Next week’s testimony opportunities
The Senate Education Committee will be holding hearings for public testimony on HB 33, the biennial budget, next week on Tuesday, May 9 at 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 10 at 4:00 p.m., and Thursday, May 11 at 11 a.m. if needed. They will be accepting proponent, opponent and interested party testimony during these hearings. The witness form can be found here.
Senate Education Committee
The Senate Education committee held a sixth hearing on HB 33 this week. OSBA, the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA), the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) provided proponent testimony. Read the testimony here.
House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held a second hearing and heard proponent testimony on HB 117, sponsored by Reps. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Phillip M. Robinson Jr. (D-Solon), which would eliminate retention under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and expand the grades for which intensive reading intervention is provided. The bill also modifies the English language arts assessment to be administered once in the third grade and expands the inclusion of phonics in learning standards.
The committee also held sponsor testimony on HB 103, sponsored by Reps. Don Jones (R-Freeport) and Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), which would establish the Ohio Social Studies Standards Task Force to develop new social studies academic standards for use beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 43, sponsored by Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware), which would modify the homestead exemption for the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran.
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 125, sponsored by Reps. Nick Santucci (R-Howland Township) and Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon), which would modify the income tax deductions for contributions to 529 plans and ABLE accounts.
House State and Local Government Committee
The committee passed HB 76, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) and Andrea White (R-Kettering), which would modify state agency data storage and notification law.
New Bills Introduced
HB 164, sponsored by Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati), establishes the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program. The bill requires the Department of Education to hire a full-time school foster care liaison and make an appropriation for the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program.
Federal update
Please click here to read the weekly Federal Advocacy Education Report which includes education related information.