Register now for State Legislative Conference 

Join OSBA, Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) in Columbus for our annual State Legislative Conference on March 24, 2026! Register your district leadership team today.  

As legislators consider education policies, it is imperative that school board members, superintendents and treasurers tell legislators what their goals are, what their students need and how state-level decisions impact them. The 2026 State Legislative Conference is a golden opportunity to do just that. Our conference agenda will include an update from the association lobbyists, remarks from Gov. Mike DeWine as well as Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Workforce Diane Allen and a legislative panel of leaders from the House and Senate Education Committees. Following our programming, legislators will also be invited to join district leaders for lunch, fostering further dialogue on key education issues. Attendees are encouraged to schedule office appointments with legislators after we conclude at 1 p.m. Click here to learn more!  

House activity

The chamber passed House Bill (HB) 25 the “Fostering School Success Act”, sponsored by Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Sharon A. Ray (R-Wadsworth), with a vote of 92-1. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.  

The chamber also passed HB 437, sponsored by Reps. Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) and Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland), with a vote of 87-2. HB 437 would alter existing requirements regarding youth cardiac monitoring. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. 

House Education Committee

The committee held its first hearing on Senate Bill (SB) 144, with Sen. Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) providing sponsor testimony. This bill reverts the educator licensure grade bands to the bands utilized before HB 33 of the 135th General Assembly – grades pre-K through 5, grades 4 through 8 and grades 7 through 12. It also permits school districts to employ individuals who have at least one year of experience as a licensed classroom teacher to teach outside of the designated band. 

The committee held its fifth hearing on HB 125, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.) and Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria). This bill would expand the law on excused absences from school. The committee amended the bill to:  

  • Require a school district to count a student who participates in a district-approved, school-sponsored or workforce preparation activity during school hours as being present at school. Students will be given the opportunity to make up any school work missed during participation in an approved activity and an educator affiliated with the activity or the student's parent will submit written documentation as proof of student participation.  
  • Require a district to approve, at minimum, 4-H and FFA activities or programs, athletic tournaments, field trips, internships and shadowing opportunities. 
  • Prohibit a student's class grades or the chronic absenteeism calculation for the district or school from being adversely affected by the student participating in an approved activity.  
  • Requires a school principal to consider a student absent if the student's participation in an approved activity occurs during the scheduled administration of state assessments or any period of time for which the student has been disciplined, suspended or expelled, if the terms of such punishment would preclude the student from otherwise participating in an educational field trip or extracurricular activity. 

The committee held its first hearing on HB 545, with Reps. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) and Desiree Tims (D-Dayton) providing sponsor testimony. This “School Busing Improvement Act” would make appropriations and changes regarding the transportation of students. 

The committee held its second hearing on HB 531, sponsored by Reps. Jonathan Newman (R-Troy) and Kevin Ritter (R-Marietta). This bill would enact the School Chaplain Act to permit public schools to engage volunteer chaplains to provide support services. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill, including from Lydia Pleiman, Tipp City. 

HB 523, by Reps. Sean Brennan (D-Parma) and Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville), received its third hearing. HB 523 would enact the Future Educators Support Act regarding financial support for student teachers and teaching as an in-demand job. The committee heard interested party testimony on the bill.  

The committee held its third hearing on HB 661. Sponsored by Reps. Adam Bird (R- New Richmond) 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.  

SB 19, sponsored by Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware), received its third hearing. SB 19 would require districts and schools to develop a mathematics improvement and monitoring plan for each student who qualifies for math intervention services, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. The committee heard opponent and interested party testimony on the bill.  

HB 625, sponsored by Reps. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Angela King (R-Celina), received its second hearing. This bill would enact the Student Athlete Mobility (SAM) Act regarding student petitions to participate in team sports at neighboring public schools. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill, including from Trevor R. Thomas, superintendent, Heath City Schools.  

Senate Education Committee  

Senate Continuing Resolution (SCR) 16 received its first hearing. Sponsored by Sen. Brenner, this resolution would urge Congress to dismantle the United States Department of Education. 

The committee held its second hearing on HB 462 sponsored by 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 heard proponent testimony on the bill.  

The committee also held its second hearing for HB 455 sponsored by Reps. Manning and Bird. This bill would make changes to the operation of public schools and ODEW and eliminate obsolete provisions of education law. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill from:  

The committee held its second hearing on SB 326, sponsored by Sens. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) and Ingram. SB 326 would require school districts to offer, and students to complete, at least one high school computer science course. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill, including from Jeff Wise, superintendent, Pandora-Gilboa; and Dr. Patrick Ward, superintendent, Willoughby-Eastlake City.  

SB 328, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield), received a second hearing. SB 328 would create the Education and Workforce Return on Investment Initiative, a middle school career exploration course requirement with student academic and career plans. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill, including from:  

  • Brock Brewster, superintendent, Western Local 
  • Gregory Gifford, superintendent, Morgan Local  
  • Shannon Cox, superintendent, Montgomery County ESC 

The committee held a third 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. No witnesses were present to testify on the bill.  

House Finance Committee  

The committee held its first hearing on HB 583, with Reps. Ritter and Newman providing sponsor testimony. This bill would make changes to online library database resources at public schools, public libraries and state agencies. 

House Children and Human Services Committee 

The committee held its first hearing on HB 635 with Reps. Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.) and Phil Plumber (R-Dayton) offering sponsor testimony. This bill would enact the “Child Protection Reform Act.”  

The committee held its third hearing on HB 647, sponsored by Reps. Young and Plumber. This bill would revise the law governing the publicly funded childcare program. The committee heard interested party and opponent testimony on the bill. The committee accepted amendments on the bill that: 

  • Establish an additional ground on which the Department of Children and Youth (DCY) or its designee, rather than a county department of job and family service as under current law, may grant a family an exemption from the prohibition on receiving publicly funded child care (PFCC) from more than one child care provider per child during a week -- if the child's need cannot be met by one provider without impacting the family's education, employment, or training; 
  • Remove provisions authorizing DCY to suspend, without prior hearing, the license of a provider if DCY has reason to suspect that it has engaged in the misuse of public dollars or acted with intent to commit fraud against the PFCC program; 
  • Define "fraud against the publicly funded child care program" to mean an intentional act or omission to deceive for purposes of obtaining or retaining PFCC payments which a PFCC provider is not entitled to obtain or retain; and define "misuse of public funds" to mean the improper billing, expenditure, receipt or retention of PFCC payments in violation of statutory and administrative law governing child care; and 
  • Modify the bill’s appropriations.  

House Ways and Means Committee 

The committee held its third hearing on HB 504, sponsored by Rep. Angela N. King (R-Celina). 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. No witnesses were present to testify on the bill.  

The committee amended HB 443,  sponsored by Reps. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon). This bill would prohibit enforcement of delinquent property tax liens against certain owner-occupied homesteads. The amendment modifies the amount each owner must pay to avoid property tax foreclosure to an amount equivalent to at least 100% of the taxes due for the last year that taxes were paid in full. The committee also accepted proponent testimony on the bill.  

The committee amended HB 540, sponsored by Reps. Justin Pizzulli (R-Scioto County) and Thomas, which would make changes to the law regarding conservation organizations with significant holdings of tax-exempt land. The amendment reduces the percentage of the taxable value of land that shall be exempt from taxation. 

Senate Ways and Means Committee

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 359, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster). This bill would modify tax enforcement authorities, among other provisions. 

House Government Oversight Committee  

The committee held its second hearing on HB 481, sponsored by Reps. Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) and Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna). This bill would allow a public body to meet in an executive session to discuss the performance of a public employee or official. No witnesses were present to testify on the bill. 

House Judiciary Committee  

The committee amended HB 203, sponsored by Reps. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.). This bill would increase penalties and fines for vehicular assaults and vehicular homicides that occur in an active school zone and name this act “Aspen Runnels' Law.” The amendment:  

  • Removes the bill's mandatory prison sentences for vehicular homicide and assault that occurs in an active school zone and instead allows the court discretion to impose prison terms that correspond with the applicable felony degree. 
  • Makes permissive, instead of mandatory, the enhanced penalties and increased fines that a court may impose if the offender commits certain traffic offenses in an active school zone. 
  • Allows, instead of requires, a court to require a person to complete remedial driving instruction as a condition for the reinstatement of the person's driver's license that is suspended as a result of vehicular homicide or vehicular assault in an active school zone. 
  • Generally increases the mandatory driver's license suspension for vehicular homicide that is caused by speeding or a traffic offense in an active school zone from a class six license suspension (three months to two years) to a class three suspension (two years to ten years). 

HB 690, sponsored by Reps. Young and Andrea White (R-Kettering), received its first hearing. This bill would establish penalties for failing to obey a school crossing guard and other associated offenses. 

The committee held its third hearing on HB314, sponsored by Reps. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) and Ray. This bill would restrict harassing or disruptive public records requests and permit private contractors to respond to voluminous public records requests. The committee heard opponent testimony on the bill. 

House Local Government Committee  

The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 466, sponsored by Reps. Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Ritter. This bill would require certain subdivisions to obtain the approval of the body that created the subdivision before levying a property tax. 

The committee amended HB 493. sponsored by Reps. Thomas and Daniel P. Troy (D-Willowick), this bill would sunset the sale of delinquent property tax certificates on January 1, 2027. The amendment limits the bill's application to agricultural parcels and parcels containing owner-occupied primary residences, allowing tax certificates to be sold for other properties. 

Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee 

The committee held its second hearing on HB 59, sponsored by Reps. Fowler Arthur and Mark Hiner (R-Howard). This bill revises and streamlines the state's occupational regulations, including several education-related licenses. 

Recently introduced legislation  

  • HB 734 – Sponsored by Rep. Fowler Arthur, this bill would establish the Outstanding Citizenship Award designation on the state report card and make an appropriation. 

Rules activity   

The Department of Education and Workforce has the following rules open for public comment:  

  • Chapter 3301-28: Local Report Card 
    • OAC 3301-28-07: Early literacy component and measures 
    • OAC 3301-28-10: Ratings for schools and districts 
    • Appendix A to OAC 3301-28-10 

Click here to view the ODEW rules open for public comment. 

Neither the State Board of Education nor DCY have any rules open for public comment at this time. 

DCY ECE grant webinars  

DCY will be hosting webinars for Early Childhood Education (ECE) grantees on the family application processes for the 2026-27 school year. The webinars will be held for school-based providers on March 11, 2026 at 1:00 pm and March 17, 2026 at 9:00 am. Grantees can register for these webinars by emailing EarlyChildhoodEducation@childrenandyouth.ohio.gov.  

Federal update  

Please click here to read the most recent Federal Advocacy Report, which includes up-to-date information on federal education efforts.

Posted by Malania Birney on 3/6/2026