Ohio House Bill 8 (2023)

Enact the Parents' Bill of Rights
135th Ohio General Assembly
  • To amend sections 3313.6022, 3314.03, and 3326.11 and to enact sections 3313.473 and 3313.6030 of the Revised Code to enact the Parents' Bill of Rights to require public schools to adopt a policy on parental notification on student health and well-being and instructional materials with sexuality content and regarding school district policies for released time courses in religious instruction.
CitationO.H. Legis. Assemb. . Reg. Sess. 2023-2024.
Territorial extentOhio
Passed byOhio House of Representatives
PassedDecember 18, 2024
Assented toJanuary 8, 2025
Signed byMike DeWine
EffectiveApril 9, 2025
Legislative history
Introduced byD. J. Swearingen(R–89) and Sara Carruthers(R–47)
Preliminary readingJune 14, 2023
Second readingJune 21, 2023
Status: In force

Ohio House Bill 8 (H.B. 8), also known as the Parent's Bill of Rights, is a 2023 law in the state of Ohio that allows parents to opt kids out of topics related to gender and sexuality and requires schools to notify parents about students' gender identity. It also requires schools to allow students to attend religious services even if it conflicts with their school schedule. It was signed into law on January 8, 2025 by Governor Mike DeWine after passing in both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly in December.

The bill originally focused on "sexually explicit content", but was amended in June 2023 to focus on topics related to sexuality and gender. It drew comparisons to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, also known as the Parental Rights in Education Act or H.B. 1557. Crisis calls tripled relative to December 2024 after it was signed into law.