Government Relations Committee Update

What’s happening at the Statehouse?

The Government Relations Committee is working to keep OCDA members informed about legislation and policy decisions that affect career development, education, workforce development, and the communities we serve.

What We’re Watching: Senate Bill 328

One bill we’re keeping a close eye on is Senate Bill 328, which focuses on Ohio’s Education and Workforce Return on Investment Initiative and includes several provisions directly related to career development. For career development professionals, this is an important bill to watch. The proposed statewide career coaching framework could have implications for how career coaching is defined, delivered, and supported in Ohio schools and potentially for the broader recognition of career development as an essential component of education and workforce development. SB 328 has passed in the Ohio Senate and is now in Committee with the Ohio House of Representatives. 

Your Voice Matters

Policy decisions often move quickly, and legislators need to hear from the professionals who understand their real-world impact. The GRC will continue monitoring legislation, connecting with policymakers and stakeholders, and identifying opportunities for OCDA members to participate in advocacy. We also collaborate with NCDA’s Government Relations Committee to stay informed about federal policy developments.

Have you encountered a policy issue in your work that you think OCDA should be watching? Have a question about a bill or want to become more involved in advocacy?

Newton Kimberly & Sarah JanTausch
OCDA GRC Co-Chairs
Learn more about the Government Relations Committee

Legislative information is current as of August 21, 2026. The GRC will continue to monitor SB 328 and other legislation affecting career development and Ohio’s workforce.

OCDA Board Approves Legislative Policy Platform

We are excited to share that the OCDA Board of Directors has adopted the inaugural OCDA Legislative Policy Platform, which went live last month. This milestone represents a significant step forward in strengthening OCDA’s advocacy efforts and advancing the visibility of career development issues across Ohio.

The Legislative Policy Platform serves as a guiding framework for OCDA’s advocacy priorities and public policy engagement. It outlines the association’s positions on key issues impacting career development professionals, students, job seekers, workforce systems, and the broader education-to-workforce pipeline. The platform is intended to support consistent messaging, inform legislative outreach, and help members engage confidently in advocacy conversations at the local, state, and federal levels.

The platform includes policy priorities related to topics such as workforce development, career readiness, access to education and training, career services, mental health and wellness, and equitable access to career opportunities. We encourage all members to view the full Legislative Policy Platform here.

This work reflects the continued collaboration and dedication of the OCDA Government Relations Committee and the many members who contributed feedback, expertise, and support throughout the development process.

Upcoming Advocacy Opportunity: 4th Annual OCDA Legislative Day

Legislative Advocacy Day provides members with an opportunity to connect directly with policymakers, learn more about current legislative issues impacting the field, and advocate for policies that support career development and workforce success across Ohio. Additional details, registration information, and a schedule of events will be shared in the coming months. We hope you will join us for another impactful day of advocacy and professional engagement.

We look forward to seeing you in the fall for our legislative day!

Sarah JanTausch & Newton Kimberly
OCDA GRC Co-Chairs

From Moments to Momentum, Making An Advocacy Habit 

Effective advocacy is ongoing; it isn’t a single phone call; it’s a professional relationship built on trust. In Part 1, we talked about why your voice matters. In Part 2, we mapped out the 136th General Assembly. Now, we look at how to weave advocacy into the fabric of our work as career development professionals to create long-term systemic change for Ohioans.

Become a Trusted Resource

The goal of advocacy is for a legislative aide to think of career development professionals and the hard work of OCDA when they have a question about the workforce.

• Build Trust: Take initial steps to establish a relationship with legislators and their aides so that your knowledge has a more powerful impact. Attend a legislator’s office hours, engage in local events in your district, attend OCDA’s legislative day, or any other way to introduce yourself and begin engaging.
• Stay Organized: Organize your talking points and the data that can support them before reaching out. Having clarity and maintaining information can help make these interactions more casual and provide clear and concise conversations centered on our clients!
• The Update: Every few months, send a brief "view from the ground" email to your representative’s office as it relates to direct legislation. What is the number one hurdle your clients are facing right now? Is it childcare? Transportation? Tech literacy? Don't just reach out when a bill is bad; reach out when you see something working well in your role! If they are looking for an official statement, please refer them to the OCDA GRC or NCDA GRC.

The Power of In-Person Site Visits

Nothing changes a legislator’s perspective like seeing the work in action. It’s one thing to read a brief about "workforce barriers"; it is quite another to watch a client navigate a confusing, multi-layered digital application on an outdated computer terminal. When legislators step into our offices, they see the exact friction points and celebration points that impact our clients!

• The Invite: Invite your State Representative or Senator to visit your office and see the important work being done on a daily basis
• The Impact: Let them meet the people behind the numbers, as meeting the clients served by legislation can have a drastically different impact than the legislation alone. From higher education to those changing careers and re-entering the workforce, and everyone in between, meeting these clients can have a profound impact on our representatives.

Advocacy is a team sport, and we want you on our team!

• Join the Committee: Engage more deeply with our Government Relations Committee, when we speak as a unified body of career professionals, our leverage in Ohio is amplified. Email Sarah or Newton if you are interested in joining a meeting, as we would love to showcase the collaborative work we do every month.

Conclusion: A Thriving Ohio

Advocacy is the bridge between a client’s struggle and a legislator’s solution. By moving from occasional contact to a consistent, professional presence, you ensure that the future of Ohio’s workforce is built on reality, not just theory.

Are you interested in putting knowledge into action? Join us for the 4th annual OCDA Legislative Day!

Keep the conversation going! If you are interested in learning more about our committee’s work, attending future meetings, or joining us for events, please email either Sarah or Newton and we would be happy to connect with you!

Onward,

Sarah JanTausch & Newton Kimberly | Co-Chairs, OCDA Government Relations Committee

Part 2 of 3: Your Ohio Legislative Advocacy Cheat Sheet

How to make an impact with tips from the OCDA Government Relations Committee:

Note: Become an advocacy champion!  This is part 2 of a 3-part series on effective advocacy, how to engage on behalf of our clients, and the best channels for communication! Part three will be published in the Pulse on Ohio newsletter next month!

We are here to help guide you through the process based on our advocacy work and experience during our annual legislative advocacy day each fall. The Ohio legislature works for you and learning to navigate it just takes a few steps.

Find Your Representative and Senator:

Every Ohioan has one State Representative and one State Senator. To find yours, enter your zip code in ohiohouse.gov orohiosenate.gov to locate yours.

1. Review your representative and senator’s pages to learn about what they are working on to understand their work before engaging. This will help you to know if they are working on something related to your workplace or industry. 

2. Save their office contact information in your phone. You’re their constituent, and they’re there to listen and represent you. 

Keep Tabs on the Action

The legislature.ohio.gov site is the best place to find accurate update information on a bill. You can search for keywords like "internship" or "workforce" to see which bills are actually moving.

1. Keep an eye on the Workforce Development Committee (Senate) and the Workforce and Higher Education Committee (House). You can even watch their meetings live on The Ohio Channel if you’re feeling extra studious. There may be other committees, too, that relate to your interests. 

2. Set up email alerts in your legislature.ohio.gov account for specific bills of interest. 

Use the "Three-Sentence Rule"

When you call or email, keep it human and keep it brief. Legislative aides are busy, and if you make their lives easy, your message is way more likely to reach the boss.

1. Who you are: "I’m a career advocate in [Your City] and a constituent."

2. The Issue: "I’m calling about [Bill Number/Topic] because it’s directly affecting my clients' ability to find jobs."

3. The Ask: "I’d love for the Representative to support this measure to help our local hiring."

4. Reach out to the OCDA GRC if you need a template or advice on reaching out!

 Give Your Two Cents Today

State agencies (like ODJFS) are constantly putting out "State Plans" for public feedback. Right now, the 2026-2027 Combined State Plan is a huge deal because it decides how federal workforce funds (WIOA) get spent in Ohio. Sharing your thoughts here is a simple, formal way to steer the ship.

Onward,

Sarah JanTausch & Newton Kimberly | Co-Chairs, OCDA Government Relations Committee

Advocacy Update: NCDA Statement on Proposed Regulations

The National Career Development Association (NCDA) has recently issued a public comment and press release regarding proposed regulations that may impact professionals in our field who hold counselor licensure. These developments could have important implications for scope of practice and professional identity within career development. We encourage members to review NCDA’s statement and stay informed as conversations continue to evolve. Remaining engaged in advocacy efforts helps ensure our work—and those we serve—are thoughtfully represented.

Sincerely,

Sarah JanTausch & Newton Kimberly

Co-Chairs, OCDA Government Relations Committee

Part 1 of 3: Why Advocacy is a Career Coach’s Best Tool

Note: Become an advocacy champion! This is part 1 of a 3-part series on effective advocacy, how to engage on behalf of our clients, and the best channels for communication!. Part two will be published in the Pulse on Ohio newsletter next month!

As career advocacy professionals, we are often the "early warning system" for the Ohio economy. We see the shift in required skills, the specific hurdles for veterans, or the impact of a plant closure months before those trends show up in a state report. While our daily work focuses on empowering the individual, there is a broader level of empowerment that happens all over the state, from state boards to public comment in a town hall meeting to organizations. Advocacy happens everywhere, just as the Government Relations Committee represents our members and clients at the statehouse.

Engaging with elected officials isn’t about "politics" in a partisan sense; it’s about professional expertise. You possess ground-level data that legislators in Columbus need but rarely get from a spreadsheet. When bills like Senate Bill 143 (addressing criminal background questions on applications) or the 2026-2027 Combined State Plan are under debate, lawmakers are looking for "the why." They need to know how these policies actually play out in an OhioMeansJobs center or a private coaching session. We can help provide that necessary content from meeting with our clients, partners, and the discussions that take place in our offices.

By sharing our perspective, we ensure our representatives have a clear view of the "real world" of work:

• Ensuring Funding Hits the Mark: We can advocate for Partnership, Funding, and Grants to ensure training dollars are going toward the actual jobs being created in our specific regions.

• Spotlighting Hidden Barriers: We can point out where professional licensing or "red tape" is unintentionally keeping qualified Ohioans on the sidelines.

• Amplifying Client Potential: Many of our clients don’t have the time or resources to testify in a committee. When we speak up, we aren't just representing a profession—we’re representing the untapped potential of the Ohio workforce.

This advocacy is crucial and next week we will examine some ways to engage in advocacy with your representatives, from simple things you can do at home to in-person meetings you can have in your neighborhood, city, or state level. See you next month for part 2!

Onward,

Sarah JanTausch & Newton Kimberly| Co-Chairs, OCDA Government Relations Committee

Building OCDA’s Policy Platform: Ensuring Member Voices Shape Our Advocacy

As members of the Ohio Career Development Association, our collective voice is central to how we engage in advocacy at the local and state levels. The Government Relations Committee is currently developing OCDA’s first policy platform, which will be revisited and updated every five years. This document will guide our advocacy efforts as we engage with elected officials and state agencies. The policy platform serves several critical functions for our association and our advocacy work.

Purpose 1: Define Our Advocacy Priorities

The platform will clarify which policy issues OCDA will actively engage in, ensuring our advocacy is focused, strategic, and aligned with member priorities.

Purpose 2: Ensure Representation Across Constituency Groups

The platform will help ensure that our advocacy reflects the needs and perspectives of OCDA’s diverse constituency groups.

Purpose 3: Guide Consistent and Credible Policy Engagement

The platform will provide a shared reference point for engaging legislators, agencies, and partners, strengthening the credibility and consistency of OCDA’s voice in policy discussions.

Because OCDA represents professionals working across varied settings and systems, it is essential that our policy platform is informed directly by member input. Your insights help us understand what is happening on the ground, what challenges you are facing, and where advocacy can make the most meaningful impact.

To ensure your perspective is included, we invite you to complete a brief questionnaire. Your responses will directly inform the development of OCDA’s policy platform and help the Government Relations Committee advocate effectively on behalf of all members. This will take approximately 5 minutes or less to complete and will close on February 13, 2026.

OCDA Policy Platform Development Questionnaire

Thank you for your continued engagement and commitment to the profession. We look forward to representing your priorities and strengthening OCDA’s advocacy work together.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of advocacy tools within the OCDA Members-Only section under the "Advocacy" header on the Ohio Career Development Association website! This new exclusive benefit is designed to provide you with valuable resources and in-depth content accessible only to our dedicated members. To view this members-only content, simply log in to the website and navigate to the Advocacy page. This new space will serve as a hub for members to gain deeper insights into crucial topics impacting the career development field in Ohio and beyond.

This new section launches with a high-value resource: the encore presentation of the OCDA Government Relations Committee's 2025 NCDA Conference session, "Advocating For Career Development During Revolutionary Times." Presented by Sarah JanTausch, M.S., CCSP, PMP; Kaleigh Mahon, M.Ed., LPCC, CDCA; and Michelle Norris, M.Ed., LPC, this recording offers effective strategies for influencing public policy and creating local advocacy initiatives, such as "Hill Days." As a member, you can now enjoy unlimited viewings of this crucial presentation, with more exclusive content, including future webinar recordings and advocacy materials, to be added to this members-only section soon.

If there is anything specific you would like added to this section, or past recorded programs that you believe would be impactful to house in this section, please don’t hesitate to reach out! For technical questions, please contact ohiocda@gmail.com. If you are interested in joining the Government Relations Committee for our next meeting on January 12th, please reach out to Co-Chair Sarah JanTausch (sarah@valuesbasedcareers.com) or Co-Chair Newton Kimberly (nskimberly@owu.edu)

Pulse On Ohio

November 2025

Issue 3

OCDA’s 3rd Annual Legislative Advocacy Day

On October 21, 2025, OCDA members gathered at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus for our annual legislative day. Throughout the day, attendees advocated for career development through meetings with legislators in the Ohio House and Senate, raising awareness of the impact of career development services across the state.

This event was instrumental in articulating OCDA’s priorities and advocating for policies that support career professionals and the clients we serve. We are proud of the energy, professionalism, and purposeful dialogue our members demonstrated throughout the day. In particular, this year’s diverse legislative meetings helped ensure that the concerns and contributions of career development practitioners across Ohio were represented. This year’s agenda offered strategic advocacy activity that reinforced OCDA’s role as a leader in policy engagement for career development in Ohio.

As we reflect on this year’s event, we encourage all members to keep the momentum alive: follow up with your legislative contacts, share your experiences, and continue to integrate advocacy into your professional practice. Together, we amplify the voice of career development across Ohio, making a real difference for our clients.

We look forward to building on this success in future years and continuing to strengthen the relationship between OCDA members and Ohio’s policy-makers.

Pulse On Ohio

October 2025

Issue 2

Legislative Review: Enact the Hunger Free Campus Act

Bill Overview & Summary

Ohio House Bill 157 titled the Enact the Hunger Free Campus Act is a bill that was introduced by Representative Sean P. Brennan and Representative James M. Hoops on March 6th, 2025 and referred to the Workforce and Higher Education Committee on March 19th, 2025. This bill tackles student food insecurity impacting college students in the state of Ohio. If enacted, it would address hunger as a barrier to student and career success by setting up a new program called the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program and Designation that would be overseen by the Chancellor at the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

The Connection to Career Success

Students struggling to meet basic needs can't focus on their studies, their internships, or their job search. Food insecurity is a significant challenge impacting student well-being, and research indicates it is strongly associated with adverse academic outcomes; for example, food-insecure students have been found to be over 40% less likely to graduate from college compared to their food-secure peers (Wolfson et al., 2021). This policy aims to remove the obstacle of food insecurity on campuses in Ohio.

Program Details

If the bill makes its way out of the Workforce and Higher Education Committee, passes both chambers of the Ohio legislature, and is signed by the Governor, the newly enacted program law would require the Chancellor to create a program where public and private colleges and universities in Ohio can apply to get two things: a formal "Hunger-Free Campus" designation and grant money to support their efforts. To earn the “Hunger-Free Campus” designation, colleges and universities will need to meet certain standards. The bill suggests the criteria could include things that directly impact Ohio’s college students including:

1. Creation of on-campus food access through a food pantry or a steady, reliable partnership with a local food bank to do regular distributions.

2. Colleges and Universities must provide resource navigation including information on applying for major public benefits like SNAP (food stamps) and Medicaid.

This bill, if enacted in its current state, would establish a foundational safety net, promote collaboration among partner organizations, and reduce hunger across college campuses in Ohio allowing students to focus on their educational pursuits and careers, not their next meal. The program is specifically designed to address significant non-academic factors that can impede student success. This approach shifts the focus beyond typical advising services, such as resume support, to prioritize the development of a stable foundation that is crucial for long-term achievement and positive student outcomes.

This bill has the potential to impact two of the Ohio Career Development Association’s constituency groups, including the “Higher Education Career Counselors/Coaches/Specialists” and the “Graduate Students/Counselor Educators & Researchers” groups. If you have questions about or would like to learn more about it, we recommend contacting your legislators by entering your address in the Ohio Legislator’s District Map site.

If there’s a piece of legislation you would like highlighted in this column, Pulse on Ohio, from the OCDA Government Relations committee, please send it our way! We welcome suggestions from committee members for bills to track, analyze, or write about. Your input helps ensure we’re covering the issues that matter most to our members. Please email your suggestions to Sarah and Newton.