Rep. White Highlights Four New Laws Recently Enacted
State Representative Andrea White (R-Kettering) announced that four pieces of legislation she championed and the Legislature passed late last year have now become law, marking a milestone in Ohio’s commitment to the wellbeing of its students, families, and frontline workers. Each of the bills introduced by Representative White were passed as standalone legislation or amended into other bills that became law as of April 9th. The bills address critical needs in education, mental health, maternal and infant health, workforce development, and healthcare safety.
“These four bills are all about building strong families and strong communities,” said White. “Investing in our young children is a downpayment to their future and the future of the State of Ohio. Investing in our students and adult workers ensures they have the training, safe environments and supports they need to be successful and care for themselves and their families – which in turn helps our businesses and neighborhoods thrive.”
House Bill 7 – Strong Foundations Act
The Strong Foundations Act prioritizes support for both infants and their parents during a child’s first 1,000 days of life. With a focus on reducing Ohio’s alarming infant mortality rate, H.B. 7 expands access to prenatal and postnatal care, pushes Ohio to stay on track with modernizing Ohio’s Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) nutrition program to increase access to healthy nutrition for children and pregnant and new moms (as of last year just over 50% were benefitting), and improves child outcomes and strengthens access to proven home visiting services to newborns and their parents in underserved communities, including rural and Appalachian areas. Additionally, H.B. 7 expands early childhood mental health services for children under the age of five. This critical care is especially crucial in Ohio where more than 1 in 150 babies don’t live to see their first birthday.
“As the nation’s 11th largest state and birthplace of so much innovation, sadly we are scraping the bottom compared to others in many categories that have to do with our pregnant moms, our infants and our young children,” said White.
“The strategies we were able to pass through a pared down version of this bill are proven to generate a strong return on investment – both here in Ohio and around the nation –in terms of saving lives, improving the long-term trajectory of our tiniest citizens and their families, and in saving costs so we have more resources to invest in solutions that work for Ohio families,” said White “But we have so much more work to do.”
House Bill 452 – Healthcare Workplace and Safety Act
In response to rising violence against hospital workers and an escalating workforce crisis, H.B. 452 created a standardized framework for preventing workplace violence in healthcare settings. The law requires hospitals to work with direct care staff to create safety plans, staff training, and transparent incident reporting to protect frontline healthcare workers and foster safer hospital environments. The legislation also seeks to improve education for future healthcare providers, including medical students, nursing students and allied health students, through a survey of currently used training and curricula in prevention strategies, with recommendations provided back to the general assembly.
“Our goal with this legislation is to better support our frontline healthcare workers who are so often serving our most wounded, traumatized and physically and mentally struggling citizens,” said White.
House Bill 571 – Amended into Senate Bill 234 – Supporting Student Mental Health
Also effective last week, S.B. 234 includes H.B. 571 to help address the growing mental health crisis faced by youth – including high school and college age students. The legislation ensures students across Ohio have greater access to mental health resources by requiring 988 crisis information to be included on Student IDs, planners, and/or digital platforms. The legislation also seeks to inform both new and transferring college students and their parents that they can choose to complete a ‘Declaration for Mental Health Treatment’, in essence a mental health power of attorney that helps individuals prepare for future care decisions, so that they would have a trusted person able to assist with decisions in the event they faced a mental health crisis as an adult over the age of 18.
“In recent years there has been a substantial increase in mental health needs in Ohio, especially for our K12 and post-secondary student population. Including our 9-8-8 resource on materials that students and their parents are interacting with on a regular basis will not only help increase their awareness, but also help enable them to find help in crisis for themselves, a friend or a loved one,” said White. “Additionally, helping ensure college students who are at higher risk for experiencing significant mental health challenges can proactively designate someone to speak into their care as adults will help increase their chances of getting the timely interventions they need in crisis.”
House Bill 312 – Amended into Senate Bill 208 – Expanding Regional Education Partnerships to help Ohioans Achieve Post-High School Credentials
After a year of going through the legislative process, S.B. 208 includes provisions of H.B. 312 that expand successful Regional Education Partnerships throughout the State of Ohio. These Partnerships bring together educators, employers, nonprofits, and other community stakeholders to boost student outcomes from birth through career entry. Learning from and building on previous successes, including Montgomery County’s Learn to Earn Dayton, these Partnerships are driving measurable success across 20 Ohio counties – improving early learning access, career exploration, and workforce readiness through innovative local initiatives.
“Continuing to expand and sustain Regional Education Partnerships throughout Ohio is a key strategy that works – and one we can use to continue to increase our citizens’ post-high school credential and degree attainment to 65% and beyond,” said White. “We are excited to be taking this pivotal next step and helping to secure the educational and economic success for our students, our communities and Ohio’s future.”
“Together, these four laws underscore Ohio’s commitment to holistic, community-based solutions that prioritize safety, health, education and opportunity for every child and adult – from our youngest infants to the professionals who provide healthcare, education and supports to help all Ohioans thrive,” said White.