LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:
Covering SUB. Senate Bill 1, House Bill 11 and House Bill 12
Dear friends and concerned parents,
CHEO greatly appreciates every effort families have made to contact their State Representatives and members of the relevant legislative committees regarding substantial pieces of legislation that will affect home educators in Ohio.
This legislative session has provided multiple opportunities for families to get engaged and to teach their children this important civic responsibility.
It’s a learning process and we all benefit when everyone is paying attention to state policy – in education and every other category of state law. Our Ohio Constitution states in Article I, Sec. 2 “All political power is inherent in the people.” This system of government works well when “the people” are engaged.
We want to provide a brief update on the status of some of these bills. Please continue to make the appropriate phone calls and keep these issues in your constant prayers.
Serving you,
Melanie Elsey
CHEO Legislative Liaison
Disclaimer: This information is provided for your consideration and as a public service.
Sub. Senate Bill 1:
The core purpose of this bill is to create a new Department of Education/Workforce (DEW) with a director appointed by the governor. All policy authority for ALL students would be transferred to the appointed DEW Director and removed from the authority of the State Board of Education.
The bill itself exceeds 2,200 pages in length. One section (RC 3321.042) redefines home education as being exempt from compulsory school attendance. A notice to home educate would be filed annually with the local superintendent by the parents. Six academic subject areas would be required to be taught each year. This is a simplification of the current practice.
In the final day of Senate consideration, the Ohio Senate Education Committee amended SB1 to include a requirement to subject home educated students to the state’s truancy laws. This is nonsense and CHEO is asking for this paragraph (C) to be removed from the bill. [Section 3321.042(C)]
SB 1 also fails to harmonize other relevant statutes with the new home education paragraph. CHEO has submitted a complete list of technical changes to state law to change the term “excuse” to “exempt”.
Economic and Workforce Development Committee:
https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/economic-and-workforce-development/meetings/cmte_h_econ_dev_1_2023-05-09-0200_504
Click on “Meeting Notice and Agenda”. The 4th hearing on Sub. SB1 is May 9, 2023 at 2pm; Room 114 Ohio Statehouse. This bill is on the agenda but is not marked for a committee vote. This, of course, could change by the hearing on Tuesday.
Economic and Workforce Committee members:
https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/economic-and-workforce-development
Please continue to call committee members and ask for the above stated revisions to the bill. Please continue to ask your own state representative to vote NO on this bill if these revisions are not approved.
House Bill 11:
This bill is nicknamed the “Backpack Bill” and creates “education savings accounts” as a mechanism of providing state funding to follow students. Home educated students are eligible to receive $5500 or $7500 per child. This is a complex system of vendor contracts and oversight that will become very intrusive for home educating families.
A revision to the already existing tax credit for home educating families would be preferred as it allows families to keep more of their own resources and would not invite complexities that come with taking state foundation funds.
The 3rd hearing held on HB 11 was April 25. As of this writing, the committee schedule has not been posted for next week.
Use this link to check on the committee schedule:
https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/primary-and-secondary-education/meetings
If May 9 is listed, click on that date. Then click on “Meeting Notice and Agenda.”
Ohio House Primary and Secondary Education Committee members:
https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/primary-and-secondary-education
Please continue to ask your state legislator and members of the Ohio House Primary and Secondary Education Committee to oppose this bill as it was introduced. Please ask for all references to home education (as a part of this complex funding system) to be removed from the bill.
House Bill 12:
This bill is almost identical to Sub. Senate Bill 1, but does not include the truancy language.
HB 12 also fails to harmonize other relevant statutes with the new home education paragraph. CHEO has submitted a complete list of technical changes to state law to change the term “excuse” to “exempt” and other relevant changes.
Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The 5th hearing held on HB12 was April 18, 2023. As of this writing, the committee schedule has not been posted for next week.
Use this link to check on next week’s schedule:
https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/primary-and-secondary-education/meetings
If May 9 is listed, click on that date. Then click on “Meeting Notice and Agenda.”
Ohio House Primary and Secondary Education Committee members:
https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/primary-and-secondary-education
Please continue to call committee members and ask for section 3321.042 to be harmonized with other relevant sections of state law. They can refer to the list provided to the committee chair. Please continue to ask your own state representative to vote NO on this bill if these revisions are not approved.