Governor activity
Gov. Mike DeWine announced the Ohio Vax-2-School program. It will provide 50 scholarships worth $10,000 each and five $100,000 scholarships to an Ohio college or university for career or technical education. The program is open to Ohioans ages 12 to 25. Click here for additional information.

Additionally, DeWine indicated that he spoke with Attorney General Dave Yost who agreed to prioritize required background checks for school bus drivers, educators, nurses and other health care professionals.

House activity
The House passed House Bill (HB) 255 by a vote of 94-0. The bill would permit the second publication of a county delinquent property tax list to be made online instead of in a newspaper.

Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on Senate Bill (SB) 229, sponsored by Sen. Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township), which would temporarily extend the deadline to April 30, 2022, for a school district to submit a blended learning model to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) for the 2021-22 school year. The bill also would require a school district to provide internet access and devices to each student participating in blended learning, among other requirements. Additionally, SB 229 would prohibit the use of the chronic absenteeism measure on the state report card for the 2021-22 school year.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 200, sponsored by Sens. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Powell) and Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo), which would require a school district to allow a 12th-grade student enrolled during the 2020-21 school year to re-enroll in that grade in the 2021-22 school year, regardless if that student met graduation requirements, and require the student to be eligible for interscholastic athletics.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 105, sponsored by Reps. P. Scott Lipps (R-Franklin) and Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati), which would require public schools to provide age-appropriate instruction in child sexual abuse and sexual violence prevention and require in-service staff training in child sexual abuse prevention.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 214, sponsored by Sen. Tina Maharath (D-Columbus), which would require the state superintendent of public instruction to develop model curriculum on Asian American history and require schools districts to include instruction in Asian American history for K-12 students starting in the 2022-23 school year.

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee passed and accepted a substitute version of 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. The amendments change the applicability date to July 1, 2022, and would exempt certain teachers from the financial literacy license validation requirement. The bill also would allow students to take the financial literacy course as an elective or in lieu of one-half unit of a mathematics course. However, the mathematics course cannot be Algebra II, or its equivalent, or a course for which the State Board of Education requires an end-of-course exam. Additionally, the changes would provide flexibility to school districts regarding the educational requirements of substitute teachers for the 2021-22 school year. Click here to read the synopsis of the amendments.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 181, sponsored by Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), which would establish restrictions on policies that prevent students from wearing religious apparel when competing or participating in interscholastic athletics or extracurricular activities. The bill would also permit certain officials to limit the wearing of religious apparel if a legitimate danger to participants is identified but requires an administrator or official to offer all reasonable accommodations. Additionally, the bill would provide civil immunity for schools and school districts, among others.

House State and Local Government Committee
The committee amended HB 322, which would prohibit the State Board from adopting model curriculum regarding certain concepts of race and sex in public schools. The bill would prohibit school districts from teaching, instructing or training certain concepts of race and sex and prohibit a school district from requiring a teacher to discuss current events or controversial issues. Additionally, the bill would prohibit a school district from requiring, through a policy, a teacher to believe in the systemic nature of racism or gender identities if it is against the teacher’s religious or philosophical convictions. The amendment replaces the word “state agency” and inserts “SBOE and ODE.”

The committee held a third hearing on HB 327, which would prohibit school districts and state agencies, among others, from teaching, advocating or promoting divisive concepts and allow the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to withhold funding for noncompliance.

Providing opponent testimony on both HB 322 and HB 327 were:

Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 126, sponsored by Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township), which requires school boards to pass a resolution approving a property valuation complaint or counter-complaint prior to filing that complaint. The bill would also require the board to send written notice to the property owner indicating the intent to file a complaint or counter-complaint.

The committee held a second hearing on HB 140, also sponsored by Rep. Merrin. This bill would modify the form of election notices and ballot language for property tax levies.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 123, sponsored by Reps. Mark Fraizer (R-Newark) and Jon Cross (R-Kenton), which would modify community reinvestment areas (CRAs) by increasing the threshold to exempt school district approval from 50% to 75%. The bill also would establish a revenue-sharing agreement for income over $3 million and annually index the amount to inflation. Additionally, the bill would allow limited home rule townships to use CRAs.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 51, sponsored by Rep. Brian E. Lampton (R-Beavercreek), which would revise the process for adjusting property values due to instances that result in injury or destruction to the property.

The committee also held sponsor testimony on HB 66, sponsored by Rep. James M. Hoops (R-Napoleon), which would require the state’s tax expenditure report to include information on property tax exemptions and require a periodic review of each property tax exemption.

Senate Health Committee
The committee amended and passed HB 176, which 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. The legislation would allow athletic trainers who have preexisting arrangements with chiropractors to continue these arrangements. The amendment prohibits an athletic trainer from administering intra-articular and intratendinous injections.

Senate Veterans and Public Safety Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 213, sponsored by Sen. Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg), which would establish the State Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and require the council to cooperate with the State Board to develop, conduct and maintain outreach programs that connect insurable dependents.

House Technology and Innovation Committee
The committee held a fifth hearing on HB 230, which would establish a plan to migrate the state’s information technology systems to the state of Ohio’s computer center and cloud environment and establish a cybersecurity and fraud advisory board. Two amendments were announced but did not receive a vote. The amendments would require the contract with the private entity to include quality assurance and test management practices and would require the secretary of state to transmit information from the Statewide Voter Registration Database to the Tax Commissioner not later than 60 days after each statewide election. The amendments will be voted on at the next hearing.

Senate Financial Institutions Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 177, sponsored by Reps. Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township) and Fraizer, that would permit school districts, among others, to use blockchain technology.

Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 89, sponsored by Sen. Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls), which would extend the deadline to Dec. 31, 2030, on an application for a property tax exemption for a qualified energy project that uses renewable energy resources.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 9/24/2021