Pending introduction

133rd General Assembly

Regular Session 8. B. No. 320

2019-2020
Senator Huffman, M.

Cosponsors: Senators Hottinger, Schuring, Manning, McCoiley, Huffman, S.,
Roegner, Hoagland, Brenner, Johnson, Eklund, Coley, Rulli, Schaffer, Gavarone,
Burke, Hackett

A BILL

To require public and private schools to decide
whether to be open for instruction in the 2020?
2021 school year, to permit parents providing
home instruction to determine whether a building
in which they provide instruction has adequate
safety measures to address to prohibit
other public officials from closing schools in

that school year, and to declare an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1- (A) As used in this section:

"School district" means a city, local, exempted

village, or joint vocational school district.

(2) "Community school" means a community school

established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code.

"Public official" has the same meaning as in section

2921.01 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Private school" means either a chartered nonpublic

$40101?S. B. No. 320
Pending introduction

school or a nonchartered nonpublic school.

(5) "Qualifying parent" means a parent, as defined under
rule 3301?34~Ol of the Administrative Code, who elects to
provide home instruction to a student who has been excused from
the compulsory attendance law for that purpose under section

3321.04 of the Revised Code.

(6) school" is a STEM school established under

Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code.

(B) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the
Revised Code, each school district board of education, community
school governing authority, STEM school governing body, and
private school governing authority shall determine whether its
school buildings will be Open for instruction with students in
attendance for the 2020?2021 school year and each qualifying
parent may determine in which building to provide instruction in

that school year.

If the district or school Opens its school buildings for
instruction, the board of education or governing authority or
body shall determine what health safety measures and guidelines
to implement in its schools to address In the event
that a district or school opens its school buildings for
instruction, the board of education or governing authority or
body may close its school buildings during the school year or
adopt a resolution authorizing a superintendent, or an
equivalent official, to close its school buildings if the
superintendent determines it is necessary to do so. For the
2020?2021 school year, no other public official shall prohibit a
district or school from opening its school buildings for
instruction with students in attendance, cause a district or

school to close its school buildings, or require the district or

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Pending introduction

school to adOpt health safety measures and guidelines to address



Each qualifying parent may determine whether the building
in which the parent provides instruction in the 2020?2021 school
year has adequate health safety measures to address 
For the 2020?2021 school year, no public official shall prohibit
a qualifying parent from providing instruction in a particular
building because of the implications of or require a
parent to adopt health safety measures and guidelines to address



Section 2. This act is hereby declared to be an emergency
measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health, and safety. The reason for such necessity is to
ensure that the changes made by this act take effect before the
start of the 2020?2021 school year. Therefore, this act shall go

into immediate effect.

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