The emergency plan has been put together over the last few days by email and phone. The Senate passed the plan without opposition this morning.
The plan state senators approved extends the primary election to April 28. It eliminates mandatory school testing requirements.
The plan also helps speed up unemployment benefits to people out of work.
The bill now goes to the Ohio House for a vote this afternoon.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE ITEMS INCLUDED IN THE BILL:
- Prohibits water disconnections during the pandemic since they are not governed by PUCO disconnect orders.
- Exempts schools and other entities from food processing requirements to allow for continued student meal delivery.
- Extends the validity of licenses issued by state agencies and political subdivisions and provides a 90-day window for renewal. Still allows for disciplinary actions during this time
- Permits state boards & commissions, local & county governments, and higher education boards to operate meetings electronically so long as the public is aware and can participate electronically.
- Waives state testing and report cards for the 2019-2020 school year & creates a safe harbor from sanctions for schools; permits seniors to graduate if school determines on track to do so prior to the COVID-19 emergency; local school determine promotion for Third-Grade Reading Guarantee; makes evaluations permissive and prohibits the use of value-added data; excludes academic performance data from being used in sponsor ratings this year; allows Chancellor and State Supt to waive College Credit Plus timelines/requirements during the COVID-19 emergency.
- Allows Jobs and Family Services to continue making payments to publicly funded child care providers during the emergency – all this is done within existing appropriations - and is done to maintain the system so it may quickly return to full operation.
- Codifies the governor’s executive order relative to Unemployment Compensation.
- Waives first week waiting period
- Changes eligibility to include COVID-19 related unemployment situation
- Waives work search requirement
- Allows for recent nursing graduates to obtain a temporary license to practice prior to passing the licensure examination. Temporary licenses expire either 90 days after the duration of the COVID-19 emergency or 90 days after December 1, 2020, whichever comes sooner.
- Extends absentee voting by mail for the March 17, 2020 primary election to April 28, 2020, authorizes $7.0M (from Emergency purposes fund) to pay associated costs
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