The bill amends the Revised Code to enhance substance use education in Ohio schools by requiring the Department of Education and Workforce, in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, to develop a list of evidence-based curricula and instructional strategies. It mandates that nonchartered nonpublic schools include age-appropriate instruction on the harmful effects of substance use in their health curriculum, while allowing chartered nonpublic schools to provide similar instruction that adheres to best-practice frameworks. Additionally, the bill requires school districts and public schools to report annually on their prevention-focused programs and services related to substance use, bullying, and other harmful behaviors.

Furthermore, the bill introduces new requirements for educational institutions to provide annual instruction to K-12 students about the harmful effects of substance use, ensuring that the content is age and developmentally appropriate. It allows the Department to use reported information to guide funding distribution for prevention programs and defines "substance use" to encompass various substances, including marijuana, alcohol, opioids, and tobacco. The bill also repeals existing sections of the Revised Code that may conflict with these new provisions, thereby streamlining the legal framework for substance use education in schools.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 3313.60, 3313.6024
As Reported By Senate Committee: 3301.0732, 3313.60, 3313.6024
As Passed By Senate: 3301.0732, 3313.60, 3313.6024