unbecoming to the teaching profession. No witnesses were present to testify on the bill. The committee amended the bill to add pre-K teachers to the list of those eligible for the stipend after completing the required training in the science of reading.

The committee accepted a substitute version and passed SB 112, sponsored by Sen. Rulli. This bill would require that school buildings comply with safety standards. No witnesses were present to testify.

The committee held a second hearing on SB 259, sponsored by Sen. Teresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green). The bill would make changes regarding participation in interscholastic athletics for students subjected to harassment, intimidation, bullying or other offenses. No witnesses were present to testify on the bill.

The committee heard sponsor testimony on Senate Concurrent Resolution 11 from Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware). This resolution would urge Congress and the president of the United States, along with the United States Department of Education, to exclude sexual orientation and gender identity from Title IX.

The committee heard sponsor testimony on SB 181 from Sen. Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro). This bill would make changes regarding ticket prices for school and affiliated events.

The committee held a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Jeremy B. Varner to serve as the deputy director of ODEW’s Division of Career-Technical Education and Workforce. The committee approved the nomination.

Senate Finance Committee 
The committee met on Tuesday and heard sponsor testimony on SB 288 from Sen. Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls). This bill provides $700 million for One-Time Strategic Community Investments. The committee met again on Wednesday to hear proponent testimony on the bill.

House Government Oversight 
The committee heard opponent testimony on HB 499, sponsored by Reps. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) and Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon). This legislation would create grant programs for housing developments near megaprojects and for townships and municipalities that adopt pro-housing policies. HB 499 would also modify the community reinvestment area law relating to residential property and limit the 10% nonbusiness property tax credit.

House State and Local Government Committee 
The committee heard opponent testimony on HB 491, sponsored by Reps. Tom Young (R-Washington Township) and Bob Peterson (R-Sabina). This bill would require that a political subdivision or state retirement system provide information on expenditures to the treasurer of state for inclusion in the Ohio State and Local Government Expenditure Database.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee passed HB 496, sponsored by Rep. James M. Hoops (R-Napoleon). This bill would revise the law governing property taxes and county auditors. No witnesses were present.

Senate Judiciary Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 230 from Reps. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) and D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron). This bill would do the following:

  • Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, require that public schools provide age-appropriate, research-based instruction on the dangers of fentanyl to students in grades kindergarten through 12 that includes instruction in prescribed areas of focus
  • Require that public schools designate a week during the school year as “Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week” to educate students about the dangers posed by fentanyl. 

House Higher Education Committee 
The committee heard sponsor testimony from Rep. Andrea White (R-Kettering) on HB 572. This bill would require that the chancellor of higher education conduct an audit of educator preparation programs to determine the instruction they are providing to students on mental and behavioral health, behavior management and classroom management and make recommendations. The committee also heard proponent testimony on the bill.

House Finance Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 569 from Reps. Phillip M. Robinson Jr. (D-Solon) and Joseph A. Miller III (D-Amherst). The bill would reinstate the Joint Education Oversight Committee and make an appropriation.

The committee also heard sponsor testimony from Rep. J. Miller on HB 516. This bill would annually require that the director of the Ohio Office of Budget and Management transfer funds to the State Board of Education licensure fund.

House Homeland Security Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 515 from Rep. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield). This bill would create the “Norton Music Boosters” license plate.

The committee passed HB 223, sponsored by Rep. Jim Thomas (R-Jackson Township). This bill would create the “Jackson Local Schools” license plate. No witnesses were present to testify.

The committee also passed HB 302, sponsored by Reps. Elgin Rogers Jr. (D-Toledo) and Swearingen.  This bill would create the Jesup W. Scott High School license plate. No witnesses were present to testify.

Senate Insurance Committee
The committee heard proponent testimony on HB 78, sponsored by Reps. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) and J. Miller. This bill would make changes regarding the State Teachers Retirement Board elections and membership requirements.

Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony SB 271 from Sens. Blessing and Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus). This bill would authorize a refundable income tax credit or rebate for homeowners and renters whose property taxes or a portion of their rent exceed 5% of their income.

The committee heard proponent testimony on SB 242, sponsored by Sen. Sandra O’Brien (R-Ashtabula). This bill would expand the charitable use property tax exemption.

House Economic and Workforce Development Committee
The committee accepted a substitute version and passed HB 349, sponsored by Reps. Tim Barhorst (R-Fort Loramie) and Jones. The bill would authorize the creation of areas within which incentives are available to encourage the development of natural gas pipelines and other infrastructure and to make an appropriation.

House Technology and Innovation Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 507, sponsored by Hillyer. The bill would extend eligibility to political subdivisions for affirmative defenses against claims that a failure to implement reasonable information security controls resulted in a data breach concerning personal information or restricted information.

Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on SB 247, sponsored by Sen. George F. Lang (R-West Chester). The bill would establish the community solar pilot program.

House Armed Services and Veterans Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 113, sponsored by former Sen. Frank Hoagland (R-Mingo Junction). The bill prohibits a person who fails to comply with the Military Selective Service System from holding certain public offices or employment with the state and would require that high schools notify students of any obligation to register for the Selective Service System.

The committee heard sponsor testimony on SB 154, sponsored by Sen. Kristina D. Roegner (R-Hudson). The bill would include Space Force in the definition of the armed forces, armed services and uniformed services of the United States. 

New bills introduced

  • SB 287, sponsored by Sen. William P. DeMora (D-Columbus), would authorize a property tax freeze for certain owner-occupied homes.
  • SB 288, sponsored by Sen. Dolan, would make certain supplemental operating appropriations for the biennium ending June 30, 2025. 

Rules activity
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce does not currently have any proposed rules open for public comment.

Federal update
Please click here to read the weekly Federal Advocacy Education Report, which includes education-related information.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 6/14/2024