Healthcare

HB 485, titled the Baby Olivia Act, requires Ohio public schools to include human growth and development instruction within health education courses. This policy change directly affects K-12 students and school districts by mandating specific curriculum content. The bill amends several education-related sections of the Revised Code and adds new Section 3313.6034 to implement this requirement. The key provision is the inclusion of age-appropriate human growth and development education as part of standard health curriculum.

HB 324, the Patient Protection Act, prohibits pharmacies from selling certain drugs known to cause severe adverse effects and establishes new safety requirements for doctors who prescribe those drugs. It directly affects prescribers (like physicians) and pharmacies by restricting the sale of high-risk medications and mandating specific safeguards before they can be prescribed or dispensed. The bill creates concrete policy changes by banning these specific drug sales and requiring prescribers to follow defined safety protocols to protect patients. The law is named the Patient Protection Act as specified in the bill's title.

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.