Rep. Jennifer Gross

To amend sections 3311.053, 3501.01, 3505.03, 3505.04, 3513.04, 3513.05, 3513.052, and 3513.19 and to repeal sections 3513.254, 3513.255, 3513.256, and 3513.259 of the Revised Code to require state and school district board members to be nominated by primary election and to appear on the ballot with a party designation.

Maddy summaryHB 432 updates Ohio's career-technical education laws by strengthening oversight for community schools and clarifying substitute teacher licensing. The bill requires school sponsors to conduct monthly financial and enrollment reviews, report findings to officials, and provide technical assistance to ensure schools follow their contracts and maintain performance standards. It also establishes new rules for substitute teaching licenses, allowing educators with related degrees to teach for unlimited days or those with unrelated degrees to teach for one semester with approval. Additionally, the legislation sets a transition timeline for existing career-technical teachers to adopt new professional or workforce development licenses while permitting them to continue renewing their current credentials until the deadline.

To amend section 5747.98 and to enact sections 1315.131, 5502.80, and 5747.87 of the Revised Code to levy a transfer fee on money transmissions, to authorize an income tax credit based on the amount of the transfer fees paid, and to name this act Ohio's Withholding Illegal Revenue Entering Drug Markets (WIRED) Act.

To amend sections 3704.14, 4503.10, 4503.102, and 4503.103 of the Revised Code to create an alternative method to certify compliance with the E-Check program and to name this act the E-Check Ease Act.

Maddy summaryHB 120 exempts the sale of firearm safety devices (such as trigger locks or gun safes) from Ohio's sales and use tax. This change directly affects consumers purchasing these devices and retailers selling them, removing the tax obligation on these specific products. The bill amends Ohio Revised Code sections 5739.01-5739.17 to create this tax exemption, making it a concrete policy change for firearm safety device transactions. The legislation does not alter tax treatment for other firearm-related items or general sales.

Maddy summaryHB 110 amends Ohio law to increase penalties for repeat voyeurism offenses. It raises penalties for individuals with two or more prior convictions of secretly recording others in private spaces (e.g., bathrooms, changing rooms) or undergarments, upgrading violations from misdemeanors to third-degree felonies. The bill specifically targets repeat offenders who previously violated laws against surreptitiously videotaping, photographing, or broadcasting private areas without consent. It does not change penalties for first-time offenses but strengthens consequences for repeat violations across all scenarios described in the law.

Maddy summaryHB 99 removes specific nonprofit agricultural membership organizations from Ohio's insurance regulations. It defines these organizations as state-incorporated entities serving farmers' interests and providing healthcare coverage exclusively to members and their families. The bill clarifies that such healthcare coverage is not considered "insurance" under state law, exempting these organizations from Title XXXIX regulations and the superintendent of insurance's jurisdiction. This allows the organizations to provide healthcare benefits without insurance licensing while permitting reinsuring of related risks through authorized insurers.

To amend sections 3313.602, 3314.03, 3326.11, and 3328.24 and to enact section 3313.6031 of the Revised Code to enact The Pledge of Allegiance Act to require the Pledge of Allegiance in schools.

To enact section 3792.09 of the Revised Code to prohibit discrimination against an individual for the refusal of certain medical interventions for reasons of conscience, including religious convictions, and to name this act the Conscientious Right to Refuse Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the state Department of Education to assign annual letter grades to every school district and individual school building based on specific performance metrics. The grading system evaluates factors such as annual measurable objectives, graduation rates, and student growth, with specific benchmarks set for each letter grade from A to F. To ensure transparency, the department must publish these grades on annual report cards that include two-year trend data and separate scores for key student subgroups like those with disabilities and gifted students. Additionally, the bill mandates that the department publicly present its proposed grading methods and benchmarks to legislative committees before finalizing the rules for implementation.