Conference Committee on HB 110
The committee held a second hearing on House Bill (HB) 110, which makes operating appropriations for the fiscal years (FY) 2022 and 2023 biennium. The members appointed from the Ohio House and Ohio Senate to serve on the committee consist of Reps. Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton), Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) and Erica C. Crawley (D-Columbus) and Sens. Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls), Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) and Vernon Sykes (D-Akron). The committee heard testimony from the Office of Budget and Management the Legislative Service Commission on revenue estimates.

Governor activity
Gov. Mike DeWine announced the K-12 Safety Grant Program to award $5 million to qualifying K-12 public schools for improvements to physical security and safety expenses. The program will be administered by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.

DeWine announced that the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic will end on June 18, 2021.

House activity
The House passed House Resolution 69 by a vote of 75-21. The resolution expels Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford) from the House of Representatives. The House announced applications for the vacancy are being accepted through June 23. Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume to HD72Appointment@ohiohouse.gov.

The House passed HB 281 by a vote of 93-1. The bill would change terminology in the Ohio Revised Code as it pertains to people with mental illnesses and disabilities.

The House passed HB 187 by a vote of 93-0. The bill would require an employer to provide earnings and deductions statements to each of the employer’s employees.

Senate activity
The Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 176 by a vote of 30-2. The bill would legalize, regulate and tax sports gaming; prohibit betting on any sport or athletic event if a player is under the age of 18; and require that 98% of profits be used for K-12 education. The Senate Select Committee on Gaming amended the bill earlier in the week to increase the number of Type A and B licenses, modify licensing restrictions for Type B licenses and include a new Type C license. Click here for an analysis of the bill.

The Senate passed SB 166 by a vote of 33-0. The bill would establish the student pathways for career success grant program and require the state to create a program that establishes financial incentives for Ohio businesses to provide work-based learning experiences for students enrolled in career-technical education programs. The bill would permit career-technical schools to use remote or digital learning. Additionally, the legislation would require joint vocational school districts to be included in revenue-sharing agreements from a community reinvestment area agreement. The Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee earlier in the week amended the bill to clarify that a student could earn up to two points of credit toward graduation for a driver’s education course. Additionally, a previous amendment that would have included construction in the mentoring program was removed from the bill.

The Senate passed SB 135 by a vote 31-2. The bill would require school districts to include in career advising policies information on career fields with associate degrees and certificates; provide information on the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps; and require school districts to adopt a policy on free speech that includes a process for a student or teacher to file a complaint due to a violation of the policy. The Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee amended the bill earlier in the week regarding nursing bachelor’s degree programs, regional partnerships, transcript withholding under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and modified language for in-state versus out-of-state student preferences.

House Health Committee
The committee held a fourth hearing on HB 248, which would prohibit mandatory vaccinations and vaccination status disclosures; prohibit discrimination based on a person’s refusal of a vaccination or refusal to show proof of vaccination status; and require school districts to disclose available exemptions when disclosing required vaccinations.

Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee passed HB 244, sponsored by Reps. Andrea White (R-Kettering) and Brian E. Lampton (R-Beavercreek), which would require K-12 schools to allow military children who are relocating but not yet residents of the district to enroll electronically and participate in technology-based educational opportunities.

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 1, sponsored by Sens. Steve Wilson (R-Maineville) and Rob McColley (R-Napoleon), which would require students who enter the ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2021, to complete at least one-half unit of instruction in the study of financial literacy. OSBA, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO), the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA) provided interested-party testimony. Click here to read the testimony.

The committee held a third hearing on HB 151, which would revise the Ohio Resident Educator Program. OSBA, OASBO, BASA, OASSA and Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators provided proponent testimony. Click here to read the testimony.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 312, sponsored by Reps. Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) and Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville), which would designate Nov. 23 as “Women and Girls in STEM Day.”

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 240, sponsored by Reps. Reggie Stoltzfus (R-Paris Township) and Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Geneva-on-the-Lake), which would enact the Parents Right to Know Act to enforce school district compliance with venereal disease or teen pregnancy prevention instruction requirements; require a parent or guardian to give permission for additional information not specified in current law; and require an annual compliance audit for all school districts.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee passed HB 255, which would permit the second publication of a county delinquent property tax list to be made online instead of in a newspaper.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 323, sponsored by Fowler Arthur, which would provide a maximum personal income tax credit of $1,500 for certain primary and secondary education expenses.

The committee amended SB 19, which would establish a property tax exemption for certain property used for wetland mitigation projects; revise the process for adjusting property values due to instances that result in injury or destruction to the property; expand an existing property tax exemption for fraternal organizations; and create an annual report to the legislature on ineligible properties for the homestead tax exemption. The amendments would change the current requirement for community schools to file an annual tax exemption form and restore original provisions of the Senate-passed version that were mistakenly removed from the bill.

House Public Utilities Committee
The committee held sponsored testimony on SB 52, sponsored by Sens. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) and McColley, which would permit a board of county commissioners to designate energy development districts (EDD) that would limit where wind and solar facilities can be constructed and creates a process for voters that may approve or reject the placement of the EDD. The bill also allows a board of county commissioners to adopt a resolution prohibiting the construction of any wind or solar facility.

House State and Local Government Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 322, sponsored by Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport), which would prohibit the State Board of Education from adopting model curriculum regarding certain concepts of race and sex in public schools. The bill would prohibit school districts from teaching, instructing or training certain concepts of race and sex and prohibit a school district from requiring a teacher to discuss current events or controversial issues. Additionally, the bill would prohibit a school district from requiring, through a policy, a teacher to believe in the systemic nature of racism or gender identities if it is against the teacher’s religious or philosophical convictions.

The committee accepted a substitute version of HB 327, sponsored by Reps. Diane V. Grendell (R-Chesterland) and Fowler Arthur, 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. Click here to read the Substitute Bill Comparative Synopsis.

Senate Veterans and Public Safety Committee
The committee held a third hearing on SB 168, which would establish the Ohio Mobile Training Team Program that provides basic firearms training programs to school safety designees and includes quarterly training required for continued certification.

Senate Transportation Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 154, sponsored by Sen. Tina Maharath (D-Columbus), which would establish requirements for signs equipped with flashing lights, other lights and no lights that indicate speed limits in school zones.

House Economic and Workforce Development Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 303, sponsored by Rep. D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron), which would establish the student pathways for career success grant program and require the state to create a program that establishes financial incentives for Ohio businesses to provide work-based learning experiences for students enrolled in career-technical education programs. The bill would permit career-technical schools to use remote or digital learning. Additionally, the legislation would require joint vocational school districts to be included in revenue-sharing agreements from a community reinvestment area agreement.

House Government Oversight Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 294, sponsored by Reps. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) and Sharon Ray (R-Wadsworth), which would make changes to election law, including creating an Automated Voter Registration and Verification System; modify the procedures for voter roll maintenance; and make changes to absentee voting.

House Technology and Innovation Committee
The committee accepted a substitute version of HB 230, which would establish a plan to migrate the state’s information technology systems to the state of Ohio’s computer center and cloud environment and establish a cybersecurity and fraud advisory board. Click here to read the comparative synopsis of the substitute bill.

Senate Judiciary Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 186, sponsored by Sens. George F. Lang (R-West Chester) and McColley, which would permit the General Assembly to adopt a concurrent resolution that would require the attorney general to challenge an executive order from the president or a federal agency rule.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 6/18/2021