Ohio Education Bill: The Lawmaking Process Explained

In Ohio, a bill becomes a law when it is passed by the Ohio General Assembly and signed by the Governor. The Ohio General Assembly is the state's bicameral legislature, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. A bill must be passed by both chambers of the General Assembly and signed by the Governor to become law.

OEA Legislative Watch

How a Bill Becomes a Law in Ohio

A senator puts an idea into writing in the form of a bill. The bill is introduced.

The bill is assigned to a committee for public debate and input. To advance the bill, the committee votes to report it.

The bill is brought to the floor for a vote by all the members of the Senate.

The bill moves to the Ohio House to undergo the same process. Both chambers must reconcile any changes into one bill.

The bill is sent to the governor. If the governor approves of the bill, it will be allowed to become a law.

Steps to Becoming a Law in Ohio

Introduction

Senators put their ideas into writing in the form of a bill. Most of these bills are a direct result of an idea or concern shared by a constituent. Once a bill is drafted, it is introduced and given a unique number. To become law in Ohio, a bill must receive three "considerations" in each house of the General Assembly. Introduction of a bill constitutes "first consideration."

Committee Process

Committees are the best forums for thoroughly studying a bill. They give senators an opportunity to hear from experts and concerned citizens who testify before a committee to express their opinions or make recommendations. Through this process, members may change the bill with alterations called amendments or choose to take no action at all. If a committee recommends a bill be considered by the entire Senate, the bill is voted on and reported by the committee. The referral of a bill to a committee constitutes "second consideration."

Senate Floor Action

All members have an opportunity to debate and amend a bill when it goes before the entire Senate on the floor. When debate on a bill is concluded, the Senate President directs the Clerk of the Senate to call the roll, and members cast their votes. If a bill receives a majority of the votes cast (17 of the 33 votes in the Senate), it passes and moves to the Ohio House of Representatives, where a similar process is followed. Consideration of a bill on the floor constitutes "third consideration."

Action by the Other Chamber

If the House makes any changes to the bill, the Senate may vote on whether to concur with the changes. If the Senate does not concur with the House changes, a conference committee made up of members from both chambers meets to reconcile differences between the two versions of the bill. Once the revised bill is approved by the Senate and the House, the bill becomes an "act" and is sent to the governor.

The Governor

The governor can sign the act into law or reject it by issuing a veto. A three-fifths vote of the members of the House and Senate is necessary to override the governor's veto. A signed act becomes law after 90 days. If the governor takes no action within 10 days of receiving the act, it becomes law without his or her signature.

OEA Legislative Scorecard

The process of turning a bill into law in Ohio is a lengthy one. It begins with a senator putting an idea into writing, which is then introduced as a bill and assigned a unique number. The bill is then assigned to a committee for public debate and input, and experts and concerned citizens are given the opportunity to testify before the committee. The committee then votes to report the bill, which is then brought to the floor for a vote by all members of the Senate. If the bill receives a majority of the votes cast (17 out of 33 votes), it passes and moves to the Ohio House of Representatives, where a similar process is followed. If the House makes any changes to the bill, it is sent back to the Senate for a vote on whether to accept these changes. If the Senate does not concur, a conference committee is formed to reconcile the differences between the two versions. Once both chambers have agreed on a bill, it is sent to the governor for approval. If the governor approves, the bill becomes a law.

The Ohio Education Association (OEA) is an organisation that tracks the progress of bills relevant to education through its Legislative Scorecard. The Scorecard provides an overview of legislative insights and how the actions of the General Assembly impact public education. It tracks floor votes on bills that the OEA has taken a position on, notifying legislators of this position, and also tracks co-sponsors of bills that the OEA has a strong interest in. The Scorecard covers the Ohio House and the Ohio Senate, with the former taking precedence in 2019-2020. The OEA Legislative Scorecard website was updated in 2023 to increase member engagement in legislative advocacy and member lobbying, with an improved user interface and extended data. The OEA also provides briefings and resources for those wanting to get involved with legislative processes.

OEA Legislative Priorities

The process of lawmaking in Ohio is a detailed one. A senator first puts an idea into writing in the form of a bill, which is then introduced and assigned a unique number. This constitutes the first consideration. The bill is then sent to a committee for public debate and input, which is the second consideration. If the committee votes to report the bill, it is brought to the floor for a vote by all the members of the Senate, which is the third consideration. If the bill passes with a majority, it moves to the Ohio House of Representatives, where a similar process is followed. If the House makes any changes, the bill is sent back to the Senate for a vote on whether to concur with the changes. If the Senate does not concur, a committee from both chambers meets to reconcile the differences. Once the bill is approved by both the Senate and the House, it is sent to the governor. If the governor approves, the bill becomes a law.

The Ohio Education Association (OEA) has developed a list of legislative priorities aimed at providing support to Ohio's students and educators. These include:

• Fully funding the Fair School Funding Plan.
• Recruiting and retaining qualified, committed educators for every public-school student in Ohio.
• Ending the expansion of private school voucher programs.
• Supporting student and staff well-being.
• Protecting the voice of educators by supporting unions and defending collective bargaining rights.
• Repealing mandatory student retention under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, allowing educators and parents to make determinations about student retention.

The OEA will continue to work with legislators to advance these priorities and pass legislation that benefits students, schools, and educators.

OEA Legislative Advocacy

The Ohio Education Association (OEA) is a union that advocates for public education employees. The OEA Legislative Watch is the association's newsletter covering the legislation and policies that affect public education employees. The OEA Legislative Advocacy Resources provide members with the latest information on legislation and policies that affect public education employees. The OEA Legislative Scorecard allows members to find their elected officials and view their voting records. The OEA also provides members with the latest information on upcoming elections and how to vote.

How an Ohio Education Bill Becomes Law

The process of an Ohio education bill becoming a law is as follows:

• Introduction: Senators put their ideas into writing in the form of a bill. Once a bill is drafted, it is introduced and given a unique number.
• Committee Process: Committees are forums for senators to hear from experts and concerned citizens who testify before a committee to express their opinions or make recommendations. Through this process, members may change the bill with alterations called amendments or choose to take no action at all.
• Senate Floor Vote: All members have an opportunity to debate and amend a bill when it goes before the entire Senate on the floor. When debate on a bill is concluded, the Senate President directs the Clerk of the Senate to call the roll, and members cast their votes.
• House of Representatives: If the bill passes the Senate, it moves to the Ohio House of Representatives to undergo the same process.
• Conference Committee: If the House makes any changes to the bill, the Senate may vote on whether to concur with the changes. If the Senate does not concur, a conference committee made up of members from both chambers meets to reconcile differences between the two versions of the bill.
• Governor: The bill is sent to the governor. If the governor approves of the bill, it will be allowed to become a law. The governor can also reject a bill by issuing a veto, which can be overridden by a three-fifths vote of the members of the House and Senate.

OEA Legislative Alerts

The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of Ohio. A bill becomes law after it is passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, and signed by the Governor.

The process is as follows:

• A senator puts an idea into writing in the form of a bill. The bill is introduced.
• The bill is assigned to a committee for public debate and input. To advance the bill, the committee votes to report it.
• The bill is brought to the floor for a vote by all the members of the Senate.
• The bill moves to the Ohio House of Representatives to undergo the same process. Both chambers must reconcile any changes into one bill.
• The bill is sent to the governor. If the governor approves of the bill, it will be allowed to become a law.

Frequently asked questions