STOP SENATE BILL 297 & HOUSE BILL 315

ACTION GUIDE

What is H.B. 315?

House Bill 315 is a dangerous bill that our representatives in Columbus may make into a law within the NEXT WEEK. Here are some things that House Bill 315 will do:

• Make criticism of Israel Illegal

• Take away your right to free speech

• Increase surveillance of what you say and do

• Punish Palestinians, students, and supporters of Palestine

If we don’t stop H.B. 315 in the next week it will become LAW. At the bottom of this page you can find a more detailed explanation of H.B. 315 and S.B 297. Right below this find ways to TAKE ACTION.

1. Take Action:

   Use CAIR-Ohio’s action alert to email your House Representative

2. Take Action: Call or email your Ohio House Representative

1. Find Your Rep

   :

   Find your Representative by entering your address here

2. Sample Email

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   personalized sections in red. This is just a suggestion!

   )

Hello Representative ________,

I am a resident of _________ and I am writing to you to ask Representative [Name of Rep] to not support passage of House Bill 315, which would adopt a controversial and inaccurate definition of Antisemitism into law. There are many issues I have with adding this definition to HB 315, the most important being that this language is anti-democratic and would censor Ohioans from criticizing a foreign government. [It's even better if you explain why this is important to YOU.]

On December 11th, over 70 Ohioans submitted written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing against SB 297 which would adopt this definition. 18 Ohioans, including Palestinians, Nakba survivors, descendants of Holocaust survivors, 4 Rabbis, and many members of Ohio’s Jewish community, delivered in-person testimony, making it clear they do not support the adoption of the IHRA definition.

I know Representative [name of Rep] would not support a bill that infringes on free speech; this is why I am calling to make sure they oppose this anti-democratic bill. Please let my Representative know that Ohioans do not support this bill. Thank you”.

3. Sample Call script

"Hello, my name is [insert your name here]. I'm calling to ask Representative [name of House Rep] to not support passage of House Bill 315, which would adopt a controversial and inaccurate definition of Antisemitism into law. There are many issues I have with adding this definition to HB 315, the most important being that this language is anti-democratic and would censor Ohioans from criticizing a foreign government.

On December 11th, over 50 Ohioans submitted written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing against SB 297 which would adopt this definition. 18 Ohioans, including ancestors of Holocaust survivors, 4 Rabbis, and many members of the Ohio Jewish community made it clear they do not support the IHRA’s definition of anti-semitism and the inclusion of IHRA into the Ohio Revised Code.

I know Representative [Name of Rep] would not support a bill that infringes on free speech; this is why I am calling to make sure they oppose this anti-democratic bill.

Please let my Representative know that Ohioans do not support this bill. Thank you”.

More Information

Article about the Bills

Examples of Supporter Testimony

A hearing took place on 12/3 which included testimony from “proponents” of the bill. Supporters included Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and representatives from Jewish Federation and the ADL. The list of names & their written testimony can be found here: https://ohiosenate.gov/committees/judiciary/legislation/sb297

Examples of Opposing Testimony

A hearing took place on 12/11 which included testimony from “opponents” of the bill. Ohioans from across the state gathered in Columbus to testify in opposition to S.B. 297. The list of names & their written testimony can be found here:

Senate Bill 297 Committee Activity | 135th General Assembly | Ohio Legislature

Bill Tracking

This bill is being pushed in both statehouse bodies, just under different names.

https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/135/sb297

https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/135/hb315

Senators that voted against SB 297 [Call and thank them!]

• William Demora: (614) 466-4583

• Nickie Antonio: (614) 466- 5123

• Paula Hicks-Hudson: (614) 466-5204

• Catherine Ingram: (614) 466-5980

Info about the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

It might be helpful to include a mention in an email /or phone call about the two very different definitions of antisemitism: the IHRA definition of antisemitism which the ADL & Jewish Federation use VERSUS The Jerusalem Declaration which says: “the same norms of debate that apply to other states and to other conflicts over national self-determination apply in the case of Israel.” Most non-Jews & Jews even don't know about these two conflicting definitions & just trust the ADL & Jewish Federation that IHRA is gospel.

Some resources on Antisemitism & Criticism of Israel:

https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/2023/11/09/antisemitism-dangerous/

https://www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/a-dangerous-conflation/

https://droptheadl.org/the-adl-is-not-an-ally/#palestinian-rights

https://jerusalemdeclaration.org/

Longer Description of H.B. 315 and S.B. 297

Senate Bill 297 has passed the Ohio Senate and poses a grave threat to free speech and civil rights. This bill seeks to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism into Ohio law, ostensibly to combat antisemitism by increasing penalties for hate crimes. However, the IHRA definition dangerously conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, weaponizing civil rights protections to suppress legitimate dissent.

With the legislative session concluding next week, the Ohio House has insufficient time to consider S.B. 297 as a standalone bill. However, there is a significant risk that its provisions could be incorporated into House Bill 315 or other active legislation in a last-minute effort to secure passage.

This bill is not about protecting Jewish communities from hate—it’s about shielding Israel from criticism under the guise of combating antisemitism. The IHRA definition includes “contemporary examples” of antisemitism that explicitly target advocacy for Palestinian rights and criticisms of Israel’s apartheid policies and ongoing genocide.

This is a direct attack on free speech and the right to dissent. By criminalizing solidarity with the Palestinian people and criticism of Israel, S.B. 297 undermines fundamental constitutional rights.

We must act now to stop S.B. 297 and oppose any attempts to attach its provisions to other legislation like H.B. 315. Mobilize today to defend civil rights and free speech in Ohio!