A committee in the Republican-controlled Ohio House of Representatives held a first hearing for a bill to allow public schools “to engage volunteer chaplains to provide support services” while in no way defining those support services.
HB 531 (“The School Chaplain Act”) was introduced last week, assigned to the Education Committee the following day and had sponsor testimony on Tuesday.
The bill defines a chaplain as “a religious professional who has received endorsement or certification by a recognized ecclesiastical endorsing agency and who provides spiritual programming, support, and counseling outside of a traditional church setting.”
Sponsor testimony
The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Kevin Ritter (R-Marietta), the co-founder of a private Christian school in the Mid-Ohio Valley, and Jonathan Newman (R-Troy), a megachurch pastor. Both Ritter and Newman testified in support of their bill.
Ritter said the bill is intended to support the needs of Ohio’s youth, “intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.”
“House Bill 531 is about offering schools one more way to meet those needs — through trusted adults who are trained to listen, to encourage and to help students build character and resilience,” Ritter said.
Ritter also testified that the bill does not promote any one faith tradition.
“It simply gives schools the flexibility to partner with qualified individuals who can support students’ personal growth in a manner consistent with local values and constitutional safeguards,” he said.
Although the text of the legislation only refers to chaplains volunteering at schools, in his testimony – both written and verbal – Ritter said the bill “allows public schools, including school districts, community schools, and STEM schools, to employ or engage school chaplains.”
Newman testified that schools are “the first line of defense” for students’ mental health challenges and that “schools should play a key role in shaping moral character not only academic abilities,”
“Chaplains promote empathy, respect, and accountability through their support, services and programming,” Newman said. “Their influence extends beyond individual interactions, fostering a culture of kindness and integrity.”
For justification for his bill, Newman cited George Washington placing chaplains in the newly formed Navy.
“Chaplains have served in every branch of the military since that time and in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives as well, beginning in 1789,” Newman submitted in his written testimony.
Rep. Sean Brennan (D-Parma) asked the joint sponsors of the bill to define exactly what these chaplains would be authorized to do in schools. No specific answer was provided.
“We have left that up to the discretion of the local school board to outline [those] programs and services,” Newman said.
Rep. Joseph Miller (D-Amherst) noted that the bill forces all Ohio’s school districts to vote by December 1, 2026, on whether their schools would accept a chaplain as a volunteer. He asked if the sponsors would be willing to change the language to make such a vote non-mandated, as he said was the norm for other bills..
Rep. Newman reiterated that although the bill mandates school districts voting on whether to have volunteer chaplains in public schools, it does not actually mandate having chaplains in schools. He did not provide an explanation as to why the bill requires this vote in all districts.
Rep. Newman also confirmed that background checks would be required of all chaplains in schools.
A second hearing for the School Chaplain Act has not yet been scheduled.
A similar bill was introduced in the Ohio legislature in 2023, but never had a hearing. Similar bills have passed in Texas and Florida and have been introduced in 12 other states. 🔥
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