View NBC4's previous coverage in the video player above. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio schools will be able to indefinitely expel students for threatening behavior such as writing a hitlist or bringing a gun to class under an incoming law.  Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Jan. 8 that he signed House Bill 206, sponsored by Reps. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Monica Robb Blasdel (R-Columbiana). The incoming law will give schools greater flexibility when deciding how long to expel a student who poses an “imminent and severe endangerment” to others’ safety.  Ramaswamy plans to step away from DOGE, focus on running for Ohio governor This includes bringing a firearm or knife to school, making a bomb threat, causing serious physical harm to someone at school, making a hitlist, creating a threatening manifesto and sharing a menacing post on social media.  “Parents are entrusting schools to protect their children while they are away from the home,” Click said in a statement. “These situations can be complex, so this legislation allows school administrators to use their discretion to address the need that works best for their community.” Under current law, public school students can be expelled for up to 80 days for behavioral issues, and up to 180 days – or one school year – for bringing a gun or knife to school, making a bomb threat or causing serious physical harm to another person, according to the nonprofit Ohio Legal Help.  The incoming law will allow a student’s expulsion to be extended by 90 days at a time after 180 days for threatening behavior, with no limit on how many extensions are allowed. To be reinstated, the student will be required to meet a set of conditions decided by the superintendent, which must include undergoing a psychological evaluation by a psychiatrist. Woman charged with reckless homicide of man in northwest Columbus After a period of expulsion has been completed, the superintendent, along with a “multidisciplinary team” they select, will decide whether to reinstate the student. School officials will determine if the student has shown “sufficient rehabilitation” while taking the psychological assessment into consideration. The legislation will require the superintendent to come up with a list of alternative educational options for the expelled student. They will also be permitted to reinstate the student before the expulsion period is up if they feel the student no longer poses a threat.  During hearings for the bill, which was introduced in June 2023, multiple groups spoke out against it. Organizations cited concerns that the bill could result in discriminatory expulsions for minority students, and that it gives too much power to the superintendent. Click told NBC4 in December he believes the multidisciplinary board will help balance power and prevent discrimination from happening. One opponent of the bill was Stephanie Moes, a managing attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio, who testified the bill could negatively impact students' success, stating those who are expelled are more likely to drop out and become involved with the juvenile justice system.  JD Vance, first vice president from Ohio in nearly 100 years, inaugurated “H.B. 206 would also have devastating implications on the promise of educational opportunity and success for our children with disabilities, particularly those with mental health conditions,” Moes said in written testimony. “H.B. 206 has the real potential to increase mental health problems for children subjected to its lengthy, potentially indefinite, expulsion process.” House Bill 206 passed the Ohio House (68-15) and Senate (23-7) last month, before gaining DeWine’s signature. It will go into effect on April 9.