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Ohio HB 90 adopts IHRA definition of antisemitism for state agency training, court proceedings, and civil rights investigations

Original title: Define antisemitism for certain purposes

Last action · February 12, 2025: Referred to JudiciarySponsors: Jean Schmidt and 1 other

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
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What This Bill Would Do

Ohio House Bill 90 legally defines antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition for state agency anti-bias training, court proceedings, and discrimination investigations. The measure directs state agencies and courts to apply this standard when evaluating discrimination claims while explicitly protecting First Amendment rights and existing constitutional safeguards.

Why it matters

State agencies, public universities, and courts must evaluate discrimination claims and conduct employee training using a standardized definition of antisemitism, affecting how civil rights complaints and anti-bias educational programs are administered across Ohio government.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

State agency employees

State agency workers will participate in anti-discrimination and anti-bias training that incorporates the new statutory definition of antisemitism.

Directly affected

State institutions of higher education

Public universities must consider the statutory definition of antisemitism when reviewing, investigating, or deciding related policy or regulatory violations.

Directly affected

Ohio Civil Rights Commission

The commission and related state administrative bodies must apply the updated statutory definitions and standards in discrimination proceedings.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What definition of antisemitism does House Bill 90 establish?
The bill adopts the working definition of antisemitism established by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on May 26, 2016, along with its contemporary examples.
Does this bill affect free speech rights under the First Amendment?
The text explicitly states that the definition shall not be construed to diminish or infringe on any right protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or the Ohio Constitution.
Which entities qualify as a state agency under the bill's provisions?
State agencies include every organized body, office, board, authority, commission, or agency established by Ohio law, including state institutions of higher education, the nonprofit corporation formed under section 187.01 of the Revised Code and its subsidiaries, and state retirement systems.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

2 actions
  1. Feb 12, 2025HouseCommittee
    Referred to Judiciary
  2. Feb 11, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Introduced

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Codification of IHRA Definition

The bill bridges state antidiscrimination statutes and executive training policies by anchoring administrative reviews to a specific international definition.

Connected Entities

Justin Pizzulli, International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Ohio Civil Rights Commission and 1 more
PersonJustin Pizzulli“Representative, District 90”Map →
OrganizationInternational Holocaust Remembrance Alliance“Adopted working definition of antisemitism on May 26, 2016”Map →
OrganizationOhio Civil Rights Commission“Created by section 4112.03 of the Revised Code”Map →
PersonJean Schmidt“Representative, District 62”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.legislature.ohio.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy75
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz45
    Current news / social attention level

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