OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
H.B. 557 Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 557’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Introduced
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Mathews
Effective date:
Jessica Sutton, LSC Fellow
SUMMARY
 Permits school districts, community schools, and STEM schools to withhold student
directory information.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Release of student directory information
The bill addresses the release of student directory information by school districts,
community schools, and STEM schools. In addition to exempting directory information from the
Ohio Public Records Law, the bill permits a school district board of education, community
school governing authority, or STEM school governing body to choose not to release, or permit
access to, any student’s directory information.1
Similar to current law, the bill requires a district board, governing authority, or
governing body, if it chooses to release directory information, to impose uniform restrictions on
the information’s presentation on each type of representative that the information may be
released to under federal law. Those representatives include:
 The U.S. armed forces;
 Businesses;
 Industry;
 Charitable institutions;
 Other employers; and
1 R.C. 149.43(A)(1)(tt), and 3319.321(B)(2)(b), and (c).
June 4, 2024
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
 Institutions of higher education.2
Ohio History Connection records for review or custody
Under current law, the Ohio History Connection may not review, or select for its
custody, any public student records containing personally identifiable information (PII), except
for student directory information, without the written consent of a parent, guardian, or
custodian, or, if the student is at least 18 years old, the written consent of the student. The bill
removes the exception for student directory information.3
Background
Under continuing law, a school district, community school, or STEM school generally
may not release a student’s PII without written consent from a parent, guardian, or custodian,
or, if the student is at least 18 years old, the student.4
One exception to the prohibition against releasing PII is the release of directory
information. Although current law permits a district or school to disclose a student’s directory
information without consent, it requires a district or school to provide students and parents
with an annual notice about their rights to withhold directory information. Accordingly, the
district or school must withhold a particular student’s directory information if the student or
parent exercises this right. A district or school can only impose uniform restrictions on the
release of directory information on the representatives of the U.S. armed forces, businesses,
industry, charitable institutions, other employers, and institutions of higher education. 5
Continuing law prohibits the release of directory information to any person or group for
use in a profit-making plan or activity. It also requires the release of names and addresses that
have been requested by a recruiting officer for the U.S. armed forces for any students in grades
10 to 12 whose parents have not submitted a written request against releasing such data.6
Continuing law defines “directory information” as a student’s name, address, telephone
listing, data and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized
activities and sports, weight and height of athletes, dates of attendance, date of graduation,
and awards received.7
2R.C. 3319.321(B)(a). See also the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974,” 20 United States
Code (U.S.C.) 1232q, not in the bill.
3 R.C. 149.381(E)(2).
4 R.C. 3319.321.
5 R.C. 3319.321(B)(1) and (2) and 20 U.S.C. 1232g(a)(5)(B).
6 R.C. 3319.321(A) and (B)(2)(b).
7 R.C. 3319.321(B)(1).
P a g e |2 H.B. 557
As Introduced
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 05-15-24
ANHB0557IN-135/ts
P a g e |3 H.B. 557
As Introduced


Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 149.381, 149.43, 3319.321