OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
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H.B. 250 Final Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 250’s Fiscal Note
Primary Sponsors: Reps. Miranda and Richardson
Effective date: August 14, 2024; appropriations effective May 15, 2024; conforming
amendments effective January 1, 2025.
Effective date:
Rachel Larsen, Research Analyst
SUMMARY
Military seal
 Renames the “Military Enlistment Seal” to the “Military Seal.”
 Establishes new pathways for a high school student to earn the seal.
Cellular telephone policy
 Requires each public school to adopt a policy governing the use of cellular telephones by
students during school hours.
 Requires the Department of Education and Workforce to adopt a model policy governing
the use of cellular telephones by students for use by public schools.
Educator licenses
 Permits a licensed educator with a grade band specification given under former law to
renew the license in accordance with that law or the law in effect on the license’s renewal
date.
 Specifies that a licensed teacher employed by a district or school to teach outside of the
designated grade band on the teacher’s license in accordance with continuing law is a
“properly certified or licensed teacher.”
Pupil Transportation Pilot Program
 Divides the Pupil Transportation Pilot Program into two distinct programs with different
requirements.
 Requires an educational service center (ESC) in the Franklin County program to identify
students who are struggling with transportation issues as determined by their resident
districts, instead of identifying districts, to participate in the program.
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 Qualifies students transported by an ESC in the Montgomery County program who are
struggling with transportation issues who do not attend their resident school or are
students with disabilities for the program.
 Requires the ESCs of both programs to report students transported under the program to
the Department of Education and Workforce.
 Permits participating ESCs to use other approved vehicles for student transportation,
rather than only school busses, and to use other authorized individuals in other approved
vehicles, rather than only bus drivers.
High school financial literacy fund
 Transfers administrative authority over the High School Financial Literacy Fund from the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to the Director of Education and Workforce.
Corrective change to State Board reference
 Changes an incorrect reference from the “State Board of Education” to the “Director of
Education and Workforce” in the school psychologist law.
Standards and model curriculum for financial literacy
 Requires the Department, instead of the State Board, to incorporate academic concepts
of free market capitalism into the standards and model curriculum for high school
financial literacy.
Programs for parents of blind or visually impaired children
 Requires Ohio Deaf and Blind Education Services to consult with the Department of
Children and Youth in carrying out its educational program for parents of blind or visually
impaired children.
Adoption Grant Program
 Increases the FY 2024 and FY 2025 appropriations for the Adoption Grant Program by
$19 million each year, and reappropriates the program’s unexpended, unencumbered
balance at the end of FY 2024 to FY 2025.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Military seal
The act renames the “Military Enlistment diploma seal” as the “Military diploma seal.” It
permits a school district that purchased state diploma seals that include the text “Military
Enlistment Seal” prior to August 14, 2024, to continue to attach or affix those seals to high school
diplomas after that date.
The act also establishes new pathways for a high school student to earn the Military
diploma seal. A student may earn that diploma seal by providing evidence that the student has
either accepted a scholarship to enter the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) or been
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appointed to a U.S. military service academy. Otherwise, continuing law requires a student to
provide evidence the student has enlisted in the U.S. armed services or participates in a Junior
Reserve Officer Corps (JROTC) program.1 The student may use that diploma seal to help qualify
for a high school diploma.
Cellular telephone policy
Policy requirements
The act requires public schools (school districts, community schools, STEM schools, and
college-preparatory boarding schools) to adopt a policy governing the use of cellular telephones
by students during school hours.2 Each district board of education or school governing authority
must adopt the policy by July 1, 2025.
A cellular telephone policy must emphasize that student cellular telephone use be as
limited as possible during school hours and reduce cellular telephone-related distractions in
classroom settings. The policy must also, if determined appropriate by a district board or
governing authority, or if included in a student’s individualized education program (IEP) or section
504 plan, permit students to use cellular telephones or other electronic communications devices
for student learning or to monitor or address a health concern.3
The act does not require a district board or governing authority to adopt a policy that
prohibits all cellular telephone use by students. However, any policy that does so meets the act’s
requirements for a cellular telephone policy.4
The act requires district boards and governing authorities adopting a cellular telephone
policy after August 14, 2024, to adopt it at a public meeting. If a district board or governing
authority adopts a policy that includes the content required by the act prior to that date, the
district or school is considered to have met the requirement to adopt a policy. Each district board
or governing authority must make publicly available its cellular telephone policy or its policy
established under continuing law prohibiting students from carrying electronic communications
devices on school grounds. Each policy must be posted prominently on the district board’s or
governing authority’s website, if the board or authority has one.5
Model policy
The act requires the Department of Education and Workforce to adopt a model cellular
telephone policy that meets the act’s requirements by October 15, 2024. To the extent possible,
1 R.C. 3313.6114(C)(3) and Section 8.
2 R.C. 3313.753(C), 3314.03(A)(11)(d), 3326.11, and 3328.24.
3R.C. 3313.753(C); see also R.C. Chapter 3323 and Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
29 United States Code 794, not in act.
4 R.C. 3313.753(D).
5 R.C. 3313.753(E), (F), and (G).
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the model policy must take into account available research concerning the effect of cellular
telephones use by students in school settings. The act permits districts and schools to use the
Department’s model policy.6
Educator licensure
Educator license renewal
The act permits a valid educator license holder with a grade band specification given
under law in effect prior to October 3, 2023, to renew that license with a specification in
accordance with either that law or the law in effect on the license’s renewal date. Upon renewal,
the license must include one or more of the grades the holder was authorized to teach under the
previous license.7
Properly certified or licensed teacher
The act specifies that any licensed teacher employed by a school district or community
school to teach outside of the designated grade band on the teacher’s license in accordance with
continuing law is considered a “properly certified or licensed teacher.” Continuing law requires
that only a properly certified or licensed teacher provide instruction in a core subject area.8
Pupil Transportation Pilot Program
The act divides the existing Pupil Transportation Pilot Program enacted in 2023 under
H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly into two separate programs − one for an educational
service center (ESC) based in Franklin County and one for an ESC based in Montgomery County,
rather than just one program in which ESCs in both counties participate. Under the program, the
Department of Education and Workforce must select an ESC in each of those counties to provide
transportation to students in the 2024-2025 school year, in lieu of the students receiving
transportation from their resident school district.
The act removes the requirement that an ESC also provide transportation equally to all
students who are similarly situated if the ESC provides transportation to other students outside
of the program. It also makes other changes to student eligibility to participate in the program.9
Franklin County program
Under the act, the Franklin County program generally functions as established in H.B. 33.
The ESC must transport students in community schools and chartered nonpublic schools, except
6 R.C. 3313.753(H).
7 R.C. 3319.079.
8 R.C. 3319.22; R.C. 3319.074, not in the act.
9 Section 265.550(A) and (C)(1) of H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly.
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that the ESC must identify students who are struggling with transportation issues as determined
by their resident districts, instead of identifying districts, to participate in the program.10
Montgomery County program
The act expands the qualifications of the students the ESC may transport under the
Montgomery County program. Under the act, the selected ESC must transport any student
struggling with transportation issues who (1) attends a school different from the one to which
the student would be assigned in the student’s resident district or (2) is a student with disabilities
who receives transportation as a related service.11
Payment
Under the act, the Department generally must deduct from the school district’s
transportation payment the statewide average cost per student for the qualifying ridership
transported by the ESC. However, for a student with a disability for whom it is impossible or
impractical to transport by regular school bus in the course of regular route transportation, the
act requires the Department to make a payment to the ESC in accordance with continuing law
regarding transportation funding for such students.12
Reporting
The act requires that participating ESCs report to the Department students who are
transported by the ESC.13
Modes of transportation
The act permits participating ESCs to use other approved vehicles for student
transportation, rather than only school busses as in H.B. 33. It also permits ESCs to use other
individuals authorized to transport students in other approved vehicles, rather than only bus
drivers to transport students under the program.14
High school financial literacy fund
The act transfers administrative authority over the High School Financial Literacy Fund
from the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the Director of Education and Workforce.15
10 Section 265.550(B)(1) of H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly.
11 Section 265.550(B)(2) of H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly.
12 Section 265.550(E) of H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly.
13 Section 265.550(B)(3) of H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly.
14 Section 265.550(D)(1) of H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly.
15 R.C. 121.086.
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Corrective change to State Board reference
The act changes an incorrect reference to the State Board of Education in the law
regarding the definition of school psychologists. The act changes that reference to the Director
of Education and Workforce. 16
Standards and model curriculum for financial literacy
The act requires the Department, instead of the State Board, to incorporate academic
concepts of free market capitalism into the standards and model curriculum for financial literacy
and entrepreneurship for grades 9 through 12.17
Programs for parents of blind or visually impaired children
The act requires Ohio Deaf and Blind Education Services to consult with the Department
of Children and Youth in carrying out its educational program to train and assist the parents of
preschool children who are blind or visually impaired.18
Adoption Grant Program
The act increases the appropriation for the Adoption Grant Program from $15 million to
$34 million in each of FY 2024 and FY 2025. It also reappropriates the unexpended,
unencumbered balance at the end of FY 2024 to FY 2025.19
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 08-01-23
Reported, H. Primary & Secondary Education 10-11-23
Passed House (94-0) 11-15-23
Reported, S. Education 04-24-24
Passed Senate (32-0) 04-24-24
House concurred in Senate amendments (89-0) 05-08-24
24-ANHB0250EN-135/ts
16 R.C. 4732.01(D)(1)(a).
17 R.C. 3301.079(A)(2)(b).
18 R.C. 3325.071.
19 Section 307.10 of H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly.
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