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Youth who participate in 4-H and FFA activities during the school day are sometimes being penalized for missing hours at school. Ohio Farm Bureau and the Ohio Association of Agricultural Educators support a bill making its way through the Ohio General Assembly that will correct this.

House Bill 125, introduced by Rep. Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria) and Rep. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.), will permit students to have a limited number of excused absences for 4-H and FFA events, ensuring they are not disciplined for attending.

The bill passed out of the Ohio House in March 2026 and is awaiting consideration in the Senate. Ohio Farm Bureau encourages members to reach out to their state senator and urge them to support House Bill 125. Find your senator’s contact information.

Workforce development is a long-standing priority for Ohio Farm Bureau and the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, supporting hands-on education that prioritizes career exploration and workforce readiness within agriculture and other in-demand occupations.

To that end, Ohio Farm Bureau has supported this legislation since its original introduction in the 134th General Assembly three years ago and provided proponent testimony before the House Education Committee.

In his remarks, Ohio Farm Bureau Director of State Policy Evan Callicoat reminded the committee that FFA and 4-H have long provided students with a wealth of activities and experiences that help them learn life skills and develop essential leadership abilities. Those experiences, specifically in FFA, include Supervised Agricultural Experience and engagement in activities such as contests and conventions, which can often require time inside and outside school.

“Students work diligently to balance these responsibilities, but sometimes events arise during the school day. While some schools allow students to have excused absences for such events, many do not. Consequently, students may miss valuable opportunities to expand their knowledge or engage in business activities, and in unfortunate cases, they may be penalized for missing school. Students should not face penalties for striving to develop themselves as individuals through leadership organizations like FFA/4-H and as future contributors to our workforce,” Callicoat said.

Watch Callicoat’s Testimony

The scale of impact

• The Ohio FFA Association has more than 30,720 members participating in FFA programming statewide.
• More than 156,760 youth participate in Ohio 4-H clubs, camps, school programs, and afterschool activities.
• Both organizations help students develop essential skills that allow youth to be a vital part of Ohio’s No. 1 industry.