Governor activity
Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law House Bill (HB) 67. The bill, which took immediate effect on March 20, changes education law for the 2020-21 school year to provide school districts continued flexibility and relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The temporary changes include:

  • exempting schools from the requirement to administer the American history end-of-course exam;
  • providing flexibility on the administration of state assessments by lengthening the testing windows;
  • extending the use of final course grades in lieu of end-of-course exams for juniors and seniors;
  • providing local flexibility to grant a high school diploma to any student on track to graduate and for whom the principal, in consultation with teachers and counselors, determines successful completion of the high school curriculum or an Individualized Education Program;
  • permitting a student to qualify for a high school diploma by both successfully completing the curriculum requirements and earning the OhioMeansJobs Readiness Seal;
  • requiring the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to seek a federal waiver from accountability requirements.

Ohio General Assembly activity
The General Assembly voted to override the governor’s veto of Senate Bill (SB) 22. The bill would establish the Ohio Health Oversight and Advisory Committee to provide legislative oversight of all executive orders, including those issued by commissions, agencies and statewide officers during an emergency and require a vote by the General Assembly. Additionally, it allows the state to be sued in local court.

The General Assembly sent SB 18 to DeWine. The bill expressly incorporates changes in the Internal Revenue Code into Ohio law as it relates to changes in federal adjusted gross income that impact school districts that levy income taxes. The bill was amended in committee that made changes to the Commercial Activity Tax and unemployment benefit taxes.

House activity
The House passed SB 57 by a vote of 95-0. The bill would exempt from property taxation qualifying housing provided by a charitable organization to individuals diagnosed with mental illness or a substance use disorder and allow a commercial or industrial tenant who pays 100% of the property tax to be eligible to file a property tax valuation complaint or counter-complaint with the Board of Revision. The bill was amended in committee to include provisions of HB 133 that would permit a reduced property valuation for tax years 2020, 2021 and 2022 for eligible individuals as a result of the COVID-19. The bill now heads to the Senate for a concurrence vote.

Senate activity
The Senate passed SB 111 by a vote of 33-0. The bill would provide state appropriation authority for schools to receive the funding provided by Congress through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill was amended in the Finance Committee to prohibit ODE from spending the 9.5% share of Ohio’s total ESSER funds for emergency, state-level activities; appropriate funds to nonpublic schools in fiscal year (FY) 2022 and FY 2023; allow the state auditor to audit spending by ODE and school districts related to the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2021; and require educational service centers to serve as the fiscal agents for nonpublic CAA funds and ensure compliance with the CAA.

Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held a fourth hearing on SB 1, 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.

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held a third hearing on HB 34, which requires public and private schools to transmit a transferred student’s records within five school days.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 82, sponsored by Reps. Jon Cross (R-Kenton) and Don Jones (R-Freeport), which would eliminate the requirement for 11th-grade students to take the ACT or SAT.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 117, sponsored by Rep. Thomas E. Brinkman Jr. (R-Mount Lookout), which establishes a school district territory transfer process for townships, cities and villages that contain the territory of two or more school districts.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 151, sponsored by Jones, which would revise the Ohio Resident Educator Program.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee passed HB 126, which requires school boards to pass a resolution approving a property valuation complaint or counter-complaint prior to filing that complaint and also send written notice to the property owner indicating intent to file a complaint or counter-complaint.

The committee amended HB 140, which modifies the form of election notices and ballot language for property tax levies. The amendment was a technical correction. OSBA, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, the Ohio Library Council and the Ohio Township Association provided opponent testimony. Click here to the read testimony.

Senate Financial Institutions and Technology Committee
The committee held a third hearing on SB 62, which would provide a reduced property valuation for tax years 2020, 2021 and 2022 for eligible individuals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other changes.

The committee held a fourth hearing on HB 2, which would establish the residential broadband expansion program.

House Public Utilities Committee
The committee held a third hearing on HB 118, which creates processes for township voters that may approve or reject the placement of certain wind and solar farms and creates a township referendum vote on certain wind farm and solar facility certificates. Testifying in opposition to the bill were:

Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee
The committee held a third hearing on SB 52, which creates processes for township voters that may approve or reject the placement of certain wind and solar farms and creates a township referendum vote on certain wind farm and solar facility certificates. Testifying in opposition to the bill were:

Senate Health Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 100, sponsored by Sen. Nathan H. Manning (R-North Ridgeville), which appropriates $70,000 in grants to each ESC to assist with hiring a licensed independent social worker and authorizes a mental health professional to provide a crisis assessment to a suicidal minor without parental consent.

House Health Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 176, sponsored by Reps. Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township), that would revise the law governing the practice of athletic training by requiring an athletic trainer to practice under a collaboration agreement with a physician or podiatrist.

Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 6, sponsored by Rep. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield), that eliminates the requirement for the degree of a school nurse to be in the area of nursing in order for that nurse to exercise the exemption from the current requirement to hold a separate pupil services license issued by the State Board of Education and allows application for state registration of pharmacy technician trainees who are enrolled in an approved career-technical school program.

House Technology and Innovation Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 177, sponsored by Reps. Carfagna and Mark Fraizer (R-Newark), that would permit school districts, among others, to use blockchain technology.

House Insurance Committee
The committee amended and passed HB 122, which establishes and modifies requirements regarding the provision of telehealth services of school psychologists, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, among others. The amendment includes respiratory care assistants, occupational assistants and physical therapy assistants among those permitted to provide telehealth services. Additionally, the amendment permits the use of synchronous and asynchronous technology.

House State and Local Government Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 103, sponsored by Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township), that would reduce the duration of an emergency administrative rule from 120 days to 30 days. The bill would also eliminate the governor’s authority to extend an emergency rule if the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review orders an adopting agency to revise the emergency rule’s replacement.

House Government Oversight Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 13, sponsored by Reps. Diane V. Grendell (R-Chesterland) and Fraizer, that would modify Ohio’s campaign finance laws by eliminating continuing associations, requiring a political contributing entity to report expenditures and modifying independent expenditure language.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 3/25/2021