HB 125 requires Ohio school districts to grant excused absences for students in kindergarten through grade 12 to participate in scheduled 4-H and FFA programs. Students must provide the school principal with documentation of their participation, and schools must allow them to make up missed work without penalty to their grades. The bill excludes absences during state standardized testing periods or when a student is suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined for activities that would prevent participation in educational trips. This policy directly affects K-12 students involved in these agricultural youth programs by ensuring their school attendance records reflect participation in approved activities.
To enact sections 3301.96 and 3333.89 of the Revised Code to establish the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program, to require the Department of Education and Workforce to hire a full-time school foster care liaison, and to make an appropriation for the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program.
To amend section 5104.02 of the Revised Code to exempt from licensure family child care providers certified by a branch of the United States armed forces.
To amend sections 3313.5310, 3707.58, 3707.59, 4723.24, 4723.28, 4723.99, 4730.14, 4730.25, 4730.99, 4731.22, 4731.281, and 4731.99 and to enact sections 3707.591, 4723.484, 4730.46, 4731.89, and 5164.21 of the Revised Code regarding cardiac monitoring for youth and to name the amendments and enactments by this act the Healthy Cardiac Monitoring Act.
To enact sections 3313.907 and 3317.166 of the Revised Code to designate a JROTC program offered by a school district as a career-technical education program.
To encourage students in grades one through twelve to read the U.S. Declaration of Independence in the classroom during the 2025-2026 school year in celebration of its 250th anniversary.
HB 188 establishes the Ohio Israel Trade and Innovation Partnership, a state-funded initiative to strengthen economic ties between Ohio and Israel. It directly affects Ohio businesses, universities, and innovation hubs seeking collaboration opportunities with Israeli companies. The bill creates a dedicated partnership program under Ohio law and allocates state funding to support joint research, trade missions, and business development activities. This is a concrete policy change that formalizes a new state mechanism for international economic engagement.
HB 48 modifies Ohio's income tax deductions for contributions to 529 college savings plans and ABLE accounts (for people with disabilities). It changes the deduction limits outlined in the Revised Code, affecting Ohio taxpayers who contribute to these accounts. The bill adjusts how much individuals can deduct from their state taxable income for these specific savings contributions. This directly impacts residents using these accounts for education or disability-related expenses. The change alters the state tax benefit structure for these financial tools without altering federal rules.
To amend sections 149.381, 149.43, and 3319.321 of the Revised Code to permit schools to withhold directory information and to remove directory information from the public record definition.
HB 43 proposes to waive the required minimum instructional hours specifically for Ashtabula Lakeside High School. This measure is intended to provide flexibility to the school because its building is currently unusable. If passed, the bill would allow the high school to operate without meeting the standard instructional hour requirements for a specified period.