HB 164: Reinstate the Joint Education Oversight Committee
The bill establishes a joint education oversight committee to review and analyze education policy issues, research, and data. The committee will review bills and resolutions related to education and provide a report to the general assembly. The committee can also select education programs for review and evaluation to determine their effectiveness and efficiency. The committee may request data and information from state agencies and subdivisions to support its work. The committee chairperson has the authority to employ professional and technical employees and contract for external services as needed. The committee's findings and recommendations will be transmitted to the general assembly and may also be shared with relevant committees. The bill also repeals a section that previously abolished the joint education oversight committee.<br>This bill establishes the Joint Education Oversight…
| Mar. 19, 2025 | Referred to committee: Education |
| Mar. 12, 2025 | Introduced |
As Introduced
136th General Assembly
Regular Session H. B. No. 164
Representatives Robinson, Miller, J.
Cosponsors: Representatives White, E., Rader, Piccolantonio, Brennan, McNally, Brownlee, Russo
A B I L L
To enact sections 103.44, 103.45, 103.46, 103.47, 1
103.48, 103.49, and 103.50 of the Revised Code 2
and to repeal Section 733.40 of H.B. 166 of the 3
133rd General Assembly to reinstate the Joint 4
Education Oversight Committee and to make an 5
appropriation. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 103.44, 103.45, 103.46, 103.47, 7
103.48, 103.49, and 103.50 of the Revised Code be enacted to 8
read as follows: 9
Sec. 103.44. As used in sections 103.45 to 103.50 of the 10
vised Code: 11
(A) "Other public schools" includes the state school for 12
the deaf, the state school for the blind, community schools 13
established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, STEM 14
schools established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code, and 15
college-preparatory boarding schools established under Chapter 16
3328. of the Revised Code. 17
H. B. No. 164 As Introduced
(B) "State institution of higher education" has the same 18
meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code. 19
Sec. 103.45． (A) The joint education oversight committee of the house of representatives and senate is hereby created. The committee shall authorize a plan of work, which shall include research, review, study, and analysis of current or emerging education policy issues important to the state, the available policy options to address such issues, and the available data and research to support such analysis and options.
(B) The committee also may select, for review and evaluation, education programs at school districts, other public schools, and state institutions of higher education that receive state financial assistance in any form. The reviews and evaluations may include any of the following:
(1) Assessment of the uses school districts, other public 33
schools, and state institutions of higher education make of 34
state money they receive, and a determination of the extent to 35
which that money improves student, district, school, or 36
institutional performance in the areas for which the money was 37
intended to be used; 38
(2) Determination of whether an education program meets 39
its intended goals, has adequate operating or administrative 40
procedures and fiscal controls, encompasses only authorized 41
activities, has any undesirable or unintended effects, and is 42
efficiently managed; 43
(3) Examination of pilot programs developed and initiated 44
in school districts, at other public schools, and at state 45
institutions of higher education to determine whether the 46
H. B. No. 164 As Introduced
programs suggest innovative, effective ways to deal with 47
problems that may exist in other districts, schools, or 48
institutions of higher education, or to create opportunities for 49
success, and to assess the fiscal costs and likely impact of 50
adopting the programs throughout the state. 51
(C) The committee may prepare a report of the results of 52
each review and evaluation it conducts, make recommendations to 53
the general assembly and transmit the report and its 54
recommendations to the general assembly under section 101.68 of 55
the Revised Code. It also may submit the report and its 56
recommendations to the chairpersons and members of the standing 57
committees of the house of representatives and the senate 58
principally responsible for education policy. 59
(D) If the general assembly directs the joint education 60
oversight committee to submit a study to the general assembly by 61
a particular date, the committee, upon a majority vote of its 62
members, may modify the scope and due date of the study to 63
accommodate the availability of data and resources. 64
Sec. 103.46. The joint education oversight committee may 65
review bills and resolutions regarding education that are 66
introduced or offered in the general assembly, and may prepare a 67
report of its review. The committee shall transmit its report to 68
the general assembly under section 101.68 of the Revised Code. 69
The report may include the committee's determination regarding 70
the bill's or resolution's desirability as a matter of public 71
policy. 72
The committee's decision on whether and when to review a 73
bill or resolution has no effect on the general assembly's 74
authority to act on the bill or resolution. 75
H. B. No. 164 As Introduced
Sec. 103.47. The joint education oversight committee 76
chairperson may, subject to approval by the speaker of the house 77
of representatives or the speaker's designee and the president 78
of the senate or the president's designee, employ professional, 79
technical, and clerical employees as are necessary for the joint 80
education oversight committee to be able successfully and 81
efficiently to perform its duties. All the employees are in the 82
unclassified service and may be terminated by the chairperson, 83
subject to approval of the speaker of the house of 84
representatives or the speaker's designee and president of the 85
senate or the president's designee. The committee may contract 86
for the services of persons who are qualified by education and 87
experience to advise, consult with, or otherwise assist the 88
committee in the performance of its duties. 89
Sec. 103.48. The chairperson of the joint education 90
oversight committee may request that the director of education 91
and workforce or the chancellor of higher education appear 92
before the committee. If so requested, the director or the 93
chancellor shall appear before the committee at the time and 94
place specified in the request. 95
Sec. 103.49. (A) The chairperson of the joint education 96
oversight committee may request any state agency or political 97
subdivision to provide to the committee such data, statistics, 98
and other information that is determined to be useful to the 99
work of the committee pursuant to the committee's statutory 100
purposes. Subject to division (B) of this section, and to the 101
extent permitted under section 3319.321 of the Revised Code and 102
the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974," 20 103
U.S.C. 1232g, as amended, any state agency or political 104
subdivision shall provide the committee with the information 105
requested. 106
H. B. No. 164 As Introduced
(B)(1) Upon the joint written request of the chairperson 107
and vice-chairperson of the committee, the director of education 108
and workforce shall, within a reasonable time period, provide 109
the committee with data and information that is in the 110
director's possession or is readily accessible to the director. 111
(2) Upon receiving a written request from the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the committee, the director may request clarification from the committee regarding the request in order to facilitate a timely response. The committee shall cooperate with the director to determine the scope of the data and information requested, taking into account the committee's need and urgency for the information, the director's ease or difficulty of accessing the data and information, the quantity of the information requested, and any other practical considerations that apply.
(3) Except as provided in division (B)(4) of this section, if the director and the chairperson and vice-chairperson are unable to resolve their differences regarding a written request within thirty days of the director's receipt of the request from the chairperson and vice-chairperson, the chairperson and vicechairperson may jointly insist in writing on receiving the data and information from the director, and the director, upon receiving that written request, shall promptly make that information available to the chairperson and vice-chairperson.
(4) If the director requests clarification from the 13
committee under division (B)(2) of this section regarding a 13
written request for a large data set, as determined by the 13
director, the director may inform the chairperson and vice- 134
chairperson of the state director's determination that the 13
request is for a large data set and request that the period of 13
H. B. No. 164 As Introduced
time in which the director and the chairperson and vice- 137
chairperson must resolve their differences regarding the request 138
under division (B)(3) of this section be extended beyond thirty 139
days of the director's receipt of the request. At no time, 140
however, shall the time period in which the director and the 141
chairperson and vice-chairperson must resolve their differences 142
regarding the request under division (B)(3) of this section be 143
longer than ninety days following the director's receipt of the 144
request. 145
Sec. 103.50. The joint education oversight committee shall 146
consist of the following members: 147
(A) Five members of the house of representatives appointed 148
by the speaker of the house of representatives, three of whom 149
are members of the majority party and two of whom are members of 150
the minority party; 151
(B) Five members of the senate appointed by the president 152
of the senate, three of whom are members of the majority party 153
and two of whom are members of the minority party. 154
The term of each member begins on the day of appointment 155
to the committee and ends on expiration or other termination of 156
the member's term as a member of the house of representatives or 157
senate. The speaker of the house of representatives and 158
president of the senate shall make subsequent appointments not 159
later than fifteen days after the commencement of the first 160
regular session of each general assembly. Members may be 161
reappointed. A vacancy on the committee shall be filled in the 162
same manner as the original appointment. 163
In odd-numbered years, the speaker of the house of 164
representatives shall designate one of the majority members from
165
H. B. No. 164 As Introduced
| the house of representatives as chairperson and the president of | 166 |
| the senate shall designate one member from the senate, who is | 167 |
| not from the same political party as the chairperson, as the | 168 |
| ranking member. In even-numbered years, the president of the | |
| 169 | |
| senate as the chairperson and the speaker of the house of | 170 |
| representatives shall designate one member from the house of | 171 172 |
| representatives, who is not from the same political party as the | 173 |
| chairperson, as the ranking member. | 174 |
| In appointing members from the minority， and in | 175 |
| designating ranking members who are from the minority, the | 176 |
| president of the senate and speaker of the house of | 177 |
| representatives shall consult with the minority leader of their | 178 |
| respective houses. | 179 |
| The committee shall meet at the call of the chairperson. | 180 |
| The committee shall meet not less often than once each calendar | 181 |
| month, unless the chairperson and ranking member agree that the | 182 |
| chairperson should not call the committee to meet for a | |
| particular month. | 183 184 |
| Notwithstanding section 101.26 of the Revised Code, the | |
| members, when engaged in their duties as members of the | 185 |
| committee on days when there is not a voting session of the | 186 |
| member's house of the general assembly, shall be paid at the per | 187 |
| diem rate of one hundred fifty dollars, and their necessary | 188 189 |
| traveling expenses. These amounts shall be paid from the funds | 190 |
| appropriated for the payment of expenses of legislative | 191 |
| committees. | 192 |
| The chairperson, when authorized by the committee and the | 193 |
| president of the senate and speaker of the house of | 194 |
| 195 |
H. B. No. 164 As Introduced
in aid of the committee's performance of its duties. A subpoena may require a witness in any part of the state to appear before the committee at a time and place designated in the subpoena to testify. A subpoena duces tecum may require witnesses or other persons in any part of the state to produce books, papers, records, and other tangible evidence before the committee at a time and place designated in the subpoena duces tecum. A subpoena or subpoena duces tecum shall be issued, served, and returned, and has consequences, as specified in sections 101.41 to 101.45 of the Revised Code.
The chairperson may administer oaths to witnesses appearing before the committee.
Section 2. All items in this act are hereby appropriated as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the credit of the designated fund. For all operating appropriations made in this act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 2026 and those in the second column are for fiscal year 2027. The operating appropriations made in this act are in addition to any other operating appropriations made for these fiscal years.
Section 3.
| 1 | 2 | 5 | ||||
| A | JEOJOINT EDUCATIONOVERSIGHTCOMMITTEE | |||||
| B | GeneralRevenueFund | |||||
| GRF | 047321 | Operating Expenses | $376,663 | $378,668 | ||
| D | TOTALGRFGeneralRevenueFund | $376,663 | $378,668 |
E TOTAL ALL BUDGET FUND GROUPS \$376,663 \$378,668
OPERATING EXPENSES 217
The foregoing appropriation item 047321, Operating 218
Expenses, shall be used to support expenses related to the Joint 219
Education Oversight Committee under sections 103.45 to 103.50 of 220
the Revised Code. 221
On July 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter, the 222
Joint Education Oversight Committee may certify to the Director 223
of Budget and Management an amount up to the unexpended, 224
unencumbered balance of the foregoing appropriation item 047321, 225
Operating Expenses, at the end of fiscal year 2026 to be 226
reappropriated to fiscal year 2027. The amount certified is 227
hereby reappropriated to the same appropriation item for fiscal 228
year 2027. 229
Section 4. Within the limits set forth in this act, the 230
Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts 231
indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation 232
made in this act, and shall determine the manner in which 233
appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from 234
operating appropriations contained in this act shall be 235
accounted for as though made in, and are subject to all 236
applicable provisions of, the main operating appropriations act 237
of the 136th General Assembly. 238
Section 5. That Section 733.40 of H.B. 166 of the 133rd 239
General Assembly is hereby repealed. 240