Budget Update
The House voted 23-71 not to concur with the Senate’s changes to House Bill (HB) 33, the fiscal year (FY) 2024-25 budget bill.

The differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget will now be reconciled in conference committee. 

The HB 33 conferees include:

In addition to your legislators in the House and Senate, please contact the conferees listed above to influence the outcome of the budget bill. There are several provisions in the Senate-passed version that will have a detrimental impact on K-12 public schools, including modifications to the Fair School Funding Plan, transportation changes, universal vouchers with little accountability and more.

OSBA, BASA and OASBO sent a letter to the members of the conference committee expressing our desired outcomes. Click here for a copy of that letter.

House Activity
The House passed HB 68, sponsored by Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), which would prohibit certain procedures to alter a minor child’s sex; and would designate this act as the Ohio Saving Adolescents from Experimentation Act. The bill also includes HB 6, which would enact the Save Women's Sports Act to require schools, state institutions of higher education, and private colleges to designate separate single-sex teams and sports for each sex, by a vote of 64-28.

The House also passed 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, requiring public schools to adopt a policy on parental notification regarding student health and well-being and instructional materials with sexuality content. The bill passed by a vote of 65-29.

The House also passed 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 and expands the inclusion of phonics in learning standards. The bill passed by a vote of 89-4.

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 171, sponsored by Rep. Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville), which modifies the revised code to include instruction on the migration, experiences and contributions of a range of communities in the social studies model curriculum.

The committee accepted a substitute version of HB 71, sponsored by Rep. Nick Santucci (R-Howland Township), which would require ODE to establish the community connectors workforce program to connect students to jobs and internships in their communities. The bill would also require ESCs to administer the program to the school districts they serve. The substitute version makes the following changes: 

  • Changes references to guidance counseling to “school counseling”; 
  • Requires the experience to be in job placement, school counseling or primary and secondary education; and
  • Requires a director to collaborate with other appropriate school officials who have commensurate experience and professionals who support career development in the school.

The committee also held a second hearing on HB 137, sponsored by Reps. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), which requires the Department of Education to study the feasibility of implementing a program similar to the Kentucky Bluegrass Challenge Academy. Proponent testimony was offered by James Rook with the Trumbull County ESC.

Senate Government Oversight Committee
The committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 91, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), which would make changes to laws regarding fraud, waste and abuse of public funds. 

House State and Local Government Committee
The committee held a third hearing on HB 145, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Middletown) and Brian Lampton (R-Fairborn). The bill expands political subdivision joint purchasing authority to expressly include purchases for construction services.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 187, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Middletown) and Adam Bird (R-Cincinnati), which modifies the procedures used by the Tax Commissioner to conduct property tax sales-assessment ratio studies.

Senate Workforce & Higher Education Committee
The committee held a third hearing on SB 104, sponsored by Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) and Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware), which revises the operations of the College Credit Plus (CCP) Program, including requirements for students, public and chartered nonpublic schools, public and private colleges, the Chancellor of Higher Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 

New Bill Introduced:

  • HB 216, sponsored by Reps. Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township), requires the Department of Education to develop a process for requesting an investigation of a school's compliance with its policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying.
  • SB 128, sponsored by Sen. Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati), requires disclosure of the for-profit status of community school operators and post-secondary educational institutions on various promotional materials and contracts for employment.

Federal Update
Please click here to read the weekly Federal Advocacy Education Report which includes education related information.

Posted by Scott Palider on 6/23/2023