To amend section 3317.06 of the Revised Code to expand the use of computer hardware and instructional materials purchased by school districts for use by students enrolled in nonpublic schools within the districts, to permit all nonpublic auxiliary services to be delivered through contracts with educational service centers, and to declare an emergency.

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

Sec. 3317.06. Moneys paid to school districts under division (L) of section 3317.024 of the Revised Code shall be used for the following independent and fully severable purposes:

(A) To purchase such secular textbooks or electronic textbooks as have been approved by the superintendent of public instruction for use in public schools in the state and to loan such textbooks or electronic textbooks to pupils attending nonpublic schools within the district or to their parents and to hire clerical personnel to administer such lending program. Such loans shall be based upon individual requests submitted by such nonpublic school pupils or parents. Such requests shall be submitted to the school district in which the nonpublic school is located. Such individual requests for the loan of textbooks or electronic textbooks shall, for administrative convenience, be submitted by the nonpublic school pupil or the pupil's parent to the nonpublic school, which shall prepare and submit collective summaries of the individual requests to the school district. As used in this section:

(1) "Textbook" means any book or book substitute that a pupil uses as a consumable or nonconsumable text, text substitute, or text supplement in a particular class or program in the school the pupil regularly attends.

(2) "Electronic textbook" means computer software, interactive videodisc, magnetic media, CD-ROM, computer courseware, local and remote computer assisted instruction, on-line service, electronic medium, or other means of conveying information to the student or otherwise contributing to the learning process through electronic means.

(B) To provide speech and hearing diagnostic services to pupils attending nonpublic schools within the district. Such service shall be provided in the nonpublic school attended by the pupil receiving the service.

(C) To provide physician, nursing, dental, and optometric services to pupils attending nonpublic schools within the district. Such services shall be provided in the school attended by the nonpublic school pupil receiving the service.

(D) To provide diagnostic psychological services to pupils attending nonpublic schools within the district. Such services shall be provided in the school attended by the pupil receiving the service.

(E) To provide therapeutic psychological and speech and hearing services to pupils attending nonpublic schools within the district. Such services shall be provided in the public school, in nonpublic schools, in public centers, or in mobile units located on or off of the nonpublic premises. If such services are provided in the public school or in public centers, transportation to and from such facilities shall be provided by the school district in which the nonpublic school is located.

(F) To provide guidance and counseling services to pupils attending nonpublic schools within the district. Such services shall be provided in the public school, in nonpublic schools, in public centers, or in mobile units located on or off of the nonpublic premises. If such services are provided in the public school or in public centers, transportation to and from such facilities shall be provided by the school district in which the nonpublic school is located.

(G) To provide remedial services to pupils attending nonpublic schools within the district. Such services shall be provided in the public school, in nonpublic schools, in public centers, or in mobile units located on or off of the nonpublic premises. If such services are provided in the public school or in public centers, transportation to and from such facilities shall be provided by the school district in which the nonpublic school is located.

(H) To supply for use by pupils attending nonpublic schools within the district such standardized tests and scoring services as are in use in the public schools of the state;

(I) To provide programs for children who attend nonpublic schools within the district and are handicapped children as defined in division (A) of section 3323.01 of the Revised Code or gifted children. Such programs shall be provided in the public school, in nonpublic schools, in public centers, or in mobile units located on or off of the nonpublic premises. If such programs are provided in the public school or in public centers, transportation to and from such facilities shall be provided by the school district in which the nonpublic school is located.

(J) To hire clerical personnel to assist in the administration of programs pursuant to divisions (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), and (I) of this section and to hire supervisory personnel to supervise the providing of services and textbooks pursuant to this section.

(K) To purchase any secular, neutral, and nonideological computer software (including site-licensing), prerecorded video laserdiscs, digital video on demand (DVD), compact discs, and video cassette cartridges, wide area connectivity and related technology as it relates to internet access, mathematics or science equipment and materials, instructional materials, and school library materials that are in general use in the public schools of the state and loan such items to pupils attending nonpublic schools within the district or to their parents, and to hire clerical personnel to administer the lending program. Only such items that are incapable of diversion to religious use and that are susceptible of loan to individual pupils and are furnished for the use of individual pupils shall be purchased and loaned under this division. As used in this section, "instructional materials" means prepared learning materials that are secular, neutral, and nonideological in character and are of benefit to the instruction of school children, and may include educational resources and services developed by the Ohio schoolnet commission.

(L) To purchase instructional equipment, including computer hardware AND RELATED EQUIPMENT IN GENERAL USE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE STATE, for use by pupils attending nonpublic schools within the district, if such usage only occurs when these pupils are being provided the secular remedial, diagnostic, or therapeutic services pursuant to division (B), (D), (E), (F), (G), or (I) of this section AND TO LOAN SUCH ITEMS TO PUPILS ATTENDING NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN THE DISTRICT OR TO THEIR PARENTS, AND TO HIRE CLERICAL PERSONNEL TO ADMINISTER THE LENDING PROGRAM.

(M) To purchase mobile units to be used for the provision of services pursuant to divisions (E), (F), (G), and (I) of this section and to pay for necessary repairs and operating costs associated with these units.

Clerical and supervisory personnel hired pursuant to division (J) of this section shall perform their services in the public schools, in nonpublic schools, public centers, or mobile units where the services are provided to the nonpublic school pupil, except that such personnel may accompany pupils to and from the service sites when necessary to ensure the safety of the children receiving the services.

Health ALL services provided pursuant to divisions (B), (C), (D), and (E) of this section may be provided under contract with EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTERS, the department of health, city or general health districts, or private agencies whose personnel are properly licensed by an appropriate state board or agency.

Transportation of pupils provided pursuant to divisions (E), (F), (G), and (I) of this section shall be provided by the school district from its general funds and not from moneys paid to it under division (L) of section 3317.024 of the Revised Code unless a special transportation request is submitted by the parent of the child receiving service pursuant to such divisions. If such an application is presented to the school district, it may pay for the transportation from moneys paid to it under division (L) of section 3317.024 of the Revised Code.

No school district shall provide health or remedial services to nonpublic school pupils as authorized by this section unless such services are available to pupils attending the public schools within the district.

Materials, equipment, computer HARDWARE OR software, textbooks, electronic textbooks, and health and remedial services provided for the benefit of nonpublic school pupils pursuant to this section and the admission of pupils to such nonpublic schools shall be provided without distinction as to race, creed, color, or national origin of such pupils or of their teachers.

No school district shall provide services, MATERIALS, OR EQUIPMENT THAT CONTAIN RELIGIOUS CONTENT for use in religious courses, devotional exercises, religious training, or any other religious activity.

As used in this section, "parent" includes a person standing in loco parentis to a child.

Notwithstanding section 3317.01 of the Revised Code, payments shall be made under this section to any city, local, or exempted village school district within which is located one or more nonpublic elementary or high schools.

The allocation of payments for materials, equipment, textbooks, electronic textbooks, health services, and remedial services to city, local, and exempted village school districts shall be on the basis of the state board of education's estimated annual average daily membership in nonpublic elementary and high schools located in the district.

Payments made to city, local, and exempted village school districts under this section shall be equal to specific appropriations made for the purpose. All interest earned by a school district on such payments shall be used by the district for the same purposes and in the same manner as the payments may be used.

The department of education shall adopt guidelines and procedures under which such programs and services shall be provided, under which districts shall be reimbursed for administrative costs incurred in providing such programs and services, and under which any unexpended balance of the amounts appropriated by the general assembly to implement this section may be transferred to the auxiliary services personnel unemployment compensation fund established pursuant to section 4141.47 of the Revised Code. The department shall also adopt guidelines and procedures limiting the purchase and loan of the items described in division (K) of this section to items that are in general use in the public schools of the state, that are incapable of diversion to religious use, and that are susceptible to individual use rather than classroom use. Within thirty days after the end of each biennium, each board of education shall remit to the department all moneys paid to it under division (L) of section 3317.024 of the Revised Code and any interest earned on those moneys that are not required to pay expenses incurred under this section during the biennium for which the money was appropriated and during which the interest was earned. If a board of education subsequently determines that the remittal of moneys leaves the board with insufficient money to pay all valid expenses incurred under this section during the biennium for which the remitted money was appropriated, the board may apply to the department of education for a refund of money, not to exceed the amount of the insufficiency. If the department determines the expenses were lawfully incurred and would have been lawful expenditures of the refunded money, it shall certify its determination and the amount of the refund to be made to the director of jobs JOB and family services who shall make a refund as provided in section 4141.47 of the Revised Code.