Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
                                               Office of Research                                Legislative Budget
         www.lsc.ohio.gov                        and Drafting                                          Office
                             H.B. 361                                  Bill Analysis
                  135th   General Assembly
                                                                        Click here for H.B. 361’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Introduced
Primary Sponsors: Reps. Abrams and Santucci
Effective date:
Holly Gilman, Attorney
                                                           SUMMARY
                     Requires the State Board of Education to issue a 40-hour teaching permit to an
                          individual teaching practical exercises in a public safety officer course offered by a
                          career-technical provider.
                                                 DETAILED ANALYSIS
40-hour teaching permit for public safety officer courses
       The bill generally requires the State Board of Education to issue a 40-hour teaching
permit to an individual teaching practical exercises in a public safety officer course offered by a
career-technical provider.
                  Career-technical provider
        The bill defines “career-technical provider” as: (1) a joint vocational school district
(JVSD), (2) a participant in a compact career-technical education provider, (3) a comprehensive
career-technical education provider, or (4) a school district that provides career-technical
courses.1
                  Public safety officer
                          Under the bill, “public safety officer” means any of the following:2
                    1. A person employed by a detention facility as a corrections officer;
                    2. Emergency medical services personnel;
1                 R.C. 3319.301(A)(1).
2                 R.C. 3319.301(A)(4). See also R.C. 2941.1412, 2133.21, and 3937.41, latter three not in the bill.
                                                                                                                January 31, 2024
Office of Research and Drafting                   LSC                            Legislative Budget Office
      3. An emergency service telecommunicator;3
      4. Any regular, paid member of a fire department of a municipal corporation or township;
      5. A law enforcement officer as that term is defined in the law regarding motor vehicle
         insurance (see “Law enforcement officer” below);
      6. A dispatcher employed by a police, fire, or sheriff’s department or the state highway
         patrol or a civilian dispatcher employed by a public employer other than a police, fire, or
         sheriff’s department to dispatch police, fire, sheriff’s department, or emergency medical
         or rescue personnel and units.
        Law enforcement officer
           For purposes of the bill, “law enforcement officer” means any of the following:4
      1. A sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, marshal, deputy marshal, municipal police officer,
         police officer of a township or joint police district, state highway patrol trooper, or
         member of a police force employed by a metropolitan housing authority;
      2. A police officer employed by a qualified nonprofit police department or police officer
         employed by a proprietary police department or security department of a hospital
         operated by a public hospital agency or nonprofit hospital agency;
      3. An officer, agent, or employee of the state with a duty to conserve the peace or to
         enforce laws and the authority to arrest violators;
      4. A veterans’ home police officer;
      5. A member of a police force employed by a regional transit authority.
Background
     40-hour teaching permit
        Under current law, the State Board issues 40-hour temporary teaching permits to
nonlicensed individuals who have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree majoring in, or with
significant work experience, in the subject area to be taught.5 It is valid only for teaching the
subject area listed on the permit and only in the school district or school that has engaged the
individual to teach. Currently, the State Board must issue a 40-hour permit for (1) qualified
individuals teaching in a STEM school, (2) qualified individuals teaching an industry-recognized
3The definition of “emergency service telecommunicator” refers to a definition in a section of law that
was repealed by H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly. A corrective amendment could be drafted to
update the reference to reflect the recent repeal.
4   R.C. 3937.41(A)(4), not in the bill.
5   R.C. 3319.301.
P a g e |2                                                                                      H.B. 361
                                                                                           As Introduced
Office of Research and Drafting                       LSC                     Legislative Budget Office
credential program in a requesting dropout prevention and recovery community school, or (3)
industry professionals teaching computer science courses.6
        The bill would add a fourth 40-hour permit for public safety officers teaching public
safety officer courses.
                                               HISTORY
                             Action                                          Date
Introduced                                                        12-12-23
ANHB0361IN-135/ks
6   R.C. 3319.301 and 3319.236, latter section not in the bill.
P a g e |3                                                                                   H.B. 361
                                                                                        As Introduced
Statutes affected: 
As Introduced: 3319.301