Next week’s testimony opportunities
The House Economic and Workforce Development Committee will be holding a hearing on Senate Bill (SB) 1, which would reform the functions and responsibilities of the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The hearing will occur on Tuesday, April 25 at 1:00 p.m. and will be accepting opponent testimony.

The House Ways and Means Committee will be holding a hearing on House Bill (HB) 1, tax reform, on Tuesday, April 25 at 2:30 p.m. They will be accepting proponent, opponent and interested party testimony during this hearing.

House Finance Committee
The committee accepted a substitute version on HB 33, the biennial budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Click here for a list of the changes to bill. The following individuals provided testimony:

Senate Finance Committee
The committee held testimony on the executive budget proposal for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Testifying on the executive budget were:

The committee amended and passed SB 6, sponsored by Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), which would prohibit the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) and School Employment Retirement System (SERS), among others, from making investment decisions for the primary purpose of influencing environmental, social and corporate governance policies. The amendment makes the following changes:

  • Specifies that the board of trustees of a state institution of higher education cannot deny -- rather than cannot accept -- a bequest made by a decedent because the bequest asks for the donation to be used for the primary purpose of influencing any social or environmental policy, or the governance of any corporation;
  • Requires the BWC administrator and other fiduciaries to make investment decisions that are consistent with any other fiduciary responsibilities of the administrator and other fiduciaries under the workers’ compensation law when making investment decisions under the bill;
  • Encourages a state retirement system — if the system offers a defined contribution plan — to offer multiple investment choices for members who are under a defined contribution plan.

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held a fifth hearing on HB 12, sponsored by Reps. Don Jones (R-Freeport) and David Dobos (R-Columbus), which would rename the Department of Education as the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and create the position of Director of Education and Workforce. The bill also would reform the functions and responsibilities of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The committee held sponsor 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. Finally, the bill also expands the inclusion of phonics in learning standards.

The committee amended HB 8, sponsored by Reps. D. J. Swearingen (R-Huron) and Sara P. Carruthers (R-Hamilton). The bill would enact the Parents Bill of Rights to require public schools to adopt a policy on parental notification regarding student health and well-being and instructional materials with sexually explicit content. The amendment makes the following changes:

  • Clarifies that counseling services are included in notifications about changes to a student’s services related to mental, emotional or physical health;
  • Eliminates the discretion for district or school personnel to withhold information from a parent if a "reasonably prudent" person would believe disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect, but specifies that the provisions of the bill do not prohibit a teacher from reporting unlawful abuse or neglect;
  • Eliminates the requirement for a district or school to work with parents to create a parent-approved health care plan for a student after notifying the parents of the health care services offered by the student's district or school;
  • Requires a district's or school's notification regarding district- or school-offered health care services to notify parents of their option to withhold consent or decline any specified service;
  • Specifies that parental consent to health care services does not waive the parent's right to access the student's educational or health records or to be notified about a change in the student's services or monitoring;
  • Allows a parent to appeal to a district board of education any decision by a district or school regarding a written concern submitted by a parent about topics addressed in the district's or school's parental involvement policy.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a sixth hearing on HB 1, sponsored by Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon), which would modify the law regarding property taxation and income tax rates. Richard Smith, board member, Marysville EV provided opponent testimony.

The committee passed HB 57, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.) and Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Twp.), which would index the homestead exemption amounts to inflation.

Finally, the committee held a fourth hearing on HB 60, sponsored by Rep. Daniel Troy (D-Willowick), which would increase the amount of and expand the income qualifications for the homestead exemption.

House Pensions Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 78, sponsored by Reps. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) and Joseph A. Miller, III (D-Amherst), which would change the State Teachers Retirement Board membership to allow retirees who are reemployed to seek election as a contributing or retired member of the board. The bill would also change the requirements of a contributing board member who retires or leaves employment and later seeks election as a retired board member.

House Higher Education Committee
The committee held a third hearing on HB 6, sponsored by Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum), which would enact the Save Women's Sports Act. The bill would require schools, state institutions of higher education and private colleges to designate separate single-sex teams and sports for each sex. Malia Lewis, board member, Cleveland Heights-University Heights City provided opponent testimony.

House State and Local Government Committee
The committee held a third hearing on 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.

House Commerce and Labor Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 30, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), which would allow a person aged 14 or 15 to be employed between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. during the school year if the person has parental or legal guardian consent.

Senate Government Oversight Committee
The committee passed SB 23, sponsored by Sen. George F. Lang (R-West Chester), which would expand political subdivision joint purchasing authority to expressly include purchases for construction services.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 91, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), which would make changes to laws regarding fraud, waste, and abuse of public funds.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 4/21/2022