As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 734

2025-2026

Representative Fowler Arthur

To enact section 3302.27 of the Revised Code to establish the Outstanding Citizenship Award designation on the state report card and to make an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 3302.27 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3302.27. (A) The department of education and workforce shall indicate on the state report card issued under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for a school district that it has received an outstanding citizenship award if the school district does all of the following:

(1) Requires each school in the district to provide a time at the beginning of each school day for all students to recite the pledge of allegiance;

(2) Requires each school in the district to provide a time at the beginning of each school day for all students to observe a moment of silence;

(3) Encourages all students to read the founding documents of Ohio and the United States of America;

(4) Has eighty per cent or more of all high school students demonstrating at least a proficient level of skill as prescribed under division (B)(5)(a) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code on both the American history and American government end-of-course examinations prescribed under division (B)(2) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code.

(B) Each fiscal year, the department shall provide a grant of five hundred dollars to each district that receives the outstanding citizenship award. The district shall use the grant to pay for transportation costs to transport the students of the district to visit the Ohio statehouse and museum.

Section 2. All items in this act are hereby appropriated as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the credit of the designated fund. For all operating appropriations made in this act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 2026 and those in the second column are for fiscal year 2027. The operating appropriations made in this act are in addition to any other operating appropriations made for these fiscal years.

Section 3.

ACCOUNTABILITY/REPORT CARDS

The foregoing appropriation item 200439, Accountability/Report Cards, shall be used to issue grants to school districts that receive an outstanding citizenship award under section 3302.27 of the Revised Code.

Section 4. Within the limits set forth in this act, the Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation made in this act, and shall determine the manner in which appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from operating appropriations contained in this act shall be accounted for as though made in, and are subject to all applicable provisions of, H.B. 96 of the 136th General Assembly.