Register for our webinar on House Bill (HB) 335
Last week, the Ohio House introduced House Bill (HB) 335, a sweeping property tax reform bill that removes the ability to levy inside millage and combines elements from several prior proposals (HB 129, HB 186, and HB 309). It would fundamentally change how property taxes are levied, limited and allocated in Ohio, with devastating implications for public school districts.
Dr. Howard Fleeter of the Ohio Education Policy Institute (OEPI) has completed an analysis of this bill, which can be found on the OEPI website linked here.
This bill is set to be included in the final version of the fiscal year (FY) 2026-27 state budget, making it a critical time for members to help protect stable, voter-approved revenue. On Monday, June 16 at noon, Dr. Howard Fleeter, along with OSBA, BASA and OASBO, will host a webinar on how this bill will impact your district and the short timeline we have to advocate. Please register here to join us.
The chamber passed their version of HB 96, the FY2026-27 state operating budget, with a vote of 23-10. The Senate Finance Committee released their omnibus amendment to the bill earlier in the week. Education related changes within the Senate’s version can be seen here.
The House voted not to concur with the Senate’s changes. A conference committee will be convened to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate passed versions of the bill. Click here for a comparison document on the Governor, House and Senate versions of HB 96.
The conference committee consists of three members from each chamber. Committee members include Reps. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville), Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) and Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) and Sens. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), Brian Chavez (R-Marietta) and Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo).
The chamber passed HB 3, sponsored by Reps. Bernard Willis (R-Springfield) and Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati), with a vote of 88-0. The “School Bus Safety Act” would create a School Bus Safety Grant Fund at ODEW to assist districts with the cost of installing safety features on new and existing school buses. The bill, the language of which the Senate notably removed from their version of the budget, now goes to the Senate for consideration.
The chamber also passed HB 10, sponsored by Reps. Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) and Jack Daniels (R-Akron), with a vote of 98-0. HB 10, which was voted out of the House Agriculture Committee earlier in the day, would require public school boards of education and ODEW to adopt policies prohibiting the purchase of “cultivated-protein food” products or food “misbranded as a meat or egg product”. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
The committee heard sponsor testimony on a series of bills that have passed through the House, including:
- HB 127 - Sponsored by Reps. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Mike Odioso (R-Green Twp.), this bill would permit schools to withhold directory information and exclude it from the public record definition.
- HB 57 - Sponsored by Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Josh Williams (R- Sylvania Township), this bill would require any public or nonpublic school that elects to keep a supply of an overdose reversal drug for emergency use to adopt and implement a policy regarding the supply’s maintenance and the drug’s use.
- HB 114 - Sponsored by Reps. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) and Kevin Ritter (R-Marietta), this bill would alter the age requirements for kindergarten admission.
Additionally, the committee voted to recommend full Senate approval for Diane Allen to serve as the Deputy Director of Primary and Secondary Education at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 304 from Reps. Tom Young (R-Washington Township) and Melanie Miller (R-Ashland). This bill would permit students to use club sports or other athletic activities to fulfill the high school physical education requirement and require recess time for K-8 students.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony on HB 322 from Reps. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) and Elgin Rogers (D-Toledo). This bill would require schools to administer the Presidential Fitness Test and name this act the Ohio Fitness Test Act.
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 344 from Reps. Dovilla and Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville). This bill would expand the locations and manner in which electronic instant bingo can be conducted and would authorize and establish regulations for retailer video lottery terminals. The bill would also levy a tax on electronic instant bingo.
House Transportation Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 310 from Rep. Jason Stephens (R-Kitt Hill). This bill would create the "Ironton Fighting Tigers" license plate.
House Local Government Committee
The committee held its third hearing on HB 113, sponsored by Reps. Bird and Jonathan Newman (R-Troy). HB 113 would modify the law regarding annexation and require school district approval of residential community reinvestment area property tax exemptions. The committee heard opponent testimony on the bill.
House Commerce and Labor Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on Senate Bill (SB) 50 from Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster). This bill would make changes regarding age and schooling certificate requirements and work hours for a person under sixteen years of age.
House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held its fourth hearing on HB 232, sponsored by Reps. Mathews and David Thomas (R-Jefferson). This bill would modify the requirements governing when political subdivisions can file property tax complaints and counter-complaints and require subdivisions that fail to comply with property tax complaint filing requirements to pay the attorney’s fees and costs incurred by the property owner in connection with the complaint. The committee amended the bill to:
- Clarify that if a subdivision is responsible for court costs and attorney's fees with respect to a complaint but the prosecuting attorney has a conflict of interest in collecting those costs, the collection may be referred to an outside attorney or collection agency.
- Allow political subdivisions to provide evidence other than a conveyance fee statement to prove that a property was sold. The bill requires that, when filing a property tax complaint, subdivisions must provide a conveyance fee statement showing that the property was sold during the preceding two years.
Katie Johnson, OASBO, Dr. Paul Imhoff, BASA and Nicole Piscitani, OSBA provided opponent testimony on HB 232.
The committee held its second hearing on HB 179, sponsored by Rep. Stephens. This bill would create a statewide screening system for property tax reduction eligibility and make an appropriation of $7,500,000 to fund the system. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill.
The committee held its second hearing on HB 309, sponsored by Rep. Thomas. This bill would modify the law governing county budget commissions, property taxation and alternative apportionment formulas for school districts, among other taxing units. The committee heard opponent testimony from Katie Johnson, OASBO, Dr. Paul Imhoff, BASA and Nicole Piscitani, OSBA.
Finally, the committee held an informal first hearing on HB 335. Introduced by Rep. Thomas, this bill creates the “Property Tax Relief Now Act” package with the aim of reforming Ohio’s property tax system. The package includes language from existing pieces of legislation -- HB 309, HB 129 and HB 186 – as well as two new proposals, one allowing counties to pursue "piggyback" homestead exemptions for property owners and another abolishing inside millage.
Recently introduced bills
- SB 215 – Sponsored by Sen. Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township), this bill would modify the calculation and eligibility criteria of the homestead exemption.
- HB 355 – Sponsored by Reps. Thomas and Angela King (R-Celina), this bill would increase the approval threshold required for passage of local taxes subject to voter approval.
Rules activity
The Department of Education and Workforce has the following rules open for public comment:
- Chapter 3301-39: Approval of Nonpublic Schools
- OAC 3301-39-01: Definitions
- OAC 3301-39-03: Procedures
- OAC 3301-39-04: Oversight/revocation of charter
Click here to view the ODEW rules open for public comment.
The State Board of Education does not have any 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.