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Dear Neighbor,

I'm excited by the progress made at the Statehouse this week. I hosted a Clermont County Commissioner to review Clermont's Capital Budget requests before voting on 15 bills with my Ohio House colleagues. With such a large agenda, it was a busy Session. While I couldn't lend my support for House Bill 126, I was pleased to vote "yes" on House Bill 291 to create multiple memorial highways and bridges across the state to honor local Ohio heroes. Also passed this week was my House Bill 476! I'm grateful for the support of the Ohio House to create Ohio's Parkinson's disease Registry. I'm hopeful additional legislation of mine will also receive full floor votes soon; my bills 554, 606 and 583 all received committee hearings this past week. 

I want to remind everybody to read more about what I'm working on at the Statehouse by visiting my webpage here, or checking out my previous newsletters here. 

Please feel free to reach out to my office at rep66@ohiohouse.gov, or give me a call at (614) 644-6034. 

God Bless,

Adam Bird

State Representative

Ohio's 66^th House District

This Week with Representative Bird

With the Capital Budget in full swing, State Representative Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) met with a Clermont County Commissioner to review the requests made on behalf of the 66th House District.  

"Great visiting today with Clermont County Commissioner Bonnie Batchler in Columbus today to review Clermont’s Capital Budget request.

@ClermontCounty"

Bird also had a chance to sit down with "Conversation Ohio" to discuss his joint legislation with State Representative Don Jones (R-Freeport). The pair is sponsoring House 583 to end the substitute teacher shortage, a problem that's causing various disruptions to learning across Ohio. The measure was recently passed by the Ohio House and is currently being considered by the Ohio Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee. 

Bird Highlights Key Votes

House Bill 126

Bird voted no on the legislation preventing Ohio schools from contesting the property values of public utilities like Zimmer Power Station. Under the bill, school districts are allowed to file a counter-complaint if the school board first adopts a resolution authorizing the counter-complaint, but are prohibited from: 

• Appealing the decision of a board of revision.
• Entering into a private payment agreement with a property owner whereby the owner pays the school district to dismiss, not file, or settle a counter-complaint.

To Bird's opposition, the measure was passed by both the House and Senate Chambers. 

House Bill 291

Bird voted yes on the package of legislation to create various memorial highways and bridges across Ohio. Provisions in the package supported by Bird include the Bill Brewer Memorial Highway and the University of Alabama license plate. The measure was passed by both chambers and is currently awaiting the Governor's signature to be signed into law. 

Ohio House Supports Bird's Parkinson's Disease Registry

House Bill 476, legislation to create Ohio's Parkinson's disease Registry, was passed by the Ohio House on Wednesday. House members supported its passage by a 95-1 vote.

Bird Appears in Multiple Committees

House Bill 554 had its first hearing in the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee on Tuesday, April 4. Bird continues his focus on Ohio's educators by joining forces with his joint sponsor, State Representative Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville). They aim to require the State Board of Education to issue temporary educator licenses to applicants with expired professional teacher's certificates and professional educator licenses. 

 House Bill 554 has a specific focus on the teacher shortage that persists to worsen in the state. The measure will encourage former teachers to reenter the classroom by streamlining the process with a two-year teaching license. To receive the temporary license, a former teacher must have left the profession in good standing and take 18 CEUs during the two-year license periods in order to qualify for a typical five-year license. 

House Bill 606 had its moment with the House Primary and Secondary Committee on Wednesday. Being heard for the first time, Bird explained to the Committee members that the measure would require public and chartered nonpublic schools to create a seizure action plan for each student with a seizure disorder or epilepsy. Bird is tackling this issue with State Representative Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati) as a joint sponsor. 

The need for seizure safe schools was brought to the attention of Bird and Ingram by the parents of Sarah Linardos. Ms. Linardos passed in 2018 from Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. To prevent such a tragedy from occurring in the future, the measure would not only require Ohio schools to create action plans, but would also require at least one staff member to be formally trained to execute the plan and instruct classmates with age-appropriate material on seizure disorders. 

Recently passed by the Ohio House, House Bill 583 was heard for the first time in the Ohio Senate's Primary and Secondary Education Committee. Similarly to H.B. 554, Bird is targeting the teacher shortage in Ohio. However, H.B. 583 precisely addresses the substitute teacher shortage. Under the bill, schools and school districts would be permitted to employ a substitute teacher according to its own education requirements and the State Board of Education would be required to issue nonrenewable one year substitute educator licenses to qualified applicants. Qualified applicants may include those without a bachelor's degree. 

The measure passed the Ohio House by an 80-10 vote. In addition to receiving its first Senate Hearing, it was also featured on a segment of "Conversation Ohio" 

State Representative Adam Bird

77 S. High St., 11^th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

(614) 644-6034 | rep66@ohiohouse.gov

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