House activity  

The House unanimously passed House Bill (HB) 127, sponsored by Reps. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Mike Odioso (R-Green Township). This bill would permit schools to withhold directory information and exclude it from the public record definition. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.  

Senate Finance Committee  

On Monday, the committee heard sponsor testimony on Senate Bill (SB) 12 from Sens. Steve Wilson (R-Maineville) and Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland). This bill would permit a community foundation to be trustee of endowments and other charitable funds received by public schools, allow a public school to appoint a community foundation to invest money in the Education Foundation Fund created under continuing law and classify a fund held for an institution by a community foundation trustee as an “institutional fund.” 

The committee held hearings each day this week on HB 96, the fiscal year 2026-27 state operating budget, including public testimony from: 

  • Jennifer Hogue, Ohio School Boards Association 
  • Anthony Podojil, executive director, Alliance for High Quality Education 
  • Ryan Pendleton, Fair School Funding Workgroup 
  • Michael Hanlon, Fair School Funding Workgroup 
  • Scott DiMauro, Ohio Education Association 
  • Randy Gardner, Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools 
  • Katie Johnson, Ohio Association of School Business Officials 
  • Dr. Paul Imhoff, Buckeye Association of School Administrators  
  • Ben Cech, government relations specialist, Management Council of the Ohio Education Computer Network 
  • Aaron Hood, interim executive director, State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio 
  • Melissa Cropper, president, Ohio Federation of Teachers 
  • And hundreds of local school board members, treasurers, superintendents and other public education advocates. A complete list of witnesses can be seen here, under each individual meeting date. 

House Finance Committee  

The committee held its second hearing on HB 3, sponsored by Reps. Bernard Willis (R-Springfield) and Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati). 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 committee amended the bill, which now permits  ODEW to use up to $100,000 to administer the school bus safety grant program in FY 2026 only, instead of in each fiscal year of the upcoming biennium. The committee heard proponent testimony from Dr. Paul Imhoff, BASA, before voting to pass the bill. 

House Local Government Committee  
The committee amended and passed HB 124, sponsored by Reps. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township). This bill would modify the process for property tax sales-assessment ratio studies. The committee heard interested party testimony from Nicole Piscitani, OSBA, Katie Johnson, OASBO and Dr. Paul Imhoff, BASA. The amendment: 

  • Modifies the deadline for a county auditor to submit a property tax abstract to the county board of revision (BOR) from the second Monday of June to the second Monday of May. 
  • Requires earlier abstract certification to the Ohio Department of Taxation (TAX). 
  • Requires the Board of Tax Appeals (BTA) to issue a decision on an appeal of a TAX order to adjust property values or an auditor's property sales sample by the end of the tax year in which the appeal is filed. 
  • Makes the bill effective starting in tax year 2026 rather than tax year 2025. 

House Agriculture Committee  

The committee held its third hearing on HB 10, sponsored by Reps. Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) and Jack Daniels (R-Akron). HB 10 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”. No witnesses were present to testify on the bill.  

House Ways and Means Committee 
The committee held its second hearing on HB 232, sponsored by Reps. Mathews and Thomas. 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 heard proponent testimony on the bill.  

The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 179, sponsored by Rep. Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill). The 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 also heard sponsor testimony on HB 309, sponsored by Rep. Thomas. The bill would modify the law governing county budget commissions, property taxation and alternative apportionment formulas for school districts, among other taxing units. 

Recently introduced bills  

  • HB 304 – Sponsored by 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 as well as require recess time for K-8 students. 
  • HB 309 – Sponsored by Rep. Thomas, this bill would modify the law governing county budget commissions, property taxation and alternative apportionment formulas for local government and public library funds. 
  • HB 310 – Sponsored by Rep. Stephens, this bill would create the "Ironton Fighting Tigers" license plate. 

Rules activity  

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

  • Chapter 3301-101: Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program 
    • OAC 3301-101-01: Definitions 
    • OAC 3301-101-02: Jon Peterson special needs scholarship program established 
    • OAC 3301-101-03: Eligibility to receive a scholarship 
    • OAC 3301-101-04: Application for a scholarship 
    • OAC 3301-101-06: Awarding scholarships 
    • OAC 3301-101-07: Transfer of scholarship 
    • OAC 3301-101-08: Termination of eligibility 
    • OAC 3301-101-09: Participation by providers 
    • OAC 3301-101-10: Payment of scholarship amounts 
    • OAC 3301-101-11: Entities designated to file applications 
    • OAC 3301-101-12: Dispute resolution and due process requests 
    • OAC 3301-101-13: Program administration 
  • Chapter 3301-103: Autism Scholarship Program 
    • OAC 3301-103-01: Definitions 
    • OAC 3301-103-02: Autism scholarship program established 
    • OAC 3301-103-03: Procedures and deadlines for parents to apply for scholarship 
    • OAC 3301-103-04: Responsibilities of a school district of residence 
    • OAC 3301-103-05: Program participation 
    • OAC 3301-103-06: Application and participation of providers 
    • OAC 3301-103-07: Payment under the autism scholarship program 

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

The State Board of Education has the following rules open for public comment: 

  • Chapter 3302-20-03: Employment of non-licensed individuals with certain criminal convictions 
  • Chapter 3302-83-23: Employment of school bus and van drivers with certain criminal convictions 

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

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 5/30/2025