House activity
The House passed House Continuing Resolution 35 by a vote of 95-0. The bill would invalidate the proposed amendments to rule 3301-35-04 of the Ohio Administrative Code. The proposed amendments to the rule would remove the requirement for a school to offer courses in personal safety, foreign language, technology, family and consumer sciences, and business education and, instead, make it optional. The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review voted to invalidate the rule. However, both the Ohio House and Ohio Senate are required to vote on terminating the rule. The bill is now in the Senate for a vote. Click here to read the rule.

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held a second hearing on House Bill (HB) 368, sponsored by Reps. Adam C. Bird (R-New Richmond) and Gail K. Pavliga (R-Atwater), which would permit school districts and schools to establish their own policies for weighted grade averages of courses completed through the College Credit Plus program. OSBA, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators and the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators provided proponent testimony. Click here to read the testimony.

The committee held a second hearing on Senate Bill (SB) 181, sponsored by Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), which would establish restrictions on policies that prevent students from wearing religious apparel when competing or participating in interscholastic athletics or extracurricular activities. The bill would also permit certain officials to limit the wearing of religious apparel if a legitimate danger to participants is identified but requires an administrator or official to offer all reasonable accommodations. Additionally, the bill would provide civil immunity for schools and school districts, among others.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 357, sponsored by Reps. Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) and Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Township), which would index the homestead exemption amounts to inflation.

It also held sponsor testimony on HB 234, sponsored by Reps. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) and Riordan T. McClain (R-Upper Sandusky), which would repeal the commercial activity tax with a five-year phase out.

House State and Local Government Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on House Joint Resolution 1, sponsored by Reps. McClain and Craig S. Riedel (R-Defiance), which would request a constitutional convention to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government and limit the terms of office for its officials and members of Congress.

House Economic and Workforce Development Committee
The committee amended SB 166, sponsored by Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin), which would establish the student pathways for career success grant program and require the state to create a program that establishes financial incentives for Ohio businesses to provide work-based learning experiences for students enrolled in career-technical education programs. The bill would permit career-technical schools to use remote or digital learning. Additionally, the legislation would require joint vocational school districts to be included in revenue-sharing agreements from a community reinvestment area agreement. The amendments clarify language regarding the commercial truck driver student aid program, would allow certified dental assistants to perform additional dental services, and would define the Northeast Ohio Medical University as a state university.

House Agriculture and Conservation Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 397, sponsored by Reps. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) and Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville), to revise the law regarding agricultural leases.

State Board of Education
The State Board of Education (SBOE) approved a substitute resolution to repeal the July 2020 Resolution to Condemn Racism and to Advance Equity and Opportunity for Black Students, Indigenous Students and Students of Color by a vote of 10-7. The SBOE made several changes to the resolution that include removing references to critical race theory as it pertains to board-adopted K-12 standards and model curricula. Click here to read the resolution.

Ohio Department of Education
The Ohio Department of Education released the 2020-21 Ohio School Report Cards, which do not contain overall grades for any districts or buildings, individual grades or ratings for given components or performance measures.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 10/15/2021