Senate activity
The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill (SB) 43, sponsored by Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Powell), which would extend the homestead exemption for the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran to spouses of disabled veterans who died before receiving a qualifying disability rating.

House Finance Committee
The committee held testimony on the biennial budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The following individuals provided testimony:

House Finance Subcommittee on Infrastructure and American Rescue Plan 
The committee held testimony on the biennial budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The following individual provided testimony:

Senate Education Committee
The committee amended and passed SB 49, sponsored by Sen. Michelle Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), which would enact the Religious Expression Days "R.E.D." Act and require school boards to adopt a policy providing students with religious accommodations for up to three days. The amendment requires the school principal, instead of the classroom teacher, to approve the absence requests and requires the student’s parent or guardian to provide the written notice instead of the student. The amendment also allows school principals to verify written requests with a parent or guardian before approving them. Finally, among other changes, the amendment requires each school district to annually convey the policy.

The committee held a second hearing on SB 66, sponsored by Sen. Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati), which would require public and private schools to transmit a transferred student's records within five school days. Christine Varwig, board member, Toledo City, provided proponent testimony.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 79, sponsored by Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), which would make changes to dropout prevention and recovery community schools.

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 17, sponsored by Sen. Steve Wilson (R-Maineville), which would require the State Board to update the standards and model curriculum for financial literacy and entrepreneurship in grades nine-12 to include free market capitalism content.

The committee held sponsor testimony on House Bill (HB) 70, sponsored by Reps. Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) and Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester), which would require schools to adopt a policy regarding the administration of over-the-counter drugs.

House Economic and Workforce Development Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 1, sponsored by Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin), which would rename the Department of Education as the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and would create the position of Director of Education and Workforce. The bill also would reform the functions and responsibilities of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Testifying as proponents of the bill were:

The committee held a fourth hearing on HB 3, sponsored by Reps. Gail Pavliga (R-Atwater) and Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown), which would authorize a nonrefundable tax credit for the construction or rehabilitation of certain federally subsidized rental housing and authorize a uniform method for the tax valuation of most such housing.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a fourth hearing on HB 1, sponsored by Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon), which would modify the law regarding property taxation and income tax rates. OSBA, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) provided opponent testimony. Additional opponent testimony was provided by the following individuals:

The committee also held a third hearing on HB 57, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.) and Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Twp.), which would index the homestead exemption amounts to inflation.

Finally, the committee held a third hearing on HB 60, sponsored by Rep. Daniel Troy (D-Willowick), which would increase the amount of and expand the income qualifications for the homestead exemption.

House Pensions Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 78, sponsored by Reps. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) and Joseph A. Miller, III (D-Amherst), which would change State Teachers Retirement Board membership to allow retirees who are reemployed to seek election as a contributing or retired member of the board; and would change the requirements of a contributing board member who retires or leaves employment and later seeks election as a retired board member.

House Provider Services Committee
The committee held a third hearing on HB 47, sponsored by Reps. Richard D. Brown (D-Canal Winchester) and Adam C. Bird (R-New Richmond), which would require the placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in each public and chartered nonpublic school and each public recreational facility. The bill would also require the Ohio Department of Health to develop a model emergency action plan for the use of AEDs.

House Higher Education Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 6, sponsored by Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum), which would enact the Save Women's Sports Act. The bill would require schools, state institutions of higher education and private colleges to designate separate single-sex teams and sports for each sex.

House State and Local Government Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 76, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) and Andrea White (R-Kettering), which would modify state agency data storage and notification law.

House Commerce and Labor Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 30, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), which would allow a person aged 14 or 15 to be employed between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. during the school year if the person has parental or legal guardian consent.

New Bills Introduced
The following bills were introduced this week:

  • HB 135, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) and Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria), which would require school districts to grant students excused absences from school for participation in 4-H and FFA programs and activities;
  • HB 137, sponsored by Reps. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), which would require ODE to study the feasibility of implementing a program similar to the Kentucky Bluegrass Challenge Academy;
  • HB 139, sponsored by Reps. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield) and Joseph A. Miller, III (D-Amherst), which would increase the penalties for assault if the victim is acting as a sports official or the assault is committed in retaliation for the victim's actions as a sports official;
  • HB 140, sponsored by Richard D. Brown (D-Canal Winchester), which would increase penalties for passing a school bus and allow the use of cameras on school buses;
  • SB 99, sponsored by Sen. Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati), which would require public and chartered nonpublic schools to create a seizure action plan for each student with a seizure disorder.

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

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 3/31/2023