DCY releases draft ECE Field Guide
The Department of Children and Youth (DCY) has released a draft Early Care & Education School-Based Preschool Field Guide for public comment. With this guide, the department aims to “give transparency in monitoring regulatory requirements, provide suggestions for best practices in meeting and maintaining compliance, offer resources for ongoing efforts in improving quality practices and promote consistency in interpretation of rules and monitoring approaches”.
DCY is accepting public comment on the guide until Feb. 27, 2026. The department is also accepting comments on their five-year review and renumber of school-based preschool program rules, which the guide itself is based on. Please see Rules activity below for more information.
The chamber passed House Bill (HB) 326, sponsored by Reps. Kevin Ritter (R-Marietta) and Jonathan Newman (R-Troy), with a vote of 62-28. This bill would make changes regarding the Classic Learning Test entrance exam. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
The committee heard sponsor testimony on Senate Bill (SB) 330 from Sen. Willis E. Blackshear Jr. (D-Dayton). This bill would allow school districts to count mental health days as excused absences and name the bill the Student Wellness Act.
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 462 from Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville). HB 462 would allow students to possess and use a nasal epinephrine delivery device in public and private schools, in addition to an epinephrine autoinjector as already permitted under law.
The committee held the first hearing for HB 455 and heard sponsor testimony from Reps. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Adam Bird (R-New Richmond). This bill would make changes to the operation of public schools and ODEW and eliminate obsolete provisions of education law.
The committee held a second hearing on SB 318, sponsored by Sen. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield), which would authorize a law enforcement agency to provide school resource officer services to a chartered nonpublic school. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill.
A second hearing was held on SB 311, sponsored by Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware). This omnibus bill would make changes to the law regarding the operation of public and chartered nonpublic schools. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill.
The committee held a second hearing on SB 310, sponsored by Sen. Terry Johnson (R-McDermott). This bill would require public schools to include fetal development information in any instruction that addresses human growth, development or sexuality. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill.
The committee passed HB 500, sponsored by Reps. Ty D. Matthews (R-Findlay) and Ritter. This bill would designate a JROTC program offered by a school district as a career-technical education program.
The committee held its first official hearing on HB 661. Sponsored by Reps. Bird and Mike Odioso (R-Green Twp.), this bill would prohibit a middle or high school athlete from earning compensation from the athlete's name, image or likeness. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill, including from Jonathan Cooper, superintendent, Mason City and Dave Hofer, Springfield Local (Summit).
SB 156, sponsored by Sen. Cutrona, got its second hearing. This bill would require school districts to provide “success sequence” instruction in at least one course required for high school graduation. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill.
Reps. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Angela King (R-Celina) gave sponsor testimony on HB 625. This bill would enact the Student Athlete Mobility (SAM) Act regarding student petitions to participate in team sports at neighboring public schools.
House Technology and Innovation Committee
The committee held its fourth hearing on HB 413, sponsored by Reps. Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.) and Bob Peterson (R-Sabina). This bill would create the Ohio Local Government Expenditure Database and require all political subdivisions and the state retirement systems to report revenues and expenditures to the database. The committee accepted written testimony on the bill from opponents and interested parties.
House Children and Human Services Committee
The committee held its first hearing on HB 647, hearing sponsor testimony from Reps. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) and Young. This bill would revise the law governing the publicly funded childcare program.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony on HB 649 from Reps. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.) and D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron). This “Child Care Fraud Prevention Act” would require video surveillance of publicly funded childcare centers, establish an online portal for tracking publicly funded childcare center attendance and require investigations of waste, fraud and abuse allegations relating to providers of publicly funded childcare.
House Workforce and Higher Education Committee
HB 25, sponsored by Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Sharron A. Ray (R-Wadsworth), received its fifth hearing. The committee accepted proponent testimony and passed the substitute version of the bill, named the “Fostering School Success Act”.
House Transportation Committee
The committee amended and heard sponsor testimony on HB 597 from Reps. Mark Sigrist (D-Grove City) and Matthews. This bill would prohibit the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles over schools. The committee accepted an amendment that extends the bill’s protections to stand-alone childcare facilities.
House Local Government Committee
The committee held its first hearing on HB 574, sponsored by Reps. Jack Daniels (R-Akron) and Michael Dovilla (R-Berea). This bill would create the Political Subdivision Consolidation Incentive Grant Pilot Program and make an appropriation to support the pilot program.
The committee amended HB 437, sponsored by Reps. Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) and Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland), which would alter existing requirements regarding youth cardiac monitoring. The amendment brings the provisions of the bill and OHSAA rules into alignment.
The committee held a second hearing on SB 320, sponsored by Rep. Kristina D. Roegner (R-Hudson), that would enter Ohio into the Athletic Trainer Compact. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill.
House Commerce and Labor Committee
The committee heard its second hearing on HB 150 sponsored by Reps. Erika White (D-Springfield Township) and Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown). This bill would enact the Clock Out Kids Act to require school employees to report certain minor labor law violations. The bill also increases penalties for certain minor labor law violations and creates the Minor Labor Law Enforcement Fund, appropriating $150,000. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill.
The committee held its first hearing on HB 314, with Reps. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) and Shannon Ray (R-Wadsworth) providing sponsor testimony. This bill would restrict harassing or disruptive public records requests and permit private contractors to respond to voluminous public records requests.
House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held its first hearing and amended HB 504, sponsored by Rep. King. This bill would authorize counties to temporarily exempt a portion of a property's increased value from taxation following a reappraisal and name this act the Calculated Adjustments for Property Surges (CAPS) Act. The amendment would align the provisions of the bill with previously enacted property tax bills.
Recently introduced legislation
- SB 366 – Sponsored by Sens. Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) and Louis Blessing III (R-Colerain Twp.), this bill would sometimes require payment of delinquent property taxes and assessments when a lot is transferred.
- House Continuing Resolution (HCR) 34 – Sponsored by Rep. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and Mark Hiner (R-Howard), this resolution would urge Congress to dismantle the United States Department of Education.
Rules activity
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth has the following rule packages open for public comment:
- Five-Year Review and Renumber of School-Based Preschool Program Rules
- (New) Chapter 5180: 2-20-01, 02, 03, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, and 12
- (Rescind) Chapter 5180-37-01, 02, 03, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, and 12
- Five-Year Review and Renumber of School-Based School Age Program Rules
- (New) Chapter 5180:2-19-01, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, and 10
- (Rescind) Chapter: 5180-32-01, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, and 11
The following DCY Monitoring & Compliance Field Guides have been posted for public comment:
- Early Care & Education Family Child Care
- Early Care & Education School-Based Preschool
- Early Care & Education Child Care Center
- Early Care & Education School-Based School-Age Program
Click here to view the DCY rules and field guides open for public comment.
Neither the Department of Education and Workforce nor the State Board of Education have rules open for public comment at this time.
Federal update
Please click here to read the most recent Federal Advocacy Report, which includes up-to-date information on federal education efforts. Click here to read the most recent Federal Court Report.