Click's Religious Release Time Instruction Legislation Signed by Governor DeWine

COLUMBUS – State Representative Gary Click’s (R-Vickery) legislation ensuring religious release time instruction policies in each school district was signed into law by Governor DeWine on recently.

Originally introduced as HB 445, the legislation enshrines parents’ rights to direct the education of their children into law by ensuring that each school district in the state has an approved religious release time instruction policy. A majority of districts have already adopted policies allowing parents and students to take advantage of release time programs which are fully legal and constitutional under Ohio law. The measure ultimately passed at the end of December after being amended into HB 8.

“Parents, not politicians, should be making these decisions for their children. While many schools have been responsive to the requests of parents, some have not. Regardless of their intentions, their failure to implement these policies results in a denial of Ohioans’ parental rights and constitutional right to the free exercise of religion.” Click said. “It is inappropriate to have a patchwork of religious freedom and parental rights based on the whims of politicized school boards in some of our 611 districts. Restoring local control to parents creates a level playing field and equal opportunity for all, regardless of a student’s zip code.”

Having received Governor DeWine’s signature, the legislation is now set to take effect on April 8, 2025.