House Activity
The House passed House Bill (HB) 139, sponsored by Reps. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield) and Joseph A. Miller, III (D-Amherst), by a vote of 69-6. The bill 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.
The House also passed HB 257, sponsored by Reps. James M. Hoops (R-Napoleon) and Thaddeus J. Claggett (R-Newark), by a vote of 73-3. The bill would authorize certain public bodies to meet virtually, including the School Employees Retirement Board. School boards, among other boards, are not included in the authorization.
House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee passed SB 17, sponsored by Sen. Steve Wilson (R-Mainesville), 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 a third hearing on 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.
The committee amended and passed HB 206, sponsored by Reps. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Monica Robb Blasdel (R-Columbiana), which would permit a school district to establish a policy that authorizes a superintendent to expel a student from a public school for actions that endanger the health and safety of other students or school employees. The amendment does the following:
- Reiterates that charter schools must comply with the bill's requirements.
- Makes a superintendent, not a school board responsible for selecting a psychiatrist or psychologist and developing a list of alternative educational options.
- Clarifies that a plan for continued education of an expelled student must be created within 15 school days for a student who does not have an individualized education program.
- Requires plans for continued education of expelled students with IEPs to be developed within 10 school days of the start of an expulsion period.
The committee held a second hearing on HB 312, sponsored by Reps. Andrea White (R-Kettering) and Tom Young (R-Washington Township), which would establish the Regional Partnerships Program and makes an appropriation. Proponent testimony was provided by Shannon Cox, superintendent, Montgomery County ESC.
House Ways and Means
The committee held a third hearing on HB 263, sponsored by Reps. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township), which would authorize a property tax freeze for certain owner-occupied homes.
The committee also held a second hearing on HB 254, sponsored by Reps. Adam Holmes (R-Nashport) and Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), which would expand and enhance the homestead property tax exemption for disabled veterans.
Senate Ways and Means
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 187, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) and Adam Bird (R-New Richmond), which would modify the procedures used by the tax commissioner to conduct property tax sales-assessment ratio studies.
House Pension
The committee held a second hearing on HB 310, sponsored by Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport), which would change the cost of military service credit for STRS members.
House Homeland Security
The committee held a second hearing on HB 223, sponsored by Rep. Jim Thomas (R-Jackson Township), which would create the "Jackson Local Schools" license plate and would make an appropriation from the revenue of the license plate.
House Families and Aging Committee
The committee introduced a substitute version of HB 14, sponsored by Reps. Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria) and Marilyn Johns (R-Shelby), which considers the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities to grant equal time and responsibility for a child. Some education related parental responsibilities in the bill are as follows:
- Requires all shared parenting orders and parental rights and responsibilities orders to include provisions covering all factors that are relevant to the care of children, such as the designation of a parent for child support purposes, school attendance and other purposes; a parenting time schedule; communication methods; and information sharing.
- Requires the court to designate one of the parents’ residences as the child’s home for purposes of receiving public assistance or establishing school district residence.
Senate Government Oversight Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 68, sponsored by Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), which would prohibit certain procedures to alter a minor child’s sex; and would designate this act as the Ohio Saving Adolescents from Experimentation Act. This bill also includes HB 6, which would enact the Save Women's Sports Act to require schools, state institutions of higher education and private colleges to designate separate single-sex teams and sports for each sex.
New Bills Introduced
HB 339, sponsored by Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), establishes the Nonchartered Educational Savings Account Program.
HB 344, sponsored by Reps. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township), which would eliminate replacement property tax levies and would make changes to the laws regarding property tax valuation complaints, counter-complaints and appeals.