General Assembly activity
The General Assembly sent the following bills to the governor:
• House Bill (HB) 87, which requires funds that are returned to the state because of a community school enrollment audit to be credited back to certain public school districts;
• HB 312, which deals with the use of credit cards and debit cards by school districts and other public entities;
• HB 318, which prescribes qualifications and training requirements for school resource officers, appropriates $12 million in grant funds to public and private schools for school safety programs and training, prescribes positive behavioral intervention supports requirements and revises suspension and expulsion policies for students in grades prekindergarten through three;
• Senate Bill (SB) 216, which enacts the Ohio Public School Deregulation Act dealing with the administration of primary and secondary education programs;
• SB 299, which includes a provision establishing the OhioCORPS Pilot Project for at-risk students to participate in mentorship programs and receive scholarships to attend higher education institutions and technical colleges and appropriates $2.5 million for the project.
House activity
The House sent the following bills to the Senate for consideration:
• HB 428, which deals with student religious expression in public schools. The bill passed 67-26.
• HB 502, which requires certain public school employees to undergo biennial youth suicide awareness and prevention training. The bill passed 92-1.
• HB 540, which revises the statewide teacher evaluation framework. The bill passed 91-2.
House Education and Career Readiness Committee
The committee amended and passed SB 216, which was later approved by both the House and Senate. The amendments made several changes, including:
• incorporating provisions of HB 707, which prescribes regulations and funding recommendations for e-schools;
• eliminating the bill’s provision requiring students to pay for half the price of textbooks under College Credit Plus;
• requiring a review of and recommendations on improving aspects of academic distress commissions.
Senate Education Committee
The committee amended and passed HB 87, which was later approved by both the House and Senate. The amendments made several changes, including:
• requiring standards be adopted for e-school learning software;
• exempting certain e-schools from closure if their enrollment increased by more than 20% in the 2017-2018 school year due to accepting ECOT students;
• authorizing a school board to propose a ballot question to substitute an emergency levy at a future election in the year after the emergency levy expires.
The committee did not conduct a hearing on SB 34, despite its presence on the agenda. OSBA, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) submitted opponent testimony on the bill, which can be viewed here.
Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee conducted its second hearing on HB 343, which requires school boards to pass a resolution approving the complaint or counter-complaint at a public meeting before filing a property tax complaint or counter-complaint. OSBA, BASA and OASBO offered opponent testimony on the bill, which can be viewed here. Several witnesses also offered opposition testimony, including:
• Dick Smith, board member, Marysville EV;
• Jeffrey J. Dornbusch, treasurer, Port Clinton City;
• Jeremie L. Hittle, treasurer, Piqua City;
• Timothy Ryan Jenkins, treasurer, Pickerington Local (Fairfield);
• Ryan Pendleton, treasurer, Akron City.
Click here and select “June 26, 2018” to access their testimony.
House Health Committee
The committee adopted a substitute version of HB 559 during its fourth hearing on the bill, which requires health care providers to use state-developed immunization forms when documenting a child's immunization history. Click here for a synopsis of the changes made by the substitute version.
House Federalism and Interstate Relations Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 703, sponsored by Rep. John Becker (R-Union Township). The bill deals with exemptions and other policies for carrying concealed handguns in public premises.