The Ohio General Assembly has returned with a flurry of legislative activity. This issue of Facts in a Flash recaps this busy week and outlines everything you need to know!
The Senate concurred with the House’s amendments to Senate Bill (SB) 104, sponsored by Sen. Jerry C. Cirino (R-Kirtland) and Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware), with a vote of 24-7. SB104 originally addressed Ohio’s College Credit Plus system, but in the final hours before the General Assembly’s summer recess, the House added the “Protect All Students Act” regarding single-sex bathroom access in schools and institutions of higher education to the bill. With this vote of Senate approval, SB104 will be sent to the governor’s desk for signature.
House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The House Primary and Secondary education Committee met on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
During Tuesday’s hearings, Sen. Kristina D. Roegner (R-Hudson) provided sponsor testimony on SB 208. This bill would require a city, exempted village, or local school district to include an exception for military children in its open enrollment policy.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony from Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.) on House Bill (HB) 216. This bill would require the Department of Education to develop a process for students and families to request an investigation of a school's compliance with its policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying.
The committee heard sponsor testimony from Rep. Joseph A. Miller III (D-Amherst) on HB 411. This bill would increase the base teacher salary to $50,000.
Tuesday’s committee also held a lengthy third hearing on HB 445, a bill that would require school boards to have a district policy for released time courses in religious instruction. The committee received written opposition testimony on the bill from Wes Weaver, Assistant Superintendent and Director of Curriculum, Vermillion Local (Erie) and Kara Coates, Board President, Gahanna-Jefferson City.
On Wednesday, the committee held an informal hearing on chronic absenteeism with testimony from Cognia, Attendance Works, the Graduation Alliance, the Ohio Educational Service Center Association and Kelly Dudleson, an Attendance Officer at Monroe Local Schools.
The committee heard sponsor testimony from Rep. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) on HB 506. This bill would require schools that supply overdose-reversing drugs like naloxone to establish policies for proper storage and use, and permit districts to accept donations to purchase overdose-reversing drugs.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony from Rep. Miller on HB 470. This bill would require the Department of Education and Workforce to conduct audits on the cost of state assessments in public, charter, STEM and chartered nonpublic schools.
The committee conducted its first hearing on HB 560 after adopting an amendment to apply its provisions to chartered nonpublic and charter schools as well as traditional school districts. This bill would require implicit bias training for licensed educators and make an appropriation to the Department of Education and Workforce to reimburse districts for such training. Rep. Miller and Rep. Darnell T. Brewer (D-Cleveland) provided sponsor testimony on the bill.
The committee held its first hearing on HB 178, with sponsor testimony from Rep. Juanita O. Brent (D-Cleveland) and Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord). 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 hair styles, 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.
The committee also held its first hearing on SB 293, a Senate companion bill to HB 445 regarding school district policies for released time courses in religious instruction. Sen. Al Cutrona (R- Canfield) provided sponsor testimony on the bill.
The committee heard sponsor testimony from Sen. Brenner on SB 295. This placeholder bill declares the General Assembly's intent to revise the closure requirements for poor-performing community schools and school buildings operated by a school district. While no substitute language has been introduced yet, Sen. Brenner’s testimony previewed definitions of poor performing schools and closure options.
The committee held its second hearing on HB 432, regarding alternate credentialing pathways for career-technical educators. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill from Dr. Paul Imhoff, on behalf of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and OSBA. Additional proponent testimony was heard from the following:
- Joe Glavan, Director of Workforce Development, Mentor EV
- Kevin Kratzer, superintendent, Southern Hills Career and Technical Center
- Keith Horner, superintendent, JVSD
- Dr. Richard D. Smith, superintendent, Ohio Hi-Point Career Center
- Bob Alsept, superintendent, Buckeye JVSD
- Matt Sheridan, superintendent, Mid-East Career and Technology Centers
- Connie Altier, superintendent, Tri-County Career Center.
House Transportation Committee
The committee adopted a substitute version of HB 279. This bill would appropriate $25 million to create a School Bus Safety Grant Fund at the Department of Education and Workforce to assist districts with the cost of installing safety features on new and existing school buses. The bill would also increase the penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus and designate August as “School Bus Safety Month”. Rep. Bernard Willis (R-Springfield) and Rep. Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester) testified on the changes within the substitute bill, a result of a series of interested party meetings OSBA participated in this summer. The committee did not take a vote on the bill, encouraging additional testimony on the substitute bill in the coming weeks.
House Behavioral Health Committee
The committee held its second hearing on HB 571. This bill would require schools and higher education institutions to include the national suicide and crisis lifeline telephone number on student identification cards, student planners and electronic portals. The committee accepted an amendment to the bill that would allow schools to continue using student ID cards and planners that have already been printed but are not compliant with the bill after the measure's effective date, clarifying that any newly printed documents would still have to meet the legislation's mandates. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill.
House Public Health Policy Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 633 from Rep. Miller and Rep. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township). This bill would require the Department of Health to develop type 1 diabetes informational materials and mandate that school districts, county education offices and charter schools give those materials to parents and guardians of students enrolling in elementary school.
House Commerce and Labor Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 334 from Rep. Michele Grim (D-Toledo) and Rep. Jodi Whitted (D-Madeira). The bill, named the Strike Term Access to Negotiation Duration Unemployment Protection Act (STAND UP Act), would allow an individual who is unemployed by a labor strike to receive unemployment benefits.
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 558 from Rep. Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus) and Rep. Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.). The bill would require any food service operation to denote on its menu or menu board the food items that contain milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat or soybeans.
The committee heard sponsor testimony on SB 47 from Sen. Stephen A. Huffman (R-Tipp City). This bill would prohibit a public employer from providing paid leave or compensation for a public employee to engage in certain union activities.
Senate Transportation Committee
The committee favorably reported SB 248 out of the Transportation Committee. This bill would create the "Blanchester Wildcats" license plate. Sen. Bob D. Hackett (R-London) gave sponsor testimony.
The committee held its third hearing on HB 78, sponsored by Reps. Bill Seitz (R-Green Township) and Rep. Miller. This bill would make changes regarding State Teachers Retirement Board elections and membership requirements. No witnesses were present to testify.
The committee held its first hearing on HB 164. This bill would establish the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program, require the Department of Education to hire a full-time school foster care liaison, and make an appropriation for the program. Rep. Jarrells and Rep. Seitz gave sponsor testimony.
The committee heard proponent testimony on SB 182, sponsored by Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester). SB 182 is the Senate companion bill to HB 164.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony on SB 190 by Sen. Niraji Antani (R-Miamisburg). This bill would reduce the sports gaming tax rate from 20% to 10%.
Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee held its first hearing on SB 308, with sponsor testimony from Sen. Sandra O'Brien (R-Ashtabula). This bill would require emergency and substitute tax levies to be included in the calculation of a school district’s 20-mill floor for property tax purposes and prohibits a school district from shifting the purpose of its unvoted property tax millage in a way that would increase the district’s tax revenue.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony on HB 496 from Rep. Jim M. Hoops (R-Napoleon). This bill would revise the law governing property taxes and county auditors.
Senate Government Oversight Committee
The committee heard proponent and interested party testimony on HB 257, sponsored by Rep. Hoops. This bill would authorize certain public bodies to meet virtually.
New Bills Introduced
- SB 329 – Sponsored by Sen. Teresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green). This “School Bus Safety Act” would authorize a civil penalty system related to drivers who illegally pass a school bus but cannot be identified and designate the month of August as "School Bus Safety Awareness Month”.
Rules Activity
The Department of Education and Workforce has the following proposed rules open for public comment at this time:
- OAC 3301-14-01: Operation of the education management information system.
- OAC 3301-18-01: Calculating student attendance rate to meet minimum performance standards.
- OAC Chapter 28: Local Report Card
- OAC 3301-28-01: Calculating student attendance rate to meet minimum performance standards.
- OAC 3301-28-10 Ratings for schools and districts.
- OAC Chapter 43: High School Continuation Programs
- OAC 3301-43-01 Definitions.
- OAC 3301-43-02 Establishment of adult high school diploma programs.
- OAC 3301-43-03 Eligibility criteria for adult high school continuation and earning equivalent adult high school credit.
- OAC 3301-43-04 Program elements, basis for awarding adult high school credits.
- OAC 3301-43-05 Criteria for issuing diplomas.
- OAC 3301-43-06 Administering ninth-grade proficiency and Ohio graduation tests to eligible adults.
- OAC 3301-43-07 Program reimbursement, adult high school continuation.
- OAC Chapter 45: Adult High School Diplomas
- OAC 3301-45-01 Purpose.
- OAC 3301-45-02 Definitions.
- OAC 3301-45-03 Provider Application.
- OAC 3301-45-04 Provider requirements.
- OAC 3301-45-05 Enrollment.
- OAC 3301-45-06 Measurement of provider performance.
- OAC 3301-45-07 Process to earn a high school diploma.
- OAC 3301-45-08 Contracting educational services.
- OAC 3301-45-09 District of residence.
- OAC 3301-45-10 Standards for competency-based education.
- OAC 3301-46-01: Innovative education pilot programs.
- OAC Chapter 56: Intervention standards for districts declared to be under academic watch or in academic emergency status
- OAC 3301-56-01 School district and building improvement, supports, and interventions.
- OAC 3301-56-02 Reading achievement improvement plans.
- OAC Chapter 69: Miscellaneous Programs
- OAC 3301-69-01 Stipends for national board-certified teachers.
- OAC 3301-69-02 Excuses from school attendance.
- OAC Chapter 91: Standards for School Lunch and Breakfast Programs
- OAC 3301-91-01 Eligibility for receiving state matching funds.
- OAC 3301-91-02 Schedule of payments.
- OAC 3301-91-03 Report required.
- OAC 3301-91-04 Calculation of payment.
- OAC 3301-91-07 Appeal for extension of time for compliance.
- OAC 3301-91-09 Guidance for approving food to be sold in schools.
- OAC 3301-91-10 Establishing summer food service programs at school sites and associated cost.
Click here to view the ODEW rules open for public comment.
The State Board of Education has the following proposed rules open for public comment at this time:
- OAC Chapter 3302-73-26: Action after appeal of conviction.
Click here to view the SBOE rules open for public comment.