Governor activity
Gov. Mike DeWine asked school districts to design plans to help students make up for any lost learning due to the pandemic. Those plans may include extending the school year, beginning the new year early, extending the school day, summer programs, tutoring or remote options. School districts should provide their plans to the public and General Assembly no later than April 1. The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has provided information regarding planning for extended learning. Click here for that information.

Ohio Department of Education
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released information on spring 2021 testing. Click here for a link to that information.

Senate activity
The Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 8 by a vote of 32-0. The bill establishes the residential broadband expansion program.

The Senate also passed SB 18 by a vote of 32-0. The bill expressly incorporates changes in the Internal Revenue Code into Ohio law as it relates to changes in federal adjusted gross income that impacts school districts that levy income taxes. The bill passed with an emergency clause.

House Finance Committee
The committee heard testimony from the ODE on the executive budget proposal for fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

The committee held sponsor testimony on House Bill (HB) 1, sponsored by Reps. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) and Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland), which creates a new school-funding formula.

The committee held a second hearing on HB 2, sponsored by Reps. Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township) and Brian Stewart (R-Ashville), which establishes the residential broadband expansion program.

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 34, sponsored by Rep. Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati), which requires public and private schools to transmit a transferred student's records within five school days.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 40, sponsored by Reps. Lisa A. Sobecki (D-Toledo) and Jeffrey A. Crossman (D-Parma), which waives state testing requirements for the 2020-21 school year, requires ODE to seek a federal waiver from testing and provides an exemption from state report cards and other provisions related to test results.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 49, sponsored by Sobecki and Rep. Phillip M. Robinson Jr. (D-Solon), which reinstates the Joint Education Oversight Committee.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 54, sponsored by Reps. Joseph A. Miller, III (D-Amherst) and Al Cutrona (R-Canfield), which dissolves academic distress commissions and establishes improvement plans for certain low-performing school buildings.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 67, sponsored by Reps. J. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield) and Adam C. Bird (R-New Richmond), which waives state testing requirements for the 2020-21 school year and requires ODE to seek a federal waiver from testing.

Senate Veterans and Public Safety Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 23, sponsored by Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), which expressly allows the use of cameras to capture images and videos of vehicles illegally passing a stopped school bus and establishes a civil penalty when a driver who illegally passes a school bus cannot be identified. OSBA, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators provided proponent testimony. Click here to read the testimony. Additional proponent testimony was offered by Dan Grothause, transportation supervisor, St. Marys City.

House Government Oversight Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 43, sponsored by Sobecki and Rep. James M. Hoops (R-Napoleon), which permanently authorizes public bodies to meet via teleconference and video conference.

Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 19, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), which establishes a property tax exemption for certain property used for wetland mitigation projects.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 33, sponsored by Sens. Jay Hottinger (R-Newark) and Andrew O. Brenner (R-Powell), which expands the income tax deduction allowed for contributions to Ohio’s 529 college savings plan and includes contributions to 529 plans established by other states.

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

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 66, sponsored by Hoops, which requires the state’s tax expenditure report to include information on property tax exemptions and requires a periodic review of each property tax exemption.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 48, sponsored by Reps. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield) and Gail K. Pavliga (R-Atwater), which expressly incorporates changes in the Internal Revenue Code into Ohio law as it relates to changes in federal adjusted gross income that impacts school districts that levy income taxes.

Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee
The committee held a third hearing on SB 9, which requires ODE and other state agencies to reduce regulatory restrictions by 30% by 2025.

The committee held a third hearing on SB 22, which would establish the Ohio Health Oversight and Advisory Committee to provide legislative oversight of the governor's executive orders and certain public health orders.

The committee held a second hearing on SB 17, sponsored by Schaffer, which makes eligibility changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and amends requirements of SNAP electronic benefit transfer cards.

House State and Local Government Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 6, sponsored by Roemer, which modifies the laws governing school nurses who have a bachelor's degree and pharmacy technician trainees who are enrolled in an approved career-technical school program.

The committee accepted a substitute version of HB 90, sponsored by Reps. Scott Wiggam (R-Wayne County) and Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville), which would establish the Ohio Health Oversight and Advisory Committee to provide legislative oversight of all orders of administrative agencies, boards and commissions affecting public health emergencies. The substitute version allows previous executive orders to be repealed retroactively and shortens the time the legislature can act on new emergency health orders from 60 days to 30 days.

House Commerce and Labor Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 23, sponsored by Reps. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) and Thomas West (D-Canton), which requires peace officers to undergo dementia-related training.

State Board of Education
The State Board of Education passed a resolution by a vote of 17-1 to “Re-Affirm the Irreplaceable Role of In-Person Learning for K-12 Education in Ohio.” The resolution was amended during the board meeting to include the language “where feasible.” Click here for a link to the resolution.

United States Senate
The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee approved the nomination of Miguel Cardona by a vote of 17-5. Cardona is President Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of education. An affirmative vote from the full Senate is needed to confirm his appointment.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 2/12/2021