House bill would designate ‘Natural Family Month’ in Ohio with aim to boost birth rate

“Right now, the replacement (nationwide) birth rate is at 1.6. In order to actually replace society and have enough workers, you have to be at 2.1. So our birthrate is very low. In Ohio, it’s barely better, it’s 1.7 — it’s not enough when you need (2.1) children per family in order to keep your society going," state Rep. Beth Lear, R-Galena, told her colleagues. “We’re no longer creating enough children to replace ourselves.”

The bill does not define what a natural family is. But, in her sponsor testimony, Lear described the natural family as “a man and a woman united in marriage, raising their biological and/or adopted children.” She said such a family structure has, for generations, “provided stability, nurtured moral and civic virtues, and ensured the overall health and prosperity of our communities.”

H.B. 262 joint sponsor Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania, told the committee that the state should promote natural families because “children raised in stable, two-parent households often have better educational outcomes, lower instances of poverty, and reduced involvement in criminal activity.”

At its first hearing, Rep. Darnell Brewer, D-Cleveland, asked the sponsors about the possibility of such a bill leaving single mothers, single fathers, or other family units feeling excluded.

“This bill is about the kids first and foremost, and that’s what I want to come across. We want to promote what’s healthiest for kids,” Lear said. “That doesn’t need to be seen as denigrating anybody else.”

Throughout the committee process, H.B. 262 broadly received criticism from progressive testifiers. Dwayne Steward, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Ohio, called the bill bad policy that will tell Ohioans that they don’t count as a family unless they’re a “heterosexual, monogamous couple with children.”

Its public support, meanwhile, largely came through faith-based organizations. Ryan Folz, legislative liaison for the Center for Christian Virtue, told the committee that family stability has sway over “every” societal issue. He called H.B. 262 “an essential starting point.”

“By passing this bill, you will send a powerful message that Ohio is a state that honors marriage, celebrates natural families, and prioritizes children’s wellbeing,” he said.