Sub. S.B. No. 117 Summary

• Establishes the Prenatal-to-Five Early Childhood to Post-Secondary Regional Partnerships Program administered by the Department of Education and Workforce in conjunction with the Department of Higher Education.

• Requires partnerships to include early learning programs, primary and secondary schools, educational service centers, out-of-school time providers, post-secondary institutions, and workforce and community partners working collaboratively within the same region.

• Directs departments to convene partnerships at least quarterly, distribute grants to qualifying partnerships, ensure at least one partnership exists in each of six JobsOhio-defined regions, and report progress twice yearly to state directors and annually to the governor and general assembly.

• Requires qualifying partnerships to demonstrate theory of action, integration with business advisory councils and industry sector partnerships, and coordination with health care systems on workforce readiness and mental health support.

• Appropriates $2,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund for fiscal year 2025 to support the program and transfers $4,660,500 from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education Licensure Fund; the Department of Children and Youth joins administration beginning January 1, 2025.