Signed by Governor Mike DeWine

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a $69 billion state budget for fiscal years 2019-2021.

Highlights:

• Specifies that no tax shall be imposed on taxpayers who make $21,750 or less (Sec. 5747.02).

• Defines “tax credit-eligible production” as a motion picture or broadway theatrical production certified by the Director of Development Services as qualifying the production company and its production contractors for a tax credit (Sec. 122.85). 

• Appropriates $200,000 in each fiscal year to the YMCA of Greater Cleveland's Early Learning Center Trauma informed preschool for homeless, low-income, and at-risk preschool children (Sec. 307.18). 

• Appropriates $20 million for Early Child Education program in each fiscal year to support early learning and development programs operating in smaller communities, early learning and development programs that are rated in the Step Up to Quality program at the third higher tier or higher, or both (Sec. Sec. 307.170).

• Appropriates $280 million to the Foster Care Program (Sec. 307.10).

• Appropriates up to $2 million in each fiscal year to support the Independent Living Initiative, including life skills training and work supports for older children in foster care and those who have recently aged out of foster care (Sec. 307.80).  

• Establishes the H2Ohio fund with an appropriation of $172 million for (Sec. 307.80):

• Supporting agriculture water projects, community water projects, and nature water projects;

• Awarding or allocating grants or money, issuing loans, or making purchases for the development and implementation of projects and programs that are designed to address water quality priorities;

• Funding cooperative research, data gathering and monitoring, and demonstration projects related to water quality priorities;

• Encouraging cooperation with and among leaders from state legislatures, state agencies, political subdivisions, business and industry, labor, agriculture, environmental organizations, institutions of higher education, and water conservation districts;

• Other purposes, policies, programs, and priorities identified by the Ohio Lake Erie commission in coordination with state agencies or boards responsible for water protection and water management. 

• Exempts individuals who are 18 years of age on or before October 1, 2019 from the prohibition on buying tobacco products until the legal age of 21 (Sec. 2151.87).

• Prohibits the Superintendent of Public Instruction from establishing new academic distress commissions until October 1, 2020 (Sec. 265.520).

• Requires students entering ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2019 to pass end-of-course examinations for English language arts II and Algebra I in order to graduate (Sec. 3301.0712).

• Requires students entering ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2019 to earn at least two state diploma seals prescribed under division (A) of section 3313.6114 of the Revised Code in order to graduate, at least one of which must be (Sec. 3313.618):

• The state seal of biliteracy;

• The OhioMeansJobs-readiness seal;

• One of the state diplomas seals established under divisions (C)(1) to (7) of section 3313.6114 of the Revised Code:

• An industry-recognized credential seal;

• A college-ready seal;

• A military enlistment seal;

• A citizenship seal;

• A science seal;

• An honors diplomas seal;

• A technology seal. 

• Establishes that the presidential primary election will be held on the third Tuesday after the first Monday in March, except as authorized by a municipal or county charter (Sec. 3501.01).

• Exempts students participating in show choir from the high school physical education requirement (Sec. 3313.603).

• Establishes grants for nonprofit organizations, houses of worship, chartered nonpublic schools, and licensed preschools to have resource officers, special duty police officers, or licensed armed security guards, or purchase qualified equipment, including equipment for emergency and crisis communication, crisis management, or trauma and crisis response to assist in preventing, preparing for, or responding to acts of terrorism (Sec. 373.30).

• Establishes the Ohio breast and cervical cancer project as part of the national breast and cervical cancer early detection program, for women who have a family income of no more than 300 percent over the federal poverty line and meet certain age requirements (Sec. 3701.144). 

• Appropriates $7.5 million for the Ohio Parenting and Pregnancy Program, and increases funding for crisis pregnancy centers like Choose Life (Sec. 307.99).

• Authorizes the department of job and family services to establish a statewide kinship care navigator program for providing information and assistance for services and benefits to kinship caregivers at the state and local level (Sec. 5101.851).

• Establishes computer coding instruction as a means of satisfying foreign language requirements needed for graduation in certain districts or schools (Sec. 3313.603). 

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a $69 billion state budget for fiscal years 2019-2021.

Highlights:

• Specifies that no tax shall be imposed taxpayers who make $22, 250 or less (Sec. 5747.02).

• Defines “tax credit-eligible production” as a motion picture production certified by the Director of Development Services before July 1, 2019 (Sec. 122.85).

• Appropriates $200,000 in each fiscal year to the YMCA of Greater Cleveland's Early Learning Center Trauma informed preschool for homeless, low-income, and at-risk preschool children (Sec. 307.18).

• Appropriates $20,000,000 for Early Child Education program to support early learning and development programs operating in smaller communities, early learning and development programs that are rated in the Step Up to Quality program at the third higher tier or higher, or both (Sec. Sec. 307.170).

• Appropriates $280,000,000 to the Foster Care Program (Sec. 307.10)

• Appropriates up to $2,000,000 in each fiscal year to support the Independent Living Initiative, including life skills training and work supports for older children in foster care and those who have recently aged out of foster care (Sec. 307.80).

Full Bill Text