Bill > HB165

This bill requires school districts and chartered nonpublic schools to reimburse licensed educators for completing graduate-level credit hours or continuing education units in implicit bias training, starting July 1, 2025. The state board of education and the chancellor of higher education will establish the number of credit hours (between one and three) and corresponding continuing education units, as well as minimum standards for the training. These standards must include a definition of implicit bias, examples of bias in action, methods to identify personal bias susceptibility, and voluntary evidence-based mitigation strategies. Local professional development committees will be able to count this training toward teacher licensure renewal requirements. The state will reimburse school districts and schools for the cost of these training reimbursements, minus any other tuition reimbursement or professional development stipends already provided. The bill also updates several existing sections of Ohio law to reference this new implicit bias training requirement, ensuring that community schools, STEM schools, and college-preparatory boarding schools are subject to the same standards. An appropriation of $750,000 is included for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support the implementation of this training reimbursement program.

Education

https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb165