House Finance Committee
The committee held a second hearing on House Bill (HB) 305, sponsored by Reps. Robert R. Cupp (R-Lima) and John Patterson (D-Jefferson), which creates a new school-funding formula. Terry Armstrong, superintendent, Lordstown Local (Trumbull), testified in support of the bill. Click here to read his testimony.
House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 310, sponsored by Rep. Dave Greenspan (R-Westlake), which enacts the Ohio Anti-Bullying and Hazing Act with regard to school discipline and bullying and hazing policies at public schools and colleges.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony on:
• HB 322, sponsored by Reps. Don Jones (R-Freeport) and Don Manning (R-New Middletown), which revises the Ohio Teacher Residency Program.
• HB 367, sponsored by Reps. Jessica E. Miranda (D-Winton Woods) and Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield), which requires the state to recommend a job description for school counselors; requires public schools to consider those recommendations when preparing job descriptions and assigning duties for school counselors; and requires the designation of a school counselor liaison at the Ohio Department of Education.
Senate Education Committee
The committee amended Senate Bill (SB) 102 during its fourth hearing, which requires public schools to conduct screenings of specified students and provide intervention services for those displaying risk factors for dyslexia, among other duties. The amendment now requires dyslexia screening assessments to be administered to students who do not attain a passing score on the third-grade English language arts assessment.
The committee held a third hearing on SB 121, which requires the State Board of Education to develop K-12 health education standards and revises the law regarding venereal disease education standards and curriculum.
The committee held a second hearing on HB 123, sponsored by Rep. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville), which requires public schools to implement certain programs on and provide instruction in suicide awareness and prevention and violence prevention.
Finally, the committee held sponsor testimony on SB 200, sponsored by Sens. Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) and Andrew O. Brenner (R-Powell), which requires professional development for screening and intervention for children with dyslexia, requires school districts to establish structured literacy certification procedures and requires districts to employ specified ratios of structured literacy-certified teachers.
House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 255, sponsored by Rep. James M. Hoops (R-Napoleon), which requires the state’s tax expenditure report to include information on property tax exemptions and requires a periodic review of each property tax exemption.
House Criminal Justice Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on and accepted a substitute version of HB 83, sponsored by Rep. Richard D. Brown (D-Canal Winchester) and former Rep. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), who was appointed to the Senate. The bill allows images captured by school bus cameras to be used as corroborating evidence for the offense of failing to stop for a school bus. Click here to read a discussion of the changes.
House Health Committee
The committee passed HB 210, which requires Ohio Department of Education-licensed preschool programs and other entities to screen and test prospective employees for tuberculosis and annually test certain employees for a five-year period.
House Civil Justice Committee
The committee held a first hearing on HB 370, sponsored by Reps. Brett Hudson Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville) and Brian Baldridge (R-Winchester), which allows the Ohio attorney general to defend school districts, among others, in actions brought against them for maintaining a historical symbol or monument on public property as violating the United States or Ohio Constitution’s guaranty of the free exercise of religion.
Senate General Government and Agency Review Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 119, sponsored by Sens. Kristina D. Roegner (R-Hudson) and Bob Peterson (R-Washington Court House), which exempts Ohio from daylight saving time.
Posted by Will Schwartz on 11/1/2019