To amend sections 3301.91 and 3313.819 of the Revised Code to provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to public and chartered nonpublic school students, and to make an appropriation.
To amend sections 3313.48, 3313.603, 3314.03, 3326.11, and 3328.24 and to enact section 3313.6025 of the Revised Code to permit students to use club sports or other athletic activity to fulfill the high school physical education requirement and to require recess time for K-8 students.
HB 562 allocates state funding to school districts to help them provide food options that meet students' religious dietary restrictions, such as halal, kosher, or vegetarian needs. The bill directly affects students with these restrictions and school nutrition programs responsible for meal planning. Its key mechanism is a specific appropriation (funding allocation) to support the development or expansion of compliant food services. This policy change requires schools to use the funds to improve dietary accommodations, without specifying exact menu requirements. The bill focuses on enabling schools to better serve religious dietary needs through financial support.
To amend sections 133.06, 3302.036, 3302.042, 3302.16, 3302.17, 3310.03, 3311.29, and 3314.102; to enact new section 3302.10; and to repeal sections 3302.10, 3302.103, 3302.11, 3302.111, and 3302.12 of the Revised Code and to repeal Sections 4, 5, and 6 of H.B. 70 of the 131st General Assembly to dissolve academic distress commissions and to instead require student support teams for certain low-performing school buildings.
HB 462 updates Ohio school health policies to allow schools to stock and administer nasal epinephrine devices for students with severe allergies without requiring a separate prescription for each student. It directly affects students with life-threatening allergies, school nurses, and staff who may need to respond to allergic reactions. The key provision removes the requirement for individual prescriptions per student, enabling schools to maintain a stock of the device for immediate use in emergencies. This change streamlines access to critical treatment during allergic reactions at school. The bill amends existing sections of Ohio's Revised Code governing school health procedures.
SB 330, the Student Wellness Act, allows Ohio school districts to count mental health days as excused absences for students. This directly affects students who need to miss school for mental health reasons and school districts that implement the policy. The key provision amends school absence rules to explicitly include mental health as a valid reason for excused absences, replacing the need for traditional medical notes. School districts can now adopt this policy without additional legislative approval under the new section 3321.044 of the Revised Code. The law aims to support student well-being by reducing barriers to seeking mental health care.
