Rep. Justin Pizzulli

Maddy summaryHB 264 amends state laws to clarify how steam-producing facilities can recover waste energy for efficiency purposes. The bill primarily affects industrial and commercial entities that operate steam systems by updating the legal framework governing their energy recovery efforts. It achieves this by revising specific sections of the state's energy code to include these facilities within the scope of existing energy efficiency regulations. This change ensures that such facilities are covered under the same rules designed to promote energy conservation and reduce waste.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program to provide funding to state and private nonprofit colleges and universities that aim to reduce student food insecurity. The program prioritizes institutions with higher percentages of Pell grant-eligible students and allows funds to support existing basic needs infrastructure, build partnerships, and raise awareness about available resources. To qualify for a "hunger-free campus" designation, institutions must offer free meals or emergency funds to students in need and implement at least three specific measures, such as providing accurate information on food assistance programs, designating a staff contact for help, and conducting regular surveys on student food security. The bill also requires the Chancellor of Higher Education to create a tiered grant system where institutions with existing designations receive larger awards and mandates annual reporting on how the grants impact food security.

Maddy summaryHB 606, known as the CAMPUS Act, requires Ohio institutions of higher education to adopt and enforce policies addressing racial, religious, and ethnic bias, harassment, and intimidation. Colleges and universities must provide training for staff and faculty on responding to hate incidents, establish procedures for investigating complaints with options for anonymous reporting, and create task forces focused on combating antisemitism and Islamophobia. The bill also mandates that state agencies develop antisemitism prevention policies and sets up a uniform system for colleges to report hate incidents annually to state officials. Additionally, the legislation creates two new grant programs: one to fund security measures for student safety and another to support intergroup and interfaith outreach activities.

Maddy summaryHB 525 amends state laws to increase penalties for assaulting school employees and volunteers, such as teachers, administrators, bus operators, and volunteers performing official duties like chaperoning students. The bill classifies such assaults as a felony of the fifth degree when they occur on school property, on school buses, or while the victim is engaged in school-related activities outside of school premises. This legislative change directly affects individuals who commit violent acts against those working in educational settings, ensuring they face stricter sentencing guidelines than under previous laws.