Governor’s activity
Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill (HB) 434 into law. Sponsored by Rep. Bernard Willis (R-Springfield) and Brian Lampton (R-Fairborn), this act makes corrections to the transportation and main operating budgets. HB 434 included an emergency clause, so it became effective law immediately upon signature.
Gov. DeWine vetoed Senate Bill (SB) 50, refusing to change the law to allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. on a school night. The legislature has until December 31, 2026 to vote to override this veto.
The following acts were delivered to the governor on Tuesday, Dec. 9:
- HB 10, sponsored by Reps. Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) and Jack Daniels (R-New Franklin). 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”.
- HB 114, sponsored by Reps. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) and Kevin Ritter (R-Marietta), which would alter the age requirements for kindergarten admission and hold harmless students affected by a scoring error on the biology end-of-course assessment during the 2024-25 school year.
- HB 124, sponsored by Reps. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township). HB 124 would modify the process for property tax sales-assessment ratio studies.
- HB 129, sponsored by Rep. Thomas, which would include certain property tax levies in the calculation of a school district's effective millage floor.
- HB 184, sponsored by Reps. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) and Ty Matthews (R-Findlay). This act makes corrections to previous capital and main operating budgets.
- HB 186, sponsored by Reps. James M. Hoops (R-Napoleon) and Thomas. HB 186 would cap tax growth for districts on the 20-mill floor to inflation through a retroactive tax credit and provide funds to reimburse school districts for some losses in 2026 and 2027.
- HB 309, sponsored by Rep. Thomas, which would allow county budget commissions (CBC) to reduce millage on certain voter-approved tax levies, excluding debt levies, if they find it necessary or prudent to do so.
- HB 335, sponsored by Rep. Thomas, which would cap the inflationary growth on all inside millage beginning in tax year 2026.
After delivery, Gov. DeWine has ten days (excluding Sundays) to sign, veto or allow these acts to become law without his signature. At the time of this publication, the governor has yet to take action on the above bills.
Recently introduced bills
- SB 330 – Sponsored by Sen. Willis E. Blackshear Jr. (D-Dayton), this bill would allow school districts to count mental health days as excused absences and to name this the Student Wellness Act.
- SB 332 – Sponsored by Sens. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) and Kent Smith (D-Euclid), this bill would dissolve academic distress commissions and instead require student support teams for certain low-performing school buildings. The bill would also authorize a law enforcement agency to provide school resource officer services to a chartered nonpublic school.
- HB 609 – Sponsored by Reps. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and Meredith Craig (R-Smithville), this bill would require a public body to allow for public commentary and testimony before taking formal action on any item.
- HB 610 – Sponsored by Reps. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) and Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown), this bill would dissolve existing academic distress commissions, repeal the law that creates new commissions and declare an emergency.
- HB 623 – Sponsored by Reps. Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus) and Christine Cockley (D-Columbus), this bill would require religious dietary food options in school districts, hospitals and correctional facilities and prohibit the misrepresentation of halal foods.
- HB 625 – Sponsored by Reps. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Angela King (R-Celina), this bill would enact the Student Athlete Mobility (SAM) Act regarding student petitions to participate in team sports at neighboring public schools.
2026 General Assembly schedule
Both the House and Senate clerks have released their schedules for the first half of 2026. The House will convene committee work the first week of February, with their first session of the year slated for Wednesday, February 18. The House has 10 confirmed meeting dates
before their summer break. The Senate returns earlier, resuming committee work Tuesday, January 27 with their first session Wednesday, January 28, and has 11 confirmed session dates in total. Both chambers will recess for the primary election in the spring and for summer break in mid-June.
Federal update
Please click here to read the most recent Federal Advocacy Report, which includes up-to-date information on federal education efforts. Click here to read the most recent Federal Court Report.