Blogs

I recently listened to a webinar conducted by the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) that was designed to review best practices for managing and retaining public records in Ohio. The host of the webinar mentioned a change that HB 153 made to record retention practices. It has the potential to lessen the burden on school districts with regard to the disposal of records, so it's worth repeating.

As you know, school districts are required to adopt RC-2 schedules. These schedules list the type of documents a district plans to retain and the length of time it will retain them. The schedules…

House Bill 66, which takes effect May 4, 2012, requires the Auditor of State to maintain a system for the reporting of fraud, including the misuse of public money by any public official or office. The system allows individuals to make anonymous complaints through a toll-free telephone number, the Auditor of State's website, or through the United States mail. The Auditor's office is required to keep a log of all complaints filed.

Who may file a complaint with the Auditor of State's office?
Ohio residents and the employees of any public office may file a complaint…

HB 1, which became effective in October 2009, requires insurers, Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs), health insuring corporations (HICs) and public employee benefit plans to offer parents the opportunity to purchase health care coverage for their children up to age 28. This new opportunity must be provided for all policies or contracts issued or renewed, and plans established or modified, on or after July 1, 2010.

Who is eligible? To receive benefits up to age 28, the unmarried child must…

The State Board of Education has filed new draft rehabilitation rules with the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR). This act begins the formal rule-making process and triggers a public hearing before the State Board. The hearing on these rules is June 18 at 11:00am.

HB 428, enacted in 2008, prohibited boards of education from employing, and required them to release, employees who committed certain crimes. Under prior law, the State Board adopted a rehabilitation rule that allowed educators who committed some less serious crimes to be rehabilitated and thus…

Ohios minimum wage increased to $7.30 on January 1, 2009. The increase applies to all employers that gross more than $267,000 per year, a category within which most, if not all Ohio public schools fall. Exempted from the increase are 14 and 15-year-old employees, who will continue to receive the federal minimum wage of $6.55 through July 24, 2009, at which time the federal rate will increase to $7.25 per hour. Also exempted are tipped employees, who receive $3.65 per hour, before tips. For more information, please contact the OSBA Legal Division.