In March 2025, the Ohio House of Representatives passed the controversial Senate Bill 1, which reshaped higher education in the state. Among other points, the most hotly debated aspects of the bill included the elimination and consolidation of programs as well as a ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Now, House Bill 698 has been introduced as the “S.B. 1 Compliance Supplemental Appropriation Act” to enforce these new standards. Under HB 698, public colleges would be required to certify compliance at the risk of losing government funding.
Rep. Tom Young introduced the bill in February and said it will not limit academic freedom, but rather “reinforce public accountability for institutions that receive taxpayers’ dollars and ensure the law passed by this General Assembly is implemented as intended.”
Related: Ohio House passes SB 1, sparking protests
One section of the bill is focused on college employees who previously performed DEI functions. It would require institutions to create an inventory listing the employee’s name and title, prior duties, reassignment duties and salary changes. It would also require a “justification report” including proof that the employee is now performing “substantially different duties from [DEI] functions” and an itemized breakdown of their compensation.
These reports would then be audited by Ohio’s chancellor of higher education, Mike Duffey. Duffey was appointed by Gov. Mike Dewine in January 2024, after serving as the senior vice chancellor of higher education for five years. Before that, he was a Republican House member from 2011-2018.
HB 698 would enable Duffey to withhold funds from institutions that do not demonstrate compliance with SB 1.
Critics of HB 698 include Rep. Desiree Tims, who called it an “unreasonable overstep of an already deeply destructive bill.”
In May, more than 150 opponents of the bill attended a House committee hearing to share written and spoken testimonies against it. These included representatives from the Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio Nurses Association and Ohio Student Association.
The bill is currently under review at the Ohio House. If passed by both the House and Senate, it will be sent to the governor’s office for final approval. With a gubernatorial election in November, it is unclear whether the final decision will come from Dewine or a currently running candidate.
Hannah Kichline, executive editor
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