This bill is a commemorative resolution honoring the life and legacy of William Nelson Morgan, a former Ohio Army veteran, deputy sheriff, and mayor. It formally acknowledges his extensive public service and community leadership roles, including his work with the Ohio Bankers Association and various civic groups. The resolution expresses the House's condolences to his family and directs the Clerk to send an official copy of the document to them.
This bill restricts state low-income housing tax credits to projects that verify the immigration status of their tenants. To qualify for the credit, property owners must obtain a written declaration confirming they will screen prospective tenants for legal presence in the United States and require proof of status, such as a birth certificate, passport, or driver's license. The owner must keep copies of these documents on file and allow the attorney general to access them for investigation purposes. If a project fails to comply with these verification requirements, the state agency can revoke the tax credit for the non-compliant housing units, though the owner may regain eligibility for those units once they are brought back into compliance.
HB 375, known as the Gus Frangos Act, amends state laws regarding tax foreclosures and the operations of county land reutilization corporations. The bill primarily affects county auditors and treasurers by modifying how delinquent property taxes are listed and how compensation is calculated for tax collection services. Key provisions include updating the process for suspending delinquent taxes on specific property tracts and establishing new fee structures for county auditors based on tax collections and settlements. Additionally, the legislation creates a state funding mechanism to reimburse counties for increased administrative costs related to property tax relief applications.
This bill updates state definitions to officially include the U.S. Space Force within the armed forces and uniformed services. It establishes a program to certify businesses that employ veterans, allowing these companies to receive bonus points when bidding on state contracts. Additionally, the legislation grants examination credit to state job applicants who have served honorably in the military, including the Space Force, to help them qualify for public employment.
SB 336 expands Ohio's Ed Choice Scholarship Program to include students attending nonchartered nonpublic schools, alongside the existing option for chartered nonpublic schools. The bill requires these schools to annually assess reading skills for students in grades kindergarten through three and mandates that parents be notified if a third-grade student is identified as having a substantial deficiency in reading. If a student fails to meet the reading proficiency standard, the school must provide intensive reading instruction services and report data on student performance to the state department of education and workforce. Additionally, the legislation clarifies eligibility criteria for scholarships, linking them to students residing in low-performing school districts and ensuring that those who have received scholarships since 2020-2021 can continue until they complete high school.
SB 338 expands the eligibility for grandparents and other relatives to serve as legal caretakers for children living with them without formal custody orders. The bill defines a "caretaker" broadly to include various blood relatives, stepparents, and non-relative adults who are caring for a child in place of the parents. It allows parents, guardians, or custodians to grant these caretakers specific rights, such as enrolling the child in school and consenting to medical treatment, through a standardized power of attorney form. This document becomes valid only when the parent is unable to care for the child due to circumstances like illness, incarceration, homelessness, or substance abuse treatment. The legislation clarifies that this arrangement does not grant legal custody or affect the parents' future rights to the child.
This bill modifies Ohio law to allow victims of criminal acts to sue for damages without requiring the perpetrator to have been convicted, pleaded guilty, or adjudicated delinquent for the specific offense. Under the new rules, anyone injured by a crime can recover full damages and associated costs in a civil lawsuit, even if the criminal case against the perpetrator was never resolved or resulted in an acquittal. The legislation also establishes that a final criminal conviction for violent offenses can be used as evidence in civil court to prevent the defendant from denying those facts. Additionally, the bill clarifies that public officials and employees must generally avoid receiving outside compensation for work related to their official duties, with specific filing requirements and disqualification rules for exceptions.
This bill requires the state department of education to create a system that allows parents and the public to compare test scores of students using state scholarships at private schools with those of similar students in local public schools. The law mandates that the department publish detailed annual reports on its website, including data on how many scholarship students come from different types of schools and their family income levels. Additionally, the bill establishes a standardized report card for these private schools that breaks down student performance by grade, race, gender, and years of participation in the scholarship program. To protect student privacy, the department is prohibited from releasing data for any group containing fewer than ten students.
This bill designates a specific stretch of State Route 13 in Athens County as the "Marshal Teddy Ray Holcomb Memorial Highway." The legislation applies to the northbound and southbound lanes of this road between State Route 78 and State Route 329. It authorizes the director of transportation to place physical markers along the highway to display the new name. This measure is a commemorative action intended to honor Marshal Teddy Ray Holcomb by naming a public roadway after him.
This bill designates specific days and weeks in Ohio to honor agriculture, including Farmer's Day, FFA Week, 4-H Week, and Ohio Soil Health Week. It also updates the rules for deputy apiarists, who inspect bee hives, by clarifying their appointment process, compensation, and reporting requirements to the state director of agriculture. The legislation establishes that these deputies serve at the pleasure of the county board and must submit inspection reports and expense claims for director approval before receiving payment. Additionally, the bill repeals an older, conflicting section of the Revised Code regarding these agricultural designations.
This bill designates a specific section of State Route 16 in Muskingum County as the "Chief Ronald A. Brown Memorial Highway." The affected lanes are the northeastbound and southwestbound sections located between West Carlisle Road and Old Riley Road. If passed, the state director of transportation is authorized to place signs along the route to display this new name. The legislation serves as a commemorative measure honoring Chief Ronald A. Brown rather than altering traffic laws or funding.
HB 81 designates specific sections of roads and a bridge across Ohio with new names to honor individuals who served in law enforcement, the military, and emergency services. The bill affects various counties by officially renaming highways such as State Route 39 in Carroll County to the "Sheriff Dale R. Williams Memorial Highway" and Interstate 77 in Akron to the "American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. Memorial Highway." Under this legislation, the state director of transportation is authorized to install physical markers along these routes to display the new commemorative titles. This measure serves as a formal recognition of public service rather than altering traffic laws or funding requirements.
