OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
S.B. 62* Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for S.B. 62’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Reported by House State and Local Government
Primary Sponsors: Sens. Reineke and Brenner
Effective date:
Alyssa Bethel, Attorney
SUMMARY
Designations
▪ Makes a variety of day, week, and month designations.
▪ Designates the walleye as the official state fish.
Alzheimer’s disease and dementia awareness
▪ Requires the Department of Health, in consultation with the Department of Aging,
Commission on Minority Health, and community organizations to incorporate Alzheimer’s
disease and dementia awareness information into relevant public health outreach it
conducts.
▪ Requires those entities to design the information to educate and increase awareness and
understanding among health care providers, community organizations, and the public
regarding specified topics related to cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and other
dementia.
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
▪ Requires health care practitioners who are primarily responsible for caring for a patient
diagnosed with epilepsy to provide written information about sudden, unexplained death
in epilepsy (“SUDEP”) risk factors and conditions and nonprofit organizations that can
provide information and support services for patients with epilepsy.
▪ Names this provision the Brenna Brossard SUDEP Awareness Act.
*This analysis was prepared before the report of the House State and Local Government Committee
appeared in the House Journal. Note that the legislative history may be incomplete.
December 10, 2024
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Designations
The bill makes the following designations:
▪ The walleye as the official state fish.1
▪ March 9 as “6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day” to honor those who served in
the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black women’s unit to serve
overseas during World War II.2
▪ September 11 as “9/11 Remembrance Day” to honor the lives of those lost to the terrorist
attacks on September 11, 2001, including many Ohioans, and to honor the first
responders, national guard members, and other heroes who selflessly responded to the
attacks.3
▪ May as “Umpire Recognition Month.”4
▪ October 4 as “Rutherford B. Hayes Day.”5
▪ April as “Counseling Awareness Month.”6
▪ The first week of October as “Ohio Stormwater Awareness Week.”7
▪ May as “Older Ohioans Month.”8
▪ The week beginning on the Saturday before the last Saturday of February through the last
Saturday in February as “FFA Week.”9
▪ October 12 as “Farmer’s Day.”10
▪ The week ending with the second Saturday of March as “4-H Week.”11
1 R.C. 5.037.
2 R.C. 5.212.
3 R.C. 5.2322.
4 R.C. 5.2323.
5 R.C. 5.2324.
6 R.C. 5.2325.
7 R.C. 5.2326.
8 R.C. 5.2410.
9 R.C. 5.2411.
10 R.C. 5.2412.
11 R.C. 5.2413.
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Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
▪ March 21 as “Agriculture Day.”12
▪ The second full week of November as “Ohio Soil Health Week,” to celebrate and raise
awareness for the importance of soil health to Ohio agriculture and in honor of the
birthday of soil pioneer and advocate David Brandt.13
▪ September 19 as “Ohio Stillbirth Prevention Day.”14
▪ November 5 as “Roy Rogers Day” in honor of Roy Rogers, also known as “King of the
Cowboys,” who was a singer and actor from Portsmouth, Ohio.15
▪ March as “Triple Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”16
▪ The week beginning on Thursday of the second full week in June as “Ohio Nursing
Assistants Week.”17
▪ November 18 as “A Christmas Story Family Day” to commemorate the date in 1983 when
the classic movie, filmed in Cleveland, Ohio, was released.18
▪ March 25 as “Greek Independence Day” to remember this important day in Greek history,
and to honor and recognize Ohioans of Greek descent and their contributions to Ohio.19
▪ The third Sunday in November as “Road Traffic Victims Day of Remembrance” to honor
the people killed or seriously injured on the roads of this state and to encourage road
safety and support for road traffic victims and their families.20
▪ September 28 as “Speaker Jo Ann Davidson Day” in recognition of Jo Ann Davidson, the
first female speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, who was born on that day in
1927.21
▪ August 24 As “Ukraine Independence Day” in recognition of that day in 1991 when the
parliament of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada, formally declared an independent, sovereign,
and democratic Ukrainian state.22
12 R.C. 5.2414.
13 R.C. 5.2415.
14 R.C. 5.2472.
15 R.C. 5.2540.
16 R.C. 5.2541.
17 R.C. 5.267.
18 R.C. 5.491.
19 R.C. 5.56.
20 R.C. 5.561.
21 R.C. 5.563.
22 R.C. 5.61.
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Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy
Health care practitioner responsibilities
The bill requires health care practitioners who have the primary responsibility for the
treatment or care of a patient who has been diagnosed with epilepsy to provide the patient with
written information about sudden, unexpected death in epilepsy (“SUDEP”).23 SUDEP, as defined
by the bill, is sudden, unexpected death in patients with epilepsy, with or without evidence of
seizure.24
The provided information must include current, evidence-based information developed
by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on SUDEP risk factors and
conditions and contact information for nonprofit organizations that provide information and
support services for epilepsy conditions.25
The health care practitioners to which the bill applies are:26
▪ Physicians practicing medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery;
▪ Advanced practice registered nurses designated as clinical nurse specialists, certified
nurse-midwifes, or certified nurse practitioners; and
▪ Physician assistants.
Health care practitioners providing treatment during an emergency situation are exempt
from the bill’s requirements.27
Director of Health responsibilities
The Director of Health is required to post a link on the Department of Health’s website to
the CDC’s information page on SUDEP.28
The Director may, in the Director’s discretion, add information to the website if any local
or national organization that provides education or services related to epilepsy conditions
requests that their information be included on the Department’s website.29
Alzheimer’s disease and dementia awareness
The bill requires the Department of Health to coordinate with the Department of Aging,
the Commission on Minority Health, and community organizations that focus on Alzheimer’s
disease and other forms of dementia to incorporate awareness information into the Department
23 R.C. 3701.1311.
24 R.C. 3701.1311(A)(2).
25 R.C. 3701.1311(B).
26 R.C. 3701.1311(A)(1).
27 R.C. 3701.1311(B).
28 R.C. 3701.1311(C)(1).
29 R.C. 3701.1311(C)(2).
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Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
of Health’s relevant public health outreach. Under the bill, the parties must design the
information to educate and increase awareness and understanding among health care providers,
community organizations, and the general public on topics related to cognitive impairment,
Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementia.
The topics must include:
▪ Early warning signs;
▪ The value of reducing risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia, including
through conducting healthy brain initiatives and disseminating healthy lifestyle materials;
▪ The importance of early detection and timely diagnosis;
▪ How to reduce the risk of cognitive decline, particularly among individuals from broad
cultural, ethnic, racial, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds and those
disproportionately affected by dementia who are at greater risk of developing
Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia;
▪ Assessment tools for detection and diagnosis; and
▪ The importance of an annual Medicare wellness visit or other physical for individuals age
65 and older for cognitive health, including the Medicare plan billing code for treatment
related to cognitive impairment.30
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 02-21-23
Reported, S. General Government 09-26-23
Passed Senate (30-0) 11-15-23
Reported, H. State & Local Gov’t ---
ansb0062rh-135/ks
30 R.C. 3701.147.
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As Reported by House State and Local Government