The Ohio Statehouse. (Photo by Jake Zuckerman, Ohio Capital Journal.)
Ohio lawmakers have already passed more than a dozen bills during their marathon lame duck session. Here is what we are tracking.
This story is ongoing and will be updated throughout the night
Every remaining bill that doesn’t get passed during the lame duck session dies. Lawmakers would have to go through the same process starting next year to get their bill passed.
Some bills will go directly to the governor; others will go back to the other chamber for a concurrence vote.
Not every bill that passed will be mentioned in this article.
H.B. 8 — needs a concurrence vote still.
This bill would require schools and teachers to notify parents about any changes to their child’s mental, physical, or emotional well-being — including if they identify as LGBTQ+.
The legislation also mandates notification about so-called “sexuality” content.
H.B. 206 — needs a concurrence vote still.
It would allow schools to expel for longer based on “imminent and severe endangerment.”
This includes bringing a gun or knife to a school, committing a criminal offense that results in harm to another or property, making bomb threats — or any other written or verbal threat such as a hit list, manifesto or malicious social media post.
To be reinstated, the student must go through a psychological evaluation. Even after the evaluation, the school superintendent can deny the student if they don’t think they have been “rehabilitated” enough. From there, the superintendent can reevaluate the student after 90 days. If they fail, again, they can be prohibited from the school for another 90 — and that would continue on.
H.B. 322 — needs a concurrence vote still.
It creates the offense of grooming, prohibiting an adult from engaging in a “pattern of conduct” with a minor that would cause a “reasonable adult” to believe that the adult has a “purpose to entice, coerce, solicit, or prepare the minor to engage in “sexual activity.”
The offense would also be seen on background checks, meaning a coach who was fired for grooming behaviors could be prevented from getting a job at another school.
H.B. 531 — getting sent to governor
This bill makes sexual extortion a crime.
If the crime results in bodily harm or death, a court could impose an additional 10 years.
This legislation provides immunity to victims for sending explicit images.
The bill would also allow a parent or guardian to gain access to a phone or device belonging to a deceased minor within 30 days.
H.B. 7 — getting sent to governor
This bill would expand access to prenatal, postnatal, infant and toddler services and supports.
H.J.R. 8 — on the ballot this May
This would propose a new constitutional amendment on the May ballot. This would renew Ohio’s authority to issue bonds to fund local-level public infrastructure capital improvement projects.
H.B. 173 — getting sent to governor
Among other consumer assistance, this would make it a law for medical facilities to have real prices posted, not just estimates.
H.B. 29 — getting sent to governor
The bill authorizes a person whose driver’s license is suspended for failure to pay child support to petition a court for limited driving privileges.
It also authorizes a person who is in default on child support payments to present evidence that a driver’s license suspension would effectively prevent that person from paying child support or the arrearage due under the child support order.
H.B. 366 — getting sent to governor
This creates the Organized Retail Theft Task Force within the Organized Crime Investigations Commission, to investigate retail theft activity, including cargo theft and any complaint received involving retail theft.
This would be if someone knowingly stole $7,500 of retail property.
H.B. 452 — getting sent to governor
It requires each hospital to establish a security plan. It also allows for civil immunity for self or other-defense in a nonprofit facility, such as a church or synagogue.
H.B. 331 — getting sent to governor
This would require an audit of all villages every 10 years after the U.S. Census to make sure each village provides at least five of the following services:
– Police
– Fire
– Garbage collection
– Water or Sewer service
– Emergency medical services
– Road maintenance
– Park services or other recreation services
– Human services
– Public library established and operated solely by the village.
If a village is unable to meet that requirement, it would automatically trigger a ballot measure on whether or not to dissolve at the next general election.
H.B. 77 — getting sent to governor
This creates a framework for drone operations.
H.B. 315
The big ticket item is H.B. 315, the Christmas Tree Bill. This means that the original bill was amended with several other pieces of legislation.
It is unclear what all will be in it. Conference committee is currently being held to determine that.
This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.
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