Senate Education
The committee heard sponsor testimony on Senate Bill (SB) 112, sponsored by Sen. Michael A. Rulli (R-Salem), which requires school buildings to comply with national life safety standards and names this act the Ohio Childhood Safety Act.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony on 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.
House Criminal Justice
The committee heard sponsor testimony on House Bill (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.
House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 135, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Middletown) and Rodney Creech (R-W. Alexandria). The bill would require school districts to grant students excused absences from school for participation in 4-H and FFA programs and activities.
The committee also held sponsor testimony on 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.
House Higher Education
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 164, sponsored by Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati), which establishes the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program. The bill requires the Department of Education to hire a full-time school foster care liaison and make an appropriation for the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program.
House Ways and Means Committee
The committee passed SB 43, sponsored by Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware), which would modify the homestead exemption for the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran. It will now head to the House floor for a vote in the coming weeks.
Next week’s testimony opportunities
The Senate Finance committee will be holding a hearing on HB 33, the state’s biennial budget. The hearing will occur on Wednesday, May 31, at 9:00 a.m. and will be accepting proponent, opponent and interested party testimony on education related items in the budget. The witness from for testimony can be found here.
New Bills introduced
HB 183, sponsored by Reps. Adam Bird (R-Cincinnati) and Beth Lear (R-Galena), regards single-sex bathroom access in primary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education.
Federal update
Please click here to read the weekly Federal Advocacy Education Report which includes education related information.