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HB 868

Regards high school instruction on peace officer interactions

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Dontavius Jarrells

HB 868 creates an optional high school course on interactions with peace officers (rights, conduct, and demonstrations) and strengthens oversight and contract requirements for comm

Referred to committee
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Bill Summary · HB 868

Overview

Bill: HB 868 (136th General Assembly) | Introduced 2026-05-12
Sponsor: Rep. Jarrells (co-sponsor: Dontavius Jarrells)
Jurisdiction: Ohio

Purpose: To amend certain provisions governing high school instruction on proper in-person interactions with peace officers and to reorganize/clarify contract and compliance requirements for community schools, science/technology/engineering/mathematics (STEM) schools, and college-preparatory boarding schools. The bill also enacts a new section on peace-officer interaction education for high school students.

Key Provisions

1) New high school instruction on interactions with peace officers (Proposed Section 3313.6034)

  • Optional for districts: Districts may offer instruction for grades 9-12, integrated into courses under existing high school curriculum structures.
  • Content (divided into two parts):
    • (A)(1) Information for students on:
    • Rights during interactions with peace officers
    • Proper conduct during such interactions
    • Who qualifies as peace officers and their duties
    • Laws about questioning/detention, including presenting identity, and consequences for non-compliance
    • How to file complaints or compliments about peace officers
    • (A)(2) Classroom demonstrations and role-play to illustrate proper civilian-officer interactions
  • Stakeholder input: Districts must solicit input from local law enforcement, driver training schools, and the community.
  • Implementation details:
    • (B) Up to one high-school credit unit for the course; may be offered outside regular hours or in summer.
    • (C) Instruction delivery:
    • Preferential assignment of licensed educators with experience interacting with peace officers or current/retired peace officers.
    • If non-licensed individuals teach, they must complete a district-approved training program (developed in consultation with local law enforcement).

2) Revisions to community school contract content and oversight (Sections 3314.03, 3326.11, 3328.24)

  • Contracts for community schools (sponsors and governing authorities) must specify extensive elements, including:
    • Type of school entity (nonprofit or public benefit corporation, with timing-based criteria)
    • Education program, mission, student demographics, curriculum focus
    • Academic goals and measurement methods (including statewide assessments)
    • Performance standards and report-card measures
    • Admissions, dismissal, and attendance policies (with automatic withdrawal provisions after 72 consecutive hours of unexcused absence)
    • Racial/ethnic balance goals
    • Financial audits and record-keeping aligned with Auditor of State rules
    • Facility descriptions, lease/mortgage details, lender/landlord relationships
    • Employee qualifications and prohibitions on certain personnel
    • Compliance with a broad set of statutory provisions and graduation/curriculum requirements
    • Detailed compliance with numerous referenced statutes and sections (extensive cross-referencing to ensure alignment with district standards)
    • Requirements for health/other employee benefits, contract length (max five years unless renewed), and financial planning
    • Provisions governing conversion from public schools and related transition arrangements for staff and students
    • Dispute resolution, extraterritorial enrollment policies, and sponsor oversight
    • Conditions for department intervention and sponsor powers (probation, suspension, termination)
    • Provisions addressing blended learning models, student data privacy, and professional development
    • Requirements to open by September 30 (or need justification if mission serves dropouts)
    • Potential STEM designation considerations and attendance/public-record policies
  • Sponsor duties (Section 3326.11) mirror standard oversight and compliance responsibilities, including annual evaluation and potential intervention actions.

3) Revisions to STEM and college-preparatory boarding school provisions (Sections 3326.11, 3328.24)

  • STEM schools and college-preparatory boarding schools are amended to align their governance/compliance with listed statutes as if they were traditional school districts, ensuring consistency in oversight, facilities, staffing, and financial controls.

Who/What is Affected

  • Ohio public school districts: May adopt the peace-officer interaction course for grades 9-12.
  • Students: Benefit from instruction on rights, proper conduct, and workflows when interacting with peace officers.
  • Districts and educators: May assign licensed educators or require training for non-licensed instructors delivering the new course.
  • Community schools (charter-like schools): Must meet detailed contract content requirements and sponsor oversight provisions; redefined obligations for governance, finances, facilities, admissions, and evaluation.
  • Sponsors and governing authorities of community STEM and college-preparatory boarding schools: Subject to updated compliance, reporting, and oversight provisions.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • The bill introduces a new optional course and associated instructional guidelines rather than mandating mandatory statewide implementation.
  • Contracts for community schools (and related sponsors) would need to be updated to reflect the enumerated contract content and oversight provisions.
  • Several sections reference alignment with existing code and audit/reporting requirements, implying a synchronized implementation timeline with current school-year calendars and renewal cycles.
  • No explicit effective date is provided in the introduced text; typical enactment would follow standard legislative timing, with phased or immediate effect depending on final passage.

Implications and Considerations

  • Educational impact: Students would gain structured guidance on civil rights, safety, and appropriate behavior during law-enforcement encounters, potentially improving interactions and reducing misunderstandings.
  • Oversight and accountability: Expanded contract requirements increase transparency and oversight of community schools, with stronger emphasis on financial controls, performance metrics, and eligibility criteria.
  • Operational considerations: Districts choosing to implement the peace-officer instruction must coordinate with law enforcement andDriver Training entities, and ensure qualified instructors, potentially affecting scheduling and resource allocation.
  • Legal/constitutional: The instruction covers rights and duties under law, including identity presentation and detention rules, aligning with existing statutory frameworks.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison of current law versus HB 868’s proposed changes, or a condensed one-page briefing for policymakers or educators.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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