Chapter 5502 | Department of Public Safety

Section 5502.01 | General duties of department.

• Effective: September 12, 2022
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 99 - 134th General Assembly

(A) The department of public safety shall administer and enforce the laws relating to the registration, licensing, sale, and operation of motor vehicles and the laws pertaining to the licensing of drivers of motor vehicles.

The department shall compile, analyze, and publish statistics relative to motor vehicle accidents and the causes of them, prepare and conduct educational programs for the purpose of promoting safety in the operation of motor vehicles on the highways, and conduct research and studies for the purpose of promoting safety on the highways of this state.

(B) The department shall administer the laws and rules relative to trauma and emergency medical services specified in Chapter 4765. of the Revised Code and any laws and rules relative to medical transportation services specified in Chapter 4766. of the Revised Code.

(C) The department shall administer and enforce the laws contained in Chapters 4301. and 4303. of the Revised Code and enforce the rules and orders of the liquor control commission pertaining to retail liquor permit holders.

(D) The department shall administer the laws governing the state emergency management agency and shall enforce all additional duties and responsibilities as prescribed in the Revised Code related to emergency management services.

(E) The department shall conduct investigations pursuant to Chapter 5101. of the Revised Code in support of the duty of the department of job and family services to administer the supplemental nutrition assistance program throughout this state. The department of public safety shall conduct investigations necessary to protect the state's property rights and interests in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

(F) The department of public safety shall enforce compliance with orders and rules of the public utilities commission and applicable laws in accordance with Chapters 4905., 4921., and 4923. of the Revised Code regarding commercial motor vehicle transportation safety, economic, and hazardous materials requirements.

(G) Notwithstanding Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, the department of public safety may establish requirements for its enforcement personnel, including its enforcement agents described in section 5502.14 of the Revised Code, that include standards of conduct, work rules and procedures, and criteria for eligibility as law enforcement personnel.

(H) The department shall administer, maintain, and operate the Ohio criminal justice network. The Ohio criminal justice network shall be a computer network that supports state and local criminal justice activities. The network shall be an electronic repository for various data, which may include arrest warrants, notices of persons wanted by law enforcement agencies, criminal records, prison inmate records, stolen vehicle records, vehicle operator's licenses, and vehicle registrations and titles.

(I) The department shall coordinate all homeland security activities of all state agencies and shall be a liaison between state agencies and local entities for those activities and related purposes.

(J) The department shall administer and enforce the laws relative to private investigators and security service providers specified in Chapter 4749. of the Revised Code.

(K) The department shall administer criminal justice services in accordance with sections 5502.61 to 5502.66 of the Revised Code.

(L) The department shall administer the Ohio school safety and crisis center and the Ohio mobile training team in accordance with sections 5502.70 to 5502.703 of the Revised Code.

(M) The department shall coordinate security measures and operations, and may direct the department of administrative services to implement any security measures and operations the department of public safety requires, at the Vern Riffe Center and the James A. Rhodes state office tower.

Notwithstanding section 125.28 of the Revised Code, the director of public safety may recover the costs of directing security measures and operations under this division by either issuing intrastate transfer voucher billings to the department of administrative services, which the department shall process to pay for the costs, or, upon the request of the director of administrative services, the director of budget and management may transfer cash in the requested amount from the building management fund created under section 125.28 of the Revised Code. Payments received or cash transfers made under this division for the costs of directing security measures and operations shall be deposited into the state treasury to the credit of the security, investigations, and policing fund created under section 4501.11 of the Revised Code.

Last updated June 30, 2022 at 9:14 AM

Section 5502.011 | Duties of director.

• Effective: October 9, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 263 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "department of public safety" and "department" include all divisions within the department of public safety.

(B) The director of public safety is the chief executive and administrative officer of the department. The director may establish policies governing the department, the performance of its employees and officers, the conduct of its business, and the custody, use, and preservation of departmental records, papers, books, documents, and property. The director also may authorize and approve investigations to be conducted by any of the department's divisions. Whenever the Revised Code imposes a duty upon or requires an action of the department, the director may perform the action or duty in the name of the department or direct such performance to be performed by the director's designee.

(C) In addition to any other duties enumerated in the Revised Code, the director or the director's designee shall do all of the following:

(1) Administer and direct the performance of the duties of the department;

(2) Pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, approve, adopt, and prescribe such forms and rules as are necessary to carry out the duties of the department;

(3) On behalf of the department and in addition to any authority the Revised Code otherwise grants to the department, have the authority and responsibility for approving and entering into contracts, agreements, and other business arrangements;

(4) Make appointments for the department as needed to comply with requirements of the Revised Code;

(5) Approve employment actions of the department, including appointments, promotions, discipline, investigations, and terminations;

(6) Accept, hold, and use, for the benefit of the department, any gift, donation, bequest, or devise, and may agree to and perform all conditions of the gift, donation, bequest, or devise, that are not contrary to law;

(7) Apply for, allocate, disburse, and account for grants made available under federal law or from other federal, state, or private sources;

(8) Develop a list of disqualifying offenses for licensure as a private investigator or a security guard provider pursuant to sections 9.79, 4749.03, 4749.04, 4749.10, and 4776.10 of the Revised Code;

(9) Do all other acts necessary or desirable to carry out this chapter.

(D)(1) The director of public safety may assess a reasonable fee, plus the amount of any charge or fee passed on from a financial institution, on a drawer or indorser for each of the following:

(a) A check, draft, or money order that is returned or dishonored;

(b) An automatic bank transfer that is declined, due to insufficient funds or for any other reason;

(c) Any financial transaction device that is returned or dishonored for any reason.

(2) The director shall deposit any fee collected under this division in an appropriate fund as determined by the director based on the tax, fee, or fine being paid.

(3) As used in this division, "financial transaction device" has the same meaning as in section 113.40 of the Revised Code.

(E)(1) The director shall establish a homeland security advisory council to advise the director on homeland security, including homeland security funding efforts.

(2) The advisory council shall consist of the following members, who shall serve without compensation:

(a) The secretary of state;

(b) State and local government officials, appointed by the director, who have homeland security or emergency management responsibilities and who represent first responders;

(c) Any other members appointed by the director.

Last updated October 9, 2021 at 5:39 AM

Section 5502.02 | Spending to administer and enforce motor vehicle and traffic laws.

• Effective: June 30, 2003
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 87 - 125th General Assembly

All expenditures for the administration and enforcement of motor vehicle and traffic laws by the department of public safety shall be paid out of moneys derived from fees, excises, or license taxes relating to registration, operation, or use of vehicles on public highways or to fuels used for propelling such vehicles as provided in Section 5a of Article XII, Ohio Constitution.

Last updated May 11, 2022 at 1:50 PM

Section 5502.03 | Division of homeland security.

• Effective: July 1, 2015
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 53 - 131st General Assembly

(A) There is hereby created in the department of public safety a division of homeland security.

(B) The division shall do all of the following:

(1) Coordinate all homeland security activities of all state agencies and be the liaison between state agencies and local entities for the purposes of communicating homeland security funding and policy initiatives;

(2) Collect, analyze, maintain, and disseminate information to support local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, other government agencies, and private organizations in detecting, deterring, preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from threatened or actual terrorist events. This information is not a public record pursuant to section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(3) Coordinate efforts of state and local governments and private organizations to enhance the security and protection of critical infrastructure, including casino facilities, and key assets in this state;

(4) Develop and coordinate policies, protocols, and strategies that may be used to prevent, detect, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist acts or threats;

(5) Develop, update, and coordinate the implementation of an Ohio homeland security strategic plan that will guide state and local governments in the achievement of homeland security in this state.

(C) The director of public safety shall appoint an executive director, who shall be head of the division of homeland security and who regularly shall advise the governor and the director on matters pertaining to homeland security. The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the director of public safety. To carry out the duties assigned under this section, the executive director, subject to the direction and control of the director of public safety, may appoint and maintain necessary staff and may enter into any necessary agreements.

(D) Except as otherwise provided by law, nothing in this section shall be construed to give the director of public safety or the executive director of the division of homeland security authority over the incident management structure or responsibilities of local emergency response personnel.

Section 5502.031 | Regulation of amateur radio service communications and structures.

• Effective: August 15, 2012
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 158 - 129th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Amateur radio service" means the amateur service, the amateur-satellite service, and the radio amateur civil emergency service as provided for under 47 C.F.R. part 97.

(2) "Amateur station" means a station in an amateur radio service consisting of the apparatus necessary for carrying on radio communications.

(3) "Legislative authority" means the following:

(a) With respect to a county, any county rural zoning commission, board of county commissioners, or county board of zoning appeals;

(b) With respect to a township, any township zoning commission, board of township trustees, or township board of zoning appeals;

(c) With respect to a municipal corporation, the legislative authority of any municipal corporation, a planning commission established under section 713.01 of the Revised Code, or an administrative board created under section 713.11 of the Revised Code.

(B) Sections 303.01 to 303.25, 303.99, 519.01 to 519.25, 519.99, and 713.06 to 713.15 of the Revised Code do not confer on any legislative authority the authority to preclude amateur radio service communications. Any rules adopted under those sections by a legislative authority to regulate amateur radio service shall comply with the following limitations:

(1) The legislative authority shall not restrict the height or location of amateur station antenna structures in such a way as to prevent effective amateur radio service communications and shall comply with 47 C.F.R. 97.15.

(2) The rules shall reasonably accommodate amateur station communications and shall constitute the minimum practicable regulation necessary to accomplish the legislative authority's purpose.

(C) Any legislative authority that denies an application for approval of an amateur station antenna structure shall state the reasons for the denial and shall, on appeal, bear the burden of proving that the authority's actions are consistent with this section.

Section 5502.05 | Driver's license examination section.

• Effective: September 10, 2012
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly

There is hereby created in the department of public safety, a driver's license examination section.

The director of public safety may appoint necessary driver's license examiners and clerical personnel necessary to carry out the duties assigned under this section. The examiners shall be citizens of the United States and residents of the state and shall have such additional qualifications as the director prescribes.

The salaries and classifications of examiners and personnel shall be fixed in accordance with section 124.15 or 124.152 of the Revised Code.

Section 5502.06 | Duty of examiners.

• Effective: September 10, 2012
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly

Driver's license examiners assigned to the driver's license examination section shall conduct all examinations for driver's licenses as required by sections 4507.01 to 4507.36 of the Revised Code, subject to the rules issued by the registrar of motor vehicles.

Section 5502.07 | Training schools for examiners.

• Effective: September 10, 2012
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly

The director of public safety may conduct training schools for prospective driver's license examiners and may establish rules governing the qualifications for admission to such schools and provide for competitive examinations to determine the fitness of such students for prospective examiners, not inconsistent with the rules of the director of administrative services.

Section 5502.08 | Database of persons with a communication disability.

• Effective: August 1, 2018
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 115 - 132nd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Communication disability" has the same meaning as in section 3304.23 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Disability that can impair communication" has the same meaning as in section 3304.23 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Guardian" has the same meaning as in section 2111.01 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Ward" has the same meaning as in section 2111.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) The department of public safety shall establish and maintain a database of persons who register under this section as being diagnosed with a communication disability or a disability that can impair communication.

(C) Any person diagnosed with a communication disability or a disability that can impair communication who is eighteen years of age or older may register with the department for inclusion in the database by submitting a completed verification form established by the opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities agency under section 3304.23 of the Revised Code.

(D) Any parent or guardian of a minor child or a ward diagnosed with a communication disability or a disability that can impair communication may register the minor child or the ward with the department for inclusion in the database by submitting a completed verification form established by the opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities agency under section 3304.23 of the Revised Code.

(E)(1) The department shall include in the database information provided on a completed verification form that the department determines is necessary for a law enforcement officer to identify a person as diagnosed with a communication disability or a disability that can impair communication. The department shall make the database available to state and local law enforcement officers through the law enforcement automated data system.

(2) Information in the database is not a public record subject to inspection or copying under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(F) A person diagnosed with a communication disability or a disability that can impair communication who is included in the database or the parent or guardian of a minor child or a ward diagnosed with a communication disability or a disability that can impair communication who is included in the database may request removal of the person, minor, or ward, as applicable, from the database. The person, parent, or guardian shall do so by completing the verification form with only the information required under divisions (C)(1), (2), (3), (8), and (9) of section 3304.23 of the Revised Code, as applicable, and submitting the form to the department. Upon receipt of a properly completed verification form requesting the removal of a person with a communication disability or a disability that can impair communication from the database, the department shall immediately remove that person from the database.

Section 5502.10 | State registry of habitual OVI/OMWI offenders.

• Effective: September 30, 2008
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 17 - 127th General Assembly

(A) The department of public safety, not later than ninety days after the effective date of this section, shall do all of the following:

(1) Establish and maintain a state registry, named "Ohio's habitual OVI/OMWI offenders," that contains all of the information specified in divisions (A)(1)(a) and (b) of this section regarding any person who on or after the effective date of this section is convicted in this state for the fifth or subsequent time in the preceding twenty years of an OVI/OMWI violation. The state registry is a public record open for inspection under section 149.43 of the Revised Code. The department shall obtain the information to be included in the state registry from the reports provided by the court pursuant to division (B) of this section. The state registry of Ohio's habitual OVI/OMWI offenders shall include at least the following information regarding each offender who on or after the effective date of this section is convicted in this state for the fifth or subsequent time in the preceding twenty years of an OVI/OMWI violation:

(a) The offender's name, date of birth, and residence address, including, but not limited to, the street address, municipal corporation or township, county, and zip code of the person's place of residence;

(b) The number of times within the preceding twenty years that the offender has been convicted in this state for an OVI/OMWI violation and the date of each of those convictions.

(2) Establish and operate on the internet a database that contains for each person who on or after the effective date of this section is convicted in this state for the fifth or subsequent time in the preceding twenty years of an OVI/OMWI violation all of the information regarding the offender that is included in the state registry of Ohio's habitual OVI/OMWI offenders that is established and maintained under division (A)(1) of this section. The database is a public record open for inspection under section 149.43 of the Revised Code, and it shall be searchable by an offender's name, by county, and by zip code.

(B) A court that convicts a person for an OVI/OMWI violation shall send to the department of public safety, within thirty days after the conviction of the offender the information specified in divisions (A)(1)(a) and (b) of this section.

(C) The department of public safety shall update the state registry of Ohio's habitual OVI/OMWI offenders required under division (A)(1) of this section and the database required under division (A)(2) of this section every month to ensure that the information they contain is accurate and current.

(D) As used in this section:

(1) "Equivalent offense" and "municipal OVI ordinance" have the same meanings as in section 4511.181 of the Revised Code.

(2) "OVI/OMWI violation" means any of the following:

(a) A violation of division (A) or (B) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or a violation of a municipal OVI ordinance;

(b) A violation of section 4511.194 of the Revised Code or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance;

(c) A violation of division (A) or (B) of section 1547.11 of the Revised Code or a violation of a municipal ordinance, law of another state, or law of the United States that is substantially equivalent to division (A) or (B) of section 1547.11 of the Revised Code;

(d) Any equivalent offense not listed in divisions (D)(2)(a) to (c) of this section.

Section 5502.11 | Written report of motor vehicle accident.

• Effective: June 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly

Every law enforcement agency representing a township, county, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision investigating a motor vehicle accident involving a fatality, personal injury, or property damage in an amount greater than one thousand dollars, within five days, shall forward a written report of such accident to the director of public safety on a form, which the director shall adopt subject to sections 119.01 to 119.13 of the Revised Code.

Section 5502.12 | Use of written report of motor vehicle accident.

• Effective: July 17, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) The accident reports submitted pursuant to section 5502.11 of the Revised Code shall be for the use of the director of public safety for purposes of statistical, safety, and other studies. The law enforcement agency that submitted a report shall furnish a copy of such report and associated documents to any person claiming an interest arising out of a motor vehicle accident, or to the person's attorney, upon the payment of a nonrefundable fee of four dollars or the amount approved by the board of county commissioners of the county in which the law enforcement agency is located as provided in division (B) of this section. With respect to accidents investigated by the state highway patrol, the director of public safety shall furnish to such person all related reports and statements upon the payment of a nonrefundable fee of four dollars. The cost of photographs or any other electronic format shall be in addition to the nonrefundable four-dollar fee for the accident report, whether the report was submitted by the state highway patrol or another law enforcement agency. A law enforcement agency may charge a fee that is in excess of four dollars for photographs and other electronic formats if such a fee is approved by a board of county commissioners of the county in which the law enforcement agency is located as provided in division (B) of this section.

Such state highway patrol reports, statements, and photographs, in the discretion of the director of public safety, may be withheld until all criminal prosecution has been concluded; the director of public safety may require proof, satisfactory to the director, of the right of any applicant to be furnished such documents.

(B) If, after the effective date of this amendment, the state highway patrol is authorized to charge a nonrefundable fee in excess of four dollars for an accident report relating to an accident investigated by the state highway patrol and all related reports and statements or a fee in excess of four dollars for photographs or other electronic formats related to an accident report, a law enforcement agency described in section 5502.11 of the Revised Code shall be authorized to charge that same fee for an accident report relating to an accident investigated by that law enforcement agency and all related reports and statements or for photographs or other electronic formats related to an accident report investigated by that law enforcement agency upon approval of the board of county commissioners of the county in which that law enforcement agency is located.

Section 5502.13 | Investigative unit.

• Effective: December 31, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly

The department of public safety shall maintain an investigative unit in order to conduct investigations and other enforcement activity authorized by Chapters 4301., 4303., 5101., 5107., and 5108. and sections 2903.12, 2903.13, 2903.14, 2907.09, 2913.46, 2917.11, 2921.13, 2921.31, 2921.32, 2921.33, 2923.12, 2923.121, 2925.11, 2925.13, 2927.02, and 4507.30 of the Revised Code. The director of public safety shall appoint the employees of the unit who are necessary, designate the activities to be performed by those employees, and prescribe their titles and duties.

Section 5502.132 | Ohio investigative unit fund.

• Effective: September 29, 2015
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly

There is hereby created in the state treasury the Ohio investigative unit fund. The fund shall consist of any nonfederal money received by the investigative unit of the department of public safety that is not otherwise required to be deposited into another fund under any provision of the Revised Code. The director of public safety shall use the money in the fund to pay the expenses of administering the law relative to the powers and duties of the investigative unit. All investment earnings shall be retained by the fund.

Section 5502.1321 | Ohio investigative unit contingency fund.

• Effective: September 29, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly

(A) There is hereby created the Ohio investigative unit contingency fund, which shall be in the custody of the treasurer of state but shall not be part of the state treasury. All money seized during investigations or other enforcement activities of the investigative unit of the department of public safety prior to January 1, 2017 shall be deposited into the fund. The director of public safety shall transfer money upon resolution of all legal proceedings in accordance with Chapter 2981. of the Revised Code.

(B) There is hereby created the Ohio investigative unit custodial fund, which shall be in the custody of the treasurer of state, but shall not be part of the state treasury. All money seized during investigations or other enforcement activities of the investigative unit of the department of public safety on and after January 1, 2017, shall be deposited into the fund. The director of public safety shall transfer money upon resolution of all legal proceedings in accordance with Chapter 2981. of the Revised Code.

Section 5502.14 | Enforcement agent.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "felony" has the same meaning as in section 109.511 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) Any person who is employed by the department of public safety and designated by the director of public safety to enforce Title XLIII of the Revised Code, the rules adopted under it, and the laws and rules regulating the use of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits shall be known as an enforcement agent. The employment by the department of public safety and the designation by the director of public safety of a person as an enforcement agent shall be subject to division (D) of this section. An enforcement agent has the authority vested in peace officers pursuant to section 2935.03 of the Revised Code to keep the peace, to enforce all applicable laws and rules on any retail liquor permit premises, or on any other premises of public or private property, where a violation of Title XLIII of the Revised Code or any rule adopted under it is occurring, and to enforce all laws and rules governing the use of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, women, infants, and children's coupons, electronically transferred benefits, or any other access device that is used alone or in conjunction with another access device to obtain payments, allotments, benefits, money, goods, or other things of value, or that can be used to initiate a transfer of funds, pursuant to the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) or any supplemental food program administered by any department of this state pursuant to the "Child Nutrition Act of 1966," 80 Stat. 885, 42 U.S.C.A. 1786. Enforcement agents, in enforcing compliance with the laws and rules described in this division, may keep the peace and make arrests for violations of those laws and rules.

(2) In addition to the authority conferred by division (B)(1) of this section, an enforcement agent also may execute search warrants and seize and take into custody any contraband, as defined in section 2901.01 of the Revised Code, or any property that is otherwise necessary for evidentiary purposes related to any violations of the laws or rules described in division (B)(1) of this section. An enforcement agent may enter public or private premises where activity alleged to violate the laws or rules described in division (B)(1) of this section is occurring.

(3) Enforcement agents who are on, immediately adjacent to, or across from retail liquor permit premises and who are performing investigative duties relating to that premises, enforcement agents who are on premises that are not liquor permit premises but on which a violation of Title XLIII of the Revised Code or any rule adopted under it allegedly is occurring, and enforcement agents who view a suspected violation of Title XLIII of the Revised Code, of a rule adopted under it, or of another law or rule described in division (B)(1) of this section have the authority to enforce the laws and rules described in division (B)(1) of this section, authority to enforce any section in Title XXIX of the Revised Code or any other section of the Revised Code listed in section 5502.13 of the Revised Code if they witness a violation of the section under any of the circumstances described in this division, and authority to make arrests for violations of the laws and rules described in division (B)(1) of this section and violations of any of those sections.

(4) The jurisdiction of an enforcement agent under division (B) of this section shall be concurrent with that of the peace officers of the county, township, or municipal corporation in which the violation occurs.

(C) Enforcement agents of the department of public safety who are engaged in the enforcement of the laws and rules described in division (B)(1) of this section may carry concealed weapons when conducting undercover investigations pursuant to their authority as law enforcement officers and while acting within the scope of their authority pursuant to this chapter.

(D)(1) The department of public safety shall not employ, and the director of public safety shall not designate, a person as an enforcement agent on a permanent basis, on a temporary basis, for a probationary term, or on other than a permanent basis if the person previously has been convicted of or has pleaded guilty to a felony.

(2)(a) The department of public safety shall terminate the employment of a person who is designated as an enforcement agent and who does either of the following:

(i) Pleads guilty to a felony;

(ii) Pleads guilty to a misdemeanor pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement as provided in division (D) of section 2929.43 of the Revised Code in which the enforcement agent agrees to surrender the certificate awarded to that agent under section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(b) The department shall suspend the employment of a person who is designated as an enforcement agent if the person is convicted, after trial, of a felony. If the enforcement agent files an appeal from that conviction and the conviction is upheld by the highest court to which the appeal is taken or if no timely appeal is filed, the department shall terminate the employment of that agent. If the enforcement agent files an appeal that results in that agent's acquittal of the felony or conviction of a misdemeanor, or in the dismissal of the felony charge against the agent, the department shall reinstate the agent. An enforcement agent who is reinstated under division (D)(2)(b) of this section shall not receive any back pay unless the conviction of that agent of the felony was reversed on appeal, or the felony charge was dismissed, because the court found insufficient evidence to convict the agent of the felony.

(3) Division (D) of this section does not apply regarding an offense that was committed prior to January 1, 1997.

(4) The suspension or termination of the employment of a person designated as an enforcement agent under division (D)(2) of this section shall be in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Section 5502.15 | Using federal funds.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

Any funding provided or made available by the United States or by any agency designated and authorized by the United States government for the purposes of enforcing compliance with supplemental nutrition assistance program laws shall be expended by the department of public safety for those purposes.

Section 5502.16 | Cooperative or contractual arrangements with other governmental entities.

• Effective: June 30, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 163 - 123rd General Assembly

The director of public safety, on behalf of enforcement agents, may enter into cooperative or contractual arrangements with the United States, any agency or department of the United States, other states, other departments and political subdivisions of this state, or any other person or body politic to accomplish the purposes of the investigative unit of the department of public safety. The director shall cooperate with and not infringe upon the rights of other state departments, divisions, boards, commissions, and agencies, and private agencies, in the conduct of enforcement plans and other matters in which the department of public safety and those departments and agencies have common interests.

Section 5502.17 | Public safety enforcement agents requirements.

• Effective: June 30, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 163 - 123rd General Assembly

Enforcement agents of the department of public safety shall comply with the certification requirements established in section 109.77 of the Revised Code, take an oath of office, and receive from the governor, upon recommendation of the director of public safety, a commission indicating authority to make arrests as provided in section 5502.14 of the Revised Code.

Section 5502.18 | Enforcement agents may assist state or local law enforcement officers.

• Effective: June 30, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 163 - 123rd General Assembly

Enforcement agents of the department of public safety may render assistance to a state or local law enforcement officer at the request of that officer or may render assistance to a state or local law enforcement officer in the event of an emergency. An enforcement agent who serves outside the department under this section shall be considered as performing services within the agent's regular employment for purposes of compensation, indemnity fund rights, workers' compensation, and any other rights and benefits to which the agent may be entitled as incidents of the agent's regular employment. Such an enforcement agent retains personal immunity from civil liability under section 9.86 of the Revised Code and shall not be considered an employee of a political subdivision for purposes of Chapter 2744. of the Revised Code.

A political subdivision that receives the assistance of an enforcement agent under this section is not subject to civil liability under Chapter 2744. of the Revised Code as a result of any action or omission of the agent.

Section 5502.19 | Department of public safety inspections of retail liquor permit premises.

• Effective: June 30, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 163 - 123rd General Assembly

The department of public safety shall conduct inspections of retail liquor permit premises to determine their compliance with Chapters 4301. and 4303. of the Revised Code and the rules adopted under them by the liquor control commission pertaining to retail liquor permit holders.

Except as otherwise provided in this section, those inspections may be conducted only during those hours in which the permit holder is open for business and only by authorized enforcement agents of the department of public safety or by any peace officer, as defined in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code. Inspections may be conducted at other hours only to determine compliance with laws or commission rules that regulate the hours of sale of beer and intoxicating liquor and only if the enforcement agent or peace officer involved has reasonable cause to believe that those laws or rules are being violated. Any inspection conducted pursuant to this section is subject to all of the following requirements:

(A) The only property that may be confiscated is contraband, as defined in section 2901.01 of the Revised Code, or property that is otherwise necessary for evidentiary purposes.

(B) A complete inventory of all property confiscated from the premises shall be given to the permit holder or the permit holder's agent or employee by the confiscating enforcement agent or peace officer at the conclusion of the inspection. At that time, the inventory shall be signed by the confiscating enforcement agent or peace officer, and the enforcement agent or peace officer shall give the permit holder or the permit holder's agent or employee the opportunity to sign the inventory.

(C) Inspections conducted pursuant to this section shall be conducted in a reasonable manner. A finding by any court of competent jurisdiction that the inspection was not conducted in a reasonable manner in accordance with this section or any rules promulgated by the liquor control commission may be considered grounds for suppression of evidence. A finding by the liquor control commission that the inspection was not conducted in a reasonable manner in accordance with this section or any rules promulgated by the commission may be considered grounds for dismissal of the commission case.

If any court of competent jurisdiction finds that property confiscated as the result of an inspection is not necessary for evidentiary purposes and is not contraband, as defined in section 2901.01 of the Revised Code, the court shall order the immediate return of the confiscated property, if such property is not otherwise subject to forfeiture, to the permit holder. However, the return of this property is not grounds for dismissal of the case. The commission likewise may order the return of confiscated property if no criminal prosecution is pending or anticipated.

Section 5502.21 | Emergency management definitions.

• Effective: July 3, 2012
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 243 - 129th General Assembly

As used in sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Agency" means any administrative or operational division, including an office, department, bureau, board, commission, or authority, of the state or of a political subdivision thereof, including volunteer agencies, organizations, or departments.

(B) "Attack" means any attack, either actual or imminent, or a series of attacks by an actual or potential enemy of the United States or by a foreign nation upon the United States that causes or may cause substantial damage to or destruction of life, property, or the environment within the United States or that is designed to injure the military or economic strength of the United States. "Attack" includes, without limitation, acts of sabotage, acts of terrorism, invasion, the use of bombs or shellfire, conventional, nuclear, chemical, or biological warfare, and the use of other weapons or processes.

(C) "Chief executive" means the president of the United States, the governor of this state, the board of county commissioners of any county, the board of township trustees of any township, or the mayor or city manager of any municipal corporation within this state.

(D) "Civil defense" is an integral part of emergency management that includes all those activities and measures designed or undertaken to minimize the effects upon the civilian population caused or that would be caused by any hazard and to effect emergency repairs to, or the emergency restoration of, vital equipment, resources, supplies, utilities, and facilities necessary for survival and for the public health, safety, and welfare that would be damaged or destroyed by any hazard. "Civil defense" includes, but is not limited to:

(1) Those measures to be taken during a hazard, including all of the following:

(a) The enforcement of those passive defense regulations necessary for the protection of the civilian population and prescribed by duly established military or civil authorities;

(b) The evacuation of personnel to shelter areas;

(c) The control of traffic and panic situations;

(d) The control and use of emergency communications, lighting, and warning equipment and systems.

(2) Those measures to be taken after a hazard has occurred, including all of the following:

(a) Activities necessary for firefighting, rescue, emergency, medical, health, and sanitation services;

(b) Monitoring for secondary hazards that could be caused from the initiating event;

(c) Damage assessment and disaster analysis operations;

(d) Coordination of disaster assistance programs;

(e) Monitoring for effects from weapons;

(f) Unexploded bomb reconnaissance;

(g) Essential debris clearance;

(h) Decontamination operations;

(i) Documentation of operations and financial expenses;

(j) Resource control;

(k) Any other activities that may be necessary for survival and the overall health, safety, and welfare of the civilian population.

(E) "Disaster" means any imminent threat or actual occurrence of widespread or severe damage to or loss of property, personal hardship or injury, or loss of life that results from any natural phenomenon or act of a human.

(F) Except as provided in section 5502.41 of the Revised Code, "emergency" means any period during which the congress of the United States or a chief executive has declared or proclaimed that an emergency exists.

(G) "Emergency management" includes all emergency preparedness and civil defense activities and measures, whether or not mentioned or described in sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code, that are designed or undertaken to minimize the effects upon the civilian population caused or that could be caused by any hazard and that are necessary to address mitigation, emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.

(H) "Emergency preparedness" is an integral part of emergency management that includes those activities and measures designed or undertaken in preparation for any hazard, including, but not limited to, natural disasters and hazards involving hazardous materials or radiological materials, and that will enhance the probability for preservation of life, property, and the environment. "Emergency preparedness" includes, without limitation:

(1) The establishment of appropriate agencies and organizations;

(2) The development of necessary plans and standard operating procedures for mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery purposes, including, without limitation, the development of supporting agreements and memorandums of understanding;

(3) Hazard identification;

(4) Capability assessment;

(5) The recruitment, retention, and training of personnel;

(6) The development, printing, and distribution of emergency public information, education, and training materials and programs;

(7) The necessary conduct of research;

(8) The development of resource inventories;

(9) The procurement and stockpiling of equipment, food, water, medical supplies, and any other supplies necessary for survival and for the public health, safety, and welfare;

(10) The development and construction of public shelter facilities and shelter spaces;

(11) The development and construction of emergency operations centers for the conduct and support of coordination, direction, and control activities;

(12) When appropriate and considered necessary, the nonmilitary evacuation or temporary relocation of the civilian population.

(I) "Hazard" means any actual or imminent threat to the survival or overall health, safety, or welfare of the civilian population that is caused by any natural, human-made, or technological event. "Hazard" includes, without limitation, an attack, disaster, and emergency.

(J) "Hazard identification" means an identification, historical analysis, inventory, or spatial distribution of risks that could affect a specific geographical area and that would cause a threat to the survival, health, safety, or welfare of the civilian population, the property of that population, or the environment.

(K) "Law" includes a general or special statute, law, local law, ordinance, resolution, rule, order, or rule of common law.

(L) "Mitigation" means all those activities that reduce or eliminate the probability of a hazard. "Mitigation" also includes long-term activities and measures designed to reduce the effects of unavoidable hazards.

(M) Except as provided in section 5502.41 of the Revised Code, "political subdivision" means a county, township, or municipal corporation in this state.

(N) "Recovery" includes all those activities required and necessary to return an area to its former condition to the extent possible following the occurrence of any hazard.

(O) "Response" includes all those activities that occur subsequent to any hazard and that provide emergency assistance from the effects of any such hazard, reduce the probability of further injury, damage, or destruction, and are designed or undertaken to speed recovery operations.

(P) "Structure" includes shelters, additions to or alterations of existing buildings, and portions of existing buildings dedicated to public use, made and designed exclusively for protection against the shock or other effects of nuclear, biological, or chemical warfare, special housing for equipment, and all other structural means of protection of individuals and property against any hazard.

(Q) "Equipment" includes fire-fighting, first-aid, emergency medical, hospital, salvage, and rescue equipment and materials, equipment for evacuation or relocation of individuals, radiological monitoring equipment, hazardous materials response gear, communications equipment, warning equipment, and all other means, in the nature of personal property, to be used exclusively in the protection of individuals and property against the effects of any hazard.

(R) "Certifying authority" means the executive director of the emergency management agency provided for by section 5502.22 of the Revised Code.

(S) "Civil defense certificate" means a civil defense certificate of necessity issued pursuant to section 5502.42 of the Revised Code.

Section 5502.22 | Emergency management agency.

• Effective: September 29, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 283 - 123rd General Assembly

(A) There is hereby established within the department of public safety an emergency management agency, which shall be governed under rules adopted by the director of public safety under section 5502.25 of the Revised Code. The director, with the concurrence of the governor, shall appoint an executive director, who shall be head of the emergency management agency. The executive director may appoint a chief executive assistant, executive assistants, and administrative and technical personnel within that agency as may be necessary to plan, organize, and maintain emergency management adequate to the needs of the state. The executive director shall coordinate all activities of all agencies for emergency management within the state, shall maintain liaison with similar agencies of other states and of the federal government, shall cooperate with those agencies subject to the approval of the governor, and shall develop a statewide emergency operations plan that shall meet any applicable federal requirements for such plans. The executive director shall have such additional authority, duties, and responsibilities as are prescribed by the governor and the director or provided by law in all matters relating to emergency management that may be reflected in other sections of the Revised Code. The executive director shall advise the governor and director on matters pertaining to emergency management on a regular basis.

Whenever the disaster services agency or director is referred to or designated in any statute, rule, contract, or other document, the reference or designation shall be deemed to refer to the emergency management agency or executive director, as the case may be.

(B) For the purposes of emergency management, the executive director, with the approval of the director, may participate in federal programs, accept grants from, and enter into cooperative agreements or contractual arrangements with any federal, state, or local department, agency, or subdivision thereof, or any other person or body politic. Whenever the duties of the emergency management agency overlap with rights or duties of other federal, state, or local departments, agencies, subdivisions, or officials, or private agencies, the executive director shall cooperate with, and not infringe upon the rights and duties of, the other public or private entities.

Funds made available by the United States for the use of the emergency management agency shall be expended by that agency only for the purposes for which the funds were appropriated. In accepting federal funds, the emergency management agency shall abide by the terms and conditions of the grant, cooperative agreement, or contractual arrangement and shall expend the funds in accordance with the laws and regulations of the United States.

Section 5502.24 | Designation of temporary seats of state and local government in event of emergency.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

(A) The governor may designate by written proclamation an emergency temporary location, or locations, for the seat of government for use in the event an emergency renders it imprudent, inexpedient, or impossible to conduct the affairs of state government at the normal location of the seat thereof. He shall take such action and issue such orders as may be necessary for an orderly transition of the affairs of state government to that emergency temporary location, or locations. The emergency location, or locations, shall be within this state, may be changed at any time, either before or during the emergency, if the governor considers the change advisable, and shall remain as the seat of government until the general assembly by law establishes a new location, or locations, or until the emergency is declared to be ended by the governor and the seat of government is returned to its normal location. During such time as the seat of government remains at the emergency temporary location, or locations, all official acts now or hereafter required by law to be performed at the seat of government by any officer or agency of this state, including the convening and meeting of the general assembly in regular, extraordinary, or emergency session, shall be as valid and binding when performed at the emergency temporary location, or locations, as if performed at the normal location of the seat of government.

(B) The governing body of each political subdivision of this state may establish and designate, by ordinance, resolution, or other manner, alternate or substitute sites or places as the emergency location, or locations, of government and may make any necessary arrangements for the use of those sites or places. Whenever due to an emergency it becomes imprudent, inexpedient, or impossible to conduct the affairs of local government at the regular or usual place or places thereof, the governing bodies may meet at those previously designated sites or places, or at any other convenient site or place, on the call of the presiding officer or any two members of the governing bodies. The sites or places may be within or without the territorial limits of the political subdivisions and shall be within this state. All, or any part, of the public business may be transacted and conducted at the sites or places during the emergency situation. During the period when the public business is being conducted at the emergency temporary location, or locations, the governing body and other officers of a political subdivision of this state have and possess and shall exercise, at the location, or locations, all of the executive, legislative, and judicial powers and functions conferred upon that body and officers by or under the laws of this state. Such powers and functions may be exercised in the light of the exigencies of the emergency without regard to or compliance with time-consuming procedures and formalities prescribed by law pertaining thereto, and all acts of that body and officers shall be as valid and binding as if performed within the territorial limits of their political subdivision.

Section 5502.25 | Rules for emergency management of state.

• Effective: September 29, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 283 - 123rd General Assembly

The director of public safety, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt, may amend or rescind, and shall enforce rules with respect to the emergency management of the state for the purpose of providing protection for its people against any hazard. The rules shall be made available for public inspection at the emergency operations center/joint dispatch facility and at such other places and during such reasonable hours as fixed by the executive director of emergency management.

Section 5502.26 | Countywide emergency management agency.

• Effective: May 15, 2002
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 184 - 124th General Assembly

(A) The board of county commissioners of a county and the chief executive of all or a majority of the other political subdivisions within the county may enter into a written agreement establishing a countywide emergency management agency.

A representative from each political subdivision entering into the agreement, selected by the political subdivision's chief executive, shall constitute a countywide advisory group for the purpose of appointing an executive committee under this section through which the countywide agency shall implement emergency management in the county in accordance with this section and for the purpose of advising the executive committee on matters pertaining to countywide emergency management. The executive committee shall consist of at least the following seven members: one county commissioner representing the board of county commissioners entering into the agreement; five chief executives representing the municipal corporations and townships entering into the agreement; and one nonelected representative. The countywide agreement shall specify how many additional members, if any, shall serve on the executive committee and their manner of selection.

The agency shall be supported financially by the political subdivisions entering into the countywide agreement. The executive committee shall appoint a director/coordinator of emergency management who shall pursue a professional development training program in accordance with rules adopted under section 5502.25 of the Revised Code. The director/coordinator of emergency management may be an official or employee of any political subdivision entering into the countywide agreement, except that the director/coordinator shall not be the chief executive of any such political subdivision.

A countywide emergency management agency organized under this section shall establish a program for emergency management that:

(1) Is in accordance with sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code, rules adopted under those sections, local ordinances pertaining to emergency management, the "Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act," 88 Stat. 143, 42 U.S.C. 5121, et. seq., as amended, and all applicable rules and regulations adopted under that act;

(2) Includes, without limitation, development of an all-hazards emergency operations plan that has been coordinated with all agencies, boards, and divisions having emergency management functions within the county;

(3) Includes the preparation and conduct of an annual exercise of the county's all-hazards emergency operations plan;

(4) Is applicable to all political subdivisions entering into the countywide agreement.

The director/coordinator of emergency management for a countywide agency organized under this section shall be responsible for coordinating, organizing, administering, and operating emergency management in accordance with the agency's program established under this section, subject to the direction and control of the executive committee. All agencies, boards, and divisions having emergency management functions within each political subdivision within the county shall cooperate in the development of the all-hazards emergency operations plan and shall cooperate in the preparation and conduct of the annual exercise.

(B) Nothing in this section requires any political subdivision that is located within a county that has entered into a written agreement under this section establishing a countywide emergency management agency to enter into that agreement, provided that the political subdivision has established a program for emergency management in accordance with section 5502.271 of the Revised Code.

(C) A countywide emergency management agency shall be considered a county board and shall receive the services of the auditor, treasurer, and prosecuting attorney of the county in the same manner as other county agencies, boards, or divisions.

Section 5502.261 | Appropriation from general fund for agency functions.

• Effective: June 30, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 530 - 126th General Assembly

A board of county commissioners that has entered into an agreement to establish a countywide emergency management agency may appropriate money from its general fund to support the functions and operations of the agency, including the development, acquisition, operation, and maintenance of a countywide public safety communication system and any communication devices, radios, and other equipment necessary for the system's operation and use. Money appropriated under this section may be expended to purchase and maintain the assets or equipment of the agency, including equipment used by the personnel of other political subdivisions that have entered into the agreement with the board establishing the agency. Money also may be appropriated under this section directly to a political subdivision that has entered into the agreement with the board establishing the agency, to enable the political subdivision to purchase communication devices, radios, and other equipment necessary for the countywide public safety communication system's operation and use.

Section 5502.262 | School emergency management plans.

• Effective: October 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Administrator" means the superintendent, principal, chief administrative officer, or other person having supervisory authority of any of the following:

(a) A city, exempted village, local, or joint vocational school district;

(b) A community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, as required through reference in division (A)(11)(d) of section 3314.03 of the Revised Code;

(c) A STEM school established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code, as required through reference in section 3326.11 of the Revised Code;

(d) A college-preparatory boarding school established under Chapter 3328. of the Revised Code;

(e) A district or school operating a career-technical education program approved by the department of education and workforce under section 3317.161 of the Revised Code;

(f) A chartered nonpublic school;

(g) An educational service center;

(h) A preschool program or school-age child care program licensed by the department of education and workforce;

(i) Any other facility that primarily provides educational services to children subject to regulation by the department of education and workforce.

(2) "Emergency management test" means a regularly scheduled drill, exercise, or activity designed to assess and evaluate an emergency management plan under this section.

(3) "Building" means any school, school building, facility, program, or center.

(4) "Regional mobile training officer" means the regional mobile training officer appointed under section 5502.70 of the Revised Code for the region in which a district, school, center, program, or facility is located.

(B)(1) Each administrator shall develop and adopt a comprehensive emergency management plan, in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to division (F) of this section, for each building under the administrator's control. The administrator shall examine the environmental conditions and operations of each building to determine potential hazards to student and staff safety and shall propose operating changes to promote the prevention of potentially dangerous problems and circumstances. In developing the plan for each building, the administrator shall involve community law enforcement and safety officials, parents of students who are assigned to the building, and teachers and nonteaching employees who are assigned to the building. The administrator may involve the regional mobile training officer in the development of the plan. The administrator shall incorporate remediation strategies into the plan for any building where documented safety problems have occurred.

(2) Each administrator shall also incorporate into the emergency management plan adopted under division (B)(1) of this section all of the following:

(a) A protocol for addressing serious threats to the safety of property, students, employees, or administrators;

(b) A protocol for responding to any emergency events that occur and compromise the safety of property, students, employees, or administrators. This protocol shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(i) A floor plan that is unique to each floor of the building;

(ii) A site plan that includes all building property and surrounding property;

(iii) An emergency contact information sheet.

(c) A threat assessment plan developed as prescribed in section 5502.263 of the Revised Code. A building may use the model plan developed by the department of public safety under that section;

(d) A protocol for school threat assessment teams established under section 3313.669 of the Revised Code.

(3) Each protocol described in division (B) of this section shall include procedures determined to be appropriate by the administrator for responding to threats and emergency events, respectively, including such things as notification of appropriate law enforcement personnel, calling upon specified emergency response personnel for assistance, and informing parents of affected students.

Prior to the opening day of each school year, the administrator shall inform each student or child enrolled in the school and the student's or child's parent of the parental notification procedures included in the protocol.

(4) Each administrator shall keep a copy of the emergency management plan adopted pursuant to this section in a secure place.

(C)(1) The administrator shall submit to the director of public safety, in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to division (F) of this section, an electronic copy of the emergency management plan prescribed by division (B) of this section not less than once every three years, whenever a major modification to the building requires changes in the procedures outlined in the plan, and whenever information on the emergency contact information sheet changes.

(2) The administrator also shall file a copy of the plan with each law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the school building and, upon request, to any of the following:

(a) The fire department that serves the political subdivision in which the building is located;

(b) The emergency medical service organization that serves the political subdivision in which the building is located;

(c) The county emergency management agency for the county in which the building is located;

(d) The regional mobile training officer.

(3) Upon receipt of an emergency management plan, the director shall post the information on the contact and information management system and submit the information in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to division (F) of this section, to the attorney general, who shall post that information on the Ohio law enforcement gateway or its successor.

(4) Any department or entity to which copies of an emergency management plan are filed under this section shall keep the copies in a secure place.

(D)(1) Not later than the first day of September of each year, each administrator shall review the emergency management plan and certify to the director that the plan is current and accurate.

(2) Anytime that an administrator updates the emergency management plan pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, the administrator shall file copies, not later than the tenth day after the revision is adopted and in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to division (F) of this section, to the director and to any entity with which the administrator filed a copy under division (C)(2) of this section.

(E) Each administrator shall do both of the following:

(1) Prepare and conduct at least one annual emergency management test, as defined in division (A)(2) of this section, in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to division (F) of this section;

(2) Grant access to each building under the control of the administrator to law enforcement personnel and to entities described in division (C)(2) of this section, to enable the personnel and entities to hold training sessions for responding to threats and emergency events affecting the building, provided that the access occurs outside of student instructional hours and the administrator, or the administrator's designee, is present in the building during the training sessions.

(F) The director of public safety, in consultation with representatives from the education community and in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules regarding emergency management plans under this section, including the content of the plans and procedures for filing the plans. The rules shall specify that plans and information required under division (B) of this section be submitted on standardized forms developed by the director for such purpose. The rules shall also specify the requirements and procedures for emergency management tests conducted pursuant to division (E)(1) of this section. Failure to comply with the rules may result in discipline pursuant to section 3319.31 of the Revised Code or any other action against the administrator as prescribed by rule.

(G) Division (B) of section 3319.31 of the Revised Code applies to any administrator who is subject to the requirements of this section and is not exempt under division (H) of this section and who is an applicant for a license or holds a license from the state board of education pursuant to section 3319.22 of the Revised Code.

(H)(1) The director may exempt any administrator from the requirements of this section, if the director determines that the requirements do not otherwise apply to a building or buildings under the control of that administrator.

(2) The director shall exempt from the requirements of this section the administrator of an online learning school, established under section 3302.42 of the Revised Code, unless students of that school participate in in-person instruction or assessments at a location that is not covered by an existing emergency management plan, developed under this section as of December 14, 2021.

(I) Copies of the emergency management plan, including all records related to the plan, emergency management tests, and information required under division (B) of this section are security records and are not public records pursuant to section 149.433 of the Revised Code. In addition, the information posted to the contact and information management system, pursuant to division (C)(3)(b) of this section, is exempt from public disclosure or release in accordance with sections 149.43, 149.433, and 5502.03 of the Revised Code.

Notwithstanding section 149.433 of the Revised Code, a floor plan filed with the attorney general pursuant to this section is not a public record to the extent it is a record kept by the attorney general.

Last updated September 21, 2023 at 9:21 AM

Section 5502.263 | Model threat assessment plan, approved threat assessment team training for schools.

• Effective: October 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "evidence-based" means a program or practice that does either of the following:

(1) Demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research findings or positive evaluation that such a program or practice is likely to improve relevant outcomes and includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of the program or practice;

(2) Has a statistically significant effect on relevant outcomes based on:

(a) Strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental study;

(b) Moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study; or

(c) Promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented correlation study with statistical controls for selection bias.

(B) Not later than two years after March 24, 2021, the department of public safety, in consultation with the department of education and workforce and the attorney general, shall develop a model threat assessment plan that may be used in a building's emergency management plan developed under section 5502.262 of the Revised Code. The model plan shall do at least the following:

(1) Identify the types of threatening behavior that may represent a physical threat to a school community;

(2) Identify individuals to whom threatening behavior should be reported and steps to be taken by those individuals;

(3) Establish threat assessment guidelines including identification, evaluation of seriousness of threat or danger, intervention to reduce potential violence, and follow-up to assess intervention results;

(4) Establish guidelines for coordinating with local law enforcement agencies and reports collected through the district's chosen anonymous reporting program under section 3313.6610 of the Revised Code and identify a point of contact within each agency;

(5) Conform with all other specifications in a school's emergency management plan developed under section 5502.262 of the Revised Code.

Evidence-based threat assessment processes or best practice threat assessment guidelines created by the national threat assessment center shall be a resource when developing the model threat assessment plan.

(C) Not later than two years after March 24, 2021, the department of public safety, in consultation with the department of education and workforce and the attorney general, shall develop and maintain a list of approved training programs for completion by school threat assessment team members prescribed in section 3313.669 of the Revised Code, one of which must be free or of no cost to schools. Each program approved under this section must be an evidence-based program that provides instruction in the following:

(1) Identifying behaviors, signs, and threats that may lead to a violent act;

(2) Determining the seriousness of a threat;

(3) Developing intervention plans that protect the potential victims and address the underlying problem or conflict that initiated the behavior and assessments of plan results.

Completion of an approved program under this section shall fulfill the training requirements prescribed under section 3313.669 of the Revised Code.

Last updated September 21, 2023 at 9:26 AM

Section 5502.27 | Regional authority for emergency management.

• Effective: May 15, 2002
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 184 - 124th General Assembly

(A) In lieu of establishing a countywide emergency management agency under section 5502.26 of the Revised Code, the boards of county commissioners of two or more counties, with the consent of the chief executives of a majority of the participating political subdivisions of each county involved, may enter into a written agreement establishing a regional authority for emergency management.

A representative from each political subdivision entering into the agreement, selected by the political subdivision's chief executive, shall constitute a regional advisory group for the purpose of appointing an executive committee under this section through which the regional authority shall implement emergency management in the counties in accordance with this section and for the purpose of advising the executive committee on matters pertaining to regional emergency management. The executive committee shall consist of at least the following nine members: two county commissioners representing the boards of county commissioners entering into the agreement; six chief executives representing the municipal corporations and townships entering into the agreement; and one nonelected representative. The regional agreement shall specify how many additional members, if any, shall serve on the executive committee and their manner of selection.

The authority shall be supported financially by the political subdivisions entering into the regional agreement. The executive committee shall appoint a director/coordinator of emergency management who shall pursue a professional development training program in accordance with rules adopted under section 5502.25 of the Revised Code. The director/coordinator of emergency management may be an official or employee of any political subdivision entering into the regional agreement, except that the director/coordinator shall not be the chief executive of any such political subdivision.

A regional authority for emergency management organized under this section shall establish a program for emergency management that:

(1) Is in accordance with sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code, rules adopted under those sections, local ordinances pertaining to emergency management, the "Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act," 88 Stat. 143, 42 U.S.C. 5121, et. seq., as amended, and all applicable rules and regulations adopted under that act;

(2) Includes, without limitation, development of an all-hazards emergency operations plan that has been coordinated with all agencies, boards, and divisions having emergency management functions within the regional authority;

(3) Includes the preparation and conduct of an annual exercise of the regional authority's all-hazards emergency operations plan;

(4) Is applicable to all political subdivisions entering into the regional agreement.

The director/coordinator of emergency management for a regional authority organized under this section shall be responsible for coordinating, organizing, administering, and operating emergency management in accordance with the authority's program established under this section, subject to the direction and control of the executive committee. All agencies, boards, and divisions having emergency management functions within each political subdivision within the regional authority shall cooperate in the development of the all-hazards emergency operations plan and shall cooperate in the preparation and conduct of the annual exercise.

(B) Nothing in this section requires any political subdivision that is located within a county that has entered into a written agreement under this section establishing a regional authority for emergency management to enter into that agreement, provided that the political subdivision has established a program for emergency management in accordance with section 5502.271 of the Revised Code.

(C) A regional authority for emergency management may designate the county auditor and county treasurer of one of the counties in the region as fiscal officers for the regional authority and may designate the prosecuting attorney of one of the counties in the region as legal advisor for the regional authority.

Section 5502.271 | Program for emergency management.

• Effective: May 15, 2002
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 184 - 124th General Assembly

The chief executive of any political subdivision that has not entered into a written agreement establishing either a countywide emergency management agency under section 5502.26 of the Revised Code or a regional authority for emergency management under section 5502.27 of the Revised Code shall establish a program for emergency management within that political subdivision that meets all of the following criteria:

(A) Is in accordance with sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code, rules adopted under those sections, local ordinances pertaining to emergency management, the "Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act," 88 Stat. 143, 42 U.S.C. 5121, et. seq., as amended, and all applicable rules and regulations adopted under that act;

(B) Includes, without limitation, development of an all-hazards emergency operations plan that has been coordinated with all agencies, boards, and divisions having emergency management functions within the political subdivision;

(C) Includes the preparation and conduct of an annual exercise of the political subdivision's all-hazards emergency operations plan;

(D) Is not inconsistent with the program for emergency management established for the county in which the political subdivision is located by a countywide emergency management agency under section 5502.26 of the Revised Code or a regional authority for emergency management under section 5502.27 of the Revised Code.

All agencies, boards, and divisions having emergency management functions within the political subdivision shall cooperate in the development of the all-hazards emergency operations plan and shall cooperate in the preparation and conduct of the annual exercise.

The chief executive shall appoint a director/coordinator of emergency management who shall pursue a professional development training program in accordance with rules adopted under section 5502.25 of the Revised Code. The director/coordinator of emergency management may be an official or employee of the political subdivision, but shall not be the chief executive of the political subdivision.

The director/coordinator shall be responsible for coordinating, organizing, administering, and operating emergency management in accordance with the political subdivision's program established under this section, subject to the direction and control of the chief executive.

Section 5502.28 | Cooperation with governor and executive director.

• Effective: April 14, 2006
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 9 - 126th General Assembly

(A) In carrying out sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code, the governor shall utilize the services, equipment, supplies, and facilities of existing agencies of the state and of political subdivisions to the maximum extent practicable, and the officers and personnel of all such agencies shall cooperate with and extend such services, equipment, supplies, and facilities to the governor and to the executive director of the emergency management agency upon request.

(B) Every agency for emergency management established pursuant to sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code and every political subdivision that has established a program for emergency management under section 5502.271 of the Revised Code, and the officers thereof, shall execute and enforce any emergency management orders and rules issued or adopted by the director of public safety.

(C) The national incident management system (NIMS) is hereby adopted as the standard procedure for incident management in this state. All departments, agencies, and political subdivisions within the state shall utilize the system for incident management.

Section 5502.281 | Volunteer database; registration; privacy provisions; liability.

• Effective: July 3, 2012
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 243 - 129th General Assembly

(A) The executive director of the emergency management agency, jointly with the director of health, shall do both of the following:

(1) Advise, assist, consult with, and cooperate with agencies and political subdivisions of this state to establish and maintain a statewide system for recruiting, registering, training, and deploying the types of volunteers reasonably necessary to respond to an emergency declared by the state or a political subdivision;

(2) Establish fees, procedures, standards, and requirements necessary for recruiting, registering, training, and deploying the volunteers as required under this section.

(B)(1) A registered volunteer's status as a volunteer, and any information presented in summary, statistical, or aggregate form that does not identify an individual, is a public record pursuant to section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(2) Information related to a registered volunteer's specific and unique responsibilities, assignments, or deployment plans, including but not limited to training, preparedness, readiness, or organizational assignment, is a security record for purposes of section 149.433 of the Revised Code.

(3) Information related to a registered volunteer's personal information, including but not limited to contact information, medical information, or information related to family members or dependents, is not a public record pursuant to section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(C) A volunteer registered under this section is not liable in damages to any person or government entity in tort or other civil action, including an action upon a medical, dental, chiropractic, optometric, or other health-related claim or veterinary claim, for injury, death, or loss to person or property that may arise from an act or omission of that volunteer. This division applies to a registered volunteer while providing services within the scope of the volunteer's responsibilities during an emergency declared by the state or political subdivision or in disaster-related exercises, testing, or other training activities, if the volunteer's act or omission does not constitute willful or wanton misconduct.

(D) As used in this section:

(1) "Registered volunteer" means any individual registered as a volunteer pursuant to procedures established under this section and who serves without pay or other consideration, other than the reasonable reimbursement or allowance for expenses actually incurred or the provision of incidental benefits related to the volunteer's service, such as meals, lodging, and child care.

(2) "Political subdivision" means a county, township, or municipal corporation in this state.

Section 5502.29 | Mutual emergency management assistance or aid agreements.

• Effective: July 3, 2012
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 243 - 129th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "political subdivision" has the same meaning as in section 5502.41 of the Revised Code.

(B) Political subdivisions, in collaboration with other public and private agencies within this state, may develop mutual assistance or aid agreements for reciprocal emergency management assistance or aid for purposes of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources. In time of any incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, each political subdivision may render assistance in accordance with such mutual assistance or aid agreements. Such mutual assistance or aid agreements shall not in any manner relieve the chief elected official of any political subdivision of the responsibility for providing emergency management.

(C) Political subdivisions, in collaboration with political subdivisions in adjacent states, may develop agreements for mutual assistance or aid for purposes of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources. Each political subdivision may render assistance in accordance with the mutual assistance or aid agreements. A mutual assistance or aid agreement with political subdivisions in adjacent states shall be approved by the chief elected officials of the agreeing political subdivisions or their designees and shall be prepared in accordance with the laws, regulations, ordinances, and resolutions applicable to the agreeing political subdivisions.

(D) When engaged in preparation for, response to, or recovery from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, and in accordance with the applicable mutual assistance or aid agreement, personnel from political subdivisions outside this state shall be permitted to provide services within this state in accordance with this section and the terms of the mutual assistance or aid agreement.

(E) Personnel of the responding political subdivision shall continue under their local command and control structure, but shall be under the operational control of the appropriate officials within the incident management system of the political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid.

(F) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a private company or its employees from participating in the provision of mutual assistance or aid, if the responding political subdivision approves the participation and the contract between the political subdivision and the private company permits the participation.

(G) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit personnel of political subdivisions in this state from responding to a request for mutual assistance or aid resulting from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, when the personnel are responding as part of a regional response team that is under the operational control of the incident command structure.

(H) Whenever a person from outside this state who is subject to a mutual assistance or aid agreement authorized by this section holds a license, certificate, or other permit issued by any state evidencing qualification for professional, mechanical, or other skills, such license, certificate, or other permit shall be recognized by this state as authorizing the person to render assistance or aid in this state involving such skill to meet the request for assistance or aid, so long as the person is acting within the scope of the person's license, certificate, or other permit.

(I) Personnel rendering assistance or aid pursuant to a mutual assistance or aid agreement authorized by this section remain employees or agents of their respective political subdivisions, including for purposes of tort liability and immunity from tort liability, and nothing in this section or any mutual assistance or aid agreement entered into pursuant to this section creates an employment relationship between the political subdivision requesting aid and the employees or agents of the political subdivision rendering aid.

(J) Responding political subdivisions and the personnel of that political subdivision, while rendering assistance or aid under this section, or while in route to or from rendering assistance or aid under this section, in a political subdivision in an adjacent state under an agreement authorized by this section, shall be deemed to be exercising governmental functions as defined in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code, shall have the defenses to and immunities from civil liability provided in sections 2744.02 and 2744.03 of the Revised Code, and shall be entitled to all applicable limitations on recoverable damages under section 2744.05 of the Revised Code.

(K) All pension, disability, death benefits, workers' compensation, and other benefits enjoyed by personnel rendering interstate or intrastate mutual assistance or aid shall extend to the services they perform outside their respective political subdivisions to the same extent as while acting within the boundaries of the political subdivisions, and personnel are entitled to the rights and benefits of Chapter 4123. to the same extent as while performing service within the boundaries of the political subdivisions.

Section 5502.291 | Interstate arrangements - coordination of mutual aid plans.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

The governor may enter into mutual aid arrangements for reciprocal emergency management aid and assistance with other states and shall coordinate mutual aid plans between political subdivisions, between this state and other states, or between this state and the United States.

Section 5502.30 | Immunity from liability.

• Effective: September 30, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly

(A) The state, any political subdivision, any municipal agency, any emergency management volunteer, another state, or an emergency management agency thereof or of the federal government or of another country or province or subdivision thereof performing emergency management services in this state pursuant to an arrangement, agreement, or compact for mutual aid and assistance, or any agency, member, agent, or representative of any of them, or any individual, partnership, corporation, association, trustee, or receiver, or any of the agents thereof, in good faith carrying out, complying with, or attempting to comply with any state or federal law or any arrangement, agreement, or compact for mutual aid and assistance, or any order issued by federal or state military authorities relating to emergency management, is not liable for any injury to or death of persons or damage to property as the result thereof during training periods, test periods, practice periods, or other emergency management operations, or false alerts, as well as during any hazard, actual or imminent, and subsequent to the same except in cases of willful misconduct. As used in this division, "emergency management volunteer" means only an individual who is authorized to assist any agency performing emergency management during a hazard.

(B) The state, any political subdivision, any individual, partnership, corporation, association, trustee, or receiver, or any agent, agency, representative, officer, or employee of any of them that owns, maintains, occupies, operates, or controls all or part of any building, structure, or premises shall not be liable for any injury or death sustained by any person or damage caused to any property while that person or property is in the building, structure, or premises for duty, training, or shelter purposes during a hazard, drill, test, or false warning, or is entering therein for such purposes or departing therefrom, or for any injury, death, or property damage as the result of any condition in or on the building, structure, or premises or of any act or omission with respect thereto, except a willful act intended to cause injury or damage.

(C) Any employee of a political subdivision of this state that is rendering aid in another state is considered an officer or employee of the state for purposes of the immunity established under Article VI of the emergency management assistance compact enacted under section 5502.40 of the Revised Code. Nothing in this division entitles an employee of a political subdivision to any other right or benefit of a state employee.

(D) This section does not affect the right of any person to receive benefits to which the person may be entitled under Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code or any pension law, nor the rights of any person to receive any benefits or compensation under any act of congress or under any law of this state.

Last updated August 11, 2021 at 1:34 PM

Section 5502.31 | Appropriations for expenses.

• Effective: July 18, 2008
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 84 - 127th General Assembly

Each political subdivision may make appropriations for the payment of the expenses of its local activities for emergency management incurred by an agency established pursuant to section 5502.271 of the Revised Code or chargeable to that political subdivision by agreement in any county wherein a countywide agency for emergency management has been established pursuant to section 5502.26 of the Revised Code or a regional authority has been established pursuant to section 5502.27 of the Revised Code.

Section 5502.32 | Acceptance of private offers of assistance for purposes of emergency management.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

When any person, firm, or corporation offers to the state or to any political subdivision thereof services, equipment, supplies, materials, or funds by way of gift, grant, or loan for purposes of emergency management, the state or the political subdivision may accept the offer and, upon acceptance, may authorize any officer of the state or of the political subdivision, as the case may be, to receive the services, equipment, supplies, materials, or funds on behalf of the state or political subdivision.

Section 5502.33 | Political activity prohibited.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

No agency for emergency management established under sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code shall participate in any form of political activity, nor shall it be employed directly or indirectly for any political purposes.

Section 5502.34 | Disqualification for subversive activities - registration and oath required.

• Effective: September 29, 1999
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 283 - 123rd General Assembly

No person shall be employed or associated in any capacity in any position or agency established under sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code who advocates or has advocated a change by force or violence in the constitutional form of the government of the United States or of this state or who has been convicted of or is under indictment or information charging any subversive act against the United States or this state. Each person who is appointed to serve in any position in emergency management or in an agency for emergency management, before entering upon the person's duties, shall register, in writing, the person's name, address, and any other necessary information pertaining to the person's qualifications and choice of type of service and shall take an oath before the executive director of the emergency management agency or local emergency management director or deputy director, or any other person authorized to administer oaths in this state, which oath shall be as follows:

I, ________________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Ohio, against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will obey the orders of the governor of the state of Ohio; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter.

And I do further swear (or affirm) that I do not advocate, nor am I a member of any political party or organization that advocates, the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this state by force or violence; and that during such time as I am engaged in emergency management employment or activities, I will not advocate nor become a member of any political party or organization that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this state by force or violence.

Section 5502.35 | Exercising emergency management powers outside jurisdiction.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

Notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of law, persons engaged in emergency management activities, members of emergency management agencies in this state, and members of the emergency management agencies of other states or of the federal government or of another country or of a province or subdivision thereof performing emergency management services at any place in this state pursuant to agreements, compacts, or arrangements for mutual aid and assistance, to which the state or a political subdivision thereof is a party, shall possess the same powers, duties, immunities, and privileges they would ordinarily possess if performing their duties in the jurisdiction in which normally employed or rendering services.

Section 5502.36 | Judicial notice.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

All courts shall take judicial notice of plans, ordinances, resolutions, rules, or orders adopted pursuant to sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code.

Such a plan, ordinance, resolution, rule, or order may be read in evidence, at any time, from a copy thereof, if there is contained on the same page or in the same publication in which the copy is contained a printed certificate of the secretary of state or of the clerk of the political subdivision that the copy is a correct transcript of the text of the original.

Section 5502.37 | Emergency management prohibitions.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

(A) No person shall wear or display an emergency management insignia, bear official emergency management identification, or identify himself as being affiliated with or otherwise a member of an emergency management agency established under this chapter who is not a registered member of such an agency.

(B) No person shall willfully and knowingly spread false rumors of a hazard for the purpose of instigating public panic or disorder.

(C) No person shall destroy, attempt to destroy, or tamper with any hazard warning system.

(D) No person shall willfully and knowingly send or cause to be sent an unauthorized hazard warning on any warning system or simulate any official hazard signal.

Section 5502.38 | Emergency response provisions not affected by emergency planning provisions.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

Except as provided in this section, sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code and rules adopted under those sections do not apply to any activity carried out under Chapter 3750. of the Revised Code.

A countywide or regional director/coordinator of emergency management appointed under section 5502.26 or 5502.27, or a director/coordinator appointed under 5502.271 of the Revised Code, respectively, may serve on the local emergency planning committee appointed under Chapter 3750. of the Revised Code for the emergency planning district that includes his county or counties and may, if so appointed, also serve as chairperson of that committee. Any director/coordinator serving on such a committee shall incorporate any plans developed by the committee into his county's or counties' planning and preparedness activities with regard to hazards involving hazardous materials.

Section 5502.39 | Emergency management agency service and reimbursement fund.

• Effective: July 1, 2015
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 53 - 131st General Assembly

There is hereby created in the state treasury the emergency management agency service and reimbursement fund. The fund shall consist of the money collected under sections 5502.21 to 5502.38 of the Revised Code. All money in the fund shall be used to pay the costs of administering programs of the emergency management agency.

Section 5502.40 | Emergency management assistance compact.

• Effective: February 1, 2002
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 319 - 124th General Assembly

The emergency management assistance compact is hereby ratified, enacted into law, and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining in it, in the following form:

"ARTICLE I - PURPOSE AND AUTHORITIES

This compact is made and entered into by and between the participating member states which enact this compact, hereinafter called party states. For the purposes of this agreement, the term "states" is taken to mean the several states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territorial possessions.

The purpose of this compact is to provide for mutual assistance between the states entering into this compact in managing any emergency or disaster that is duly declared by the governor of the affected state(s), whether arising from natural disaster, technological hazard, man-made disaster, civil emergency aspects of resources shortages, community disorders, insurgency, or enemy attack.

This compact shall also provide for mutual cooperation in emergency-related exercises, testing, or other training activities using equipment and personnel simulating performance of any aspect of the giving and receiving of aid by party states or subdivisions of party states during emergencies, such actions occurring outside actual declared emergency periods. Mutual assistance in the compact may include the use of the states' National Guard forces, either in accordance with the National Guard Mutual Assistance Compact or by mutual agreement between states.

ARTICLE II - GENERAL IMPLEMENTATION

Each party state entering into this compact recognizes many emergencies transcend political jurisdictional boundaries and that intergovernmental coordination is essential in managing these and other emergencies under this compact. Each state further recognizes that there will be emergencies which require immediate access and present procedures to apply outside resources to make a prompt and effective response to such an emergency. This is because few, if any, individual states have all the resources they may need in all types of emergencies or the capability of delivering resources to areas where emergencies exist.

The prompt, full, and effective utilization of resources of the participating states, including any resources on hand or available from the Federal Government or any other source, that are essential to the safety, care, and welfare of the people in the event of any emergency or disaster declared by a party state, shall be the underlying principle on which all articles of this compact shall be understood.

On behalf of the governor of each state participating in the compact, the legally designated state official who is assigned responsibility for emergency management will be responsible for formulation of the appropriate interstate mutual aid plans and procedures necessary to implement this compact.

ARTICLE III - PARTY STATE RESPONSIBILITIES

(A) It shall be the responsibility of each party state to formulate procedural plans and programs for interstate cooperation in the performance of the responsibilities listed in this article. In formulating such plans, and in carrying them out, the party states, insofar as practical, shall:

(i) Review individual state hazards analyses and, to the extent reasonably possible, determine all those potential emergencies the party states might jointly suffer, whether due to natural disaster, technological hazard, man-made disaster, emergency aspects of resource shortages, civil disorders, insurgency, or enemy attack.

(ii) Review party states' individual emergency plans and develop a plan which will determine the mechanism for the interstate management and provision of assistance concerning any potential emergency.

(iii) Develop interstate procedures to fill any identified gaps and to resolve any identified inconsistencies or overlaps in existing or developed plans.

(iv) Assist in warning communities adjacent to or crossing the state boundaries.

(v) Protect and assure uninterrupted delivery of services, medicines, water, food, energy and fuel, search and rescue, and critical lifeline equipment, services, and resources, both human and material.

(vi) Inventory and set procedures for the interstate loan and delivery of human and material resources, together with procedures for reimbursement or forgiveness.

(vii) Provide, to the extent authorized by law, for temporary suspension of any statutes or ordinances that restrict the implementation of the above responsibilities.

(B) The authorized representative of a party state may request assistance of another party state by contacting the authorized representative of that state. The provisions of this agreement shall only apply to requests for assistance made by and to authorized representatives. Requests may be verbal or in writing. If verbal, the request shall be confirmed in writing within 30 days of the verbal request. Requests shall provide the following information:

(i) A description of the emergency service function for which assistance is needed, such as but not limited to fire services, law enforcement, emergency medical, transportation, communications, public works and engineering, building inspection, planning and information assistance, mass care, resource support, health and medical services, and search and rescue.

(ii) The amount and type of personnel, equipment, materials and supplies needed, and a reasonable estimate of the length of time they will be needed.

(iii) The specific place and time for staging of the assisting party's response and a point of contact at that location.

(C) There shall be frequent consultation between state officials who have assigned emergency management responsibilities and other appropriate representatives of the party states with affected jurisdictions and the United States Government, with free exchange of information, plans, and resource records relating to emergency capabilities.

ARTICLE IV - LIMITATIONS

Any party state requested to render mutual aid or conduct exercises and training for mutual aid shall take such action as is necessary to provide and make available the resources covered by this compact in accordance with the terms hereof; provided that it is understood that the state rendering aid may withhold resources to the extent necessary to provide reasonable protection for such state. Each party state shall afford to the emergency forces of any party state, while operating within its state limits under the terms and conditions of this compact, the same powers (except that of arrest unless specifically authorized by the receiving state), duties, rights, and privileges as are afforded forces of the state in which they are performing emergency services. Emergency forces will continue under the command and control of their regular leaders, but the organizational units will come under the operational control of the emergency services authorities of the state receiving assistance. These conditions may be activated, as needed, only subsequent to a declaration of a state of emergency or disaster by the governor of the party state that is to receive assistance or commencement of exercises or training for mutual aid and shall continue so long as the exercises or training for mutual aid are in progress, the state of emergency or disaster remains in effect or loaned resources remain in the receiving state(s), whichever is longer.

ARTICLE V - LICENSES AND PERMITS

Whenever any person holds a license, certificate, or other permit issued by any state party to the compact evidencing the meeting of qualifications for professional, mechanical, or other skills, and when such assistance is requested by the receiving party state, such person shall be deemed licensed, certified, or permitted by the state requesting assistance to render aid involving such skill to meet a declared emergency or disaster, subject to such limitations and conditions as the governor of the requesting state may prescribe by executive order or otherwise.

ARTICLE VI - LIABILITY

Officers or employees of a party state rendering aid in another state pursuant to this compact shall be considered agents of the requesting state for tort liability and immunity purposes; and no party state or its officers or employees rendering aid in another state pursuant to this compact shall be liable on account of any act or omission in good faith on the part of such forces while so engaged or on account of the maintenance or use of any equipment or supplies in connection therewith. Good faith in this article shall not include willful misconduct, gross negligence, or recklessness.

ARTICLE VII - SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENTS

Inasmuch as it is probable that the pattern and detail of the machinery for mutual aid among two or more states may differ from that among the states that are party hereto, this instrument contains elements of a broad base common to all states, and nothing herein contained shall preclude any state from entering into supplementary agreements with another state or affect any other agreements already in force between states. Supplementary agreements may comprehend, but shall not be limited to, provisions for evacuation and reception of injured and other persons and the exchange of medical, fire, police, public utility, reconnaissance, welfare, transportation and communications personnel, and equipment and supplies.

ARTICLE VIII - COMPENSATION

Each party state shall provide for the payment of compensation and death benefits to injured members of the emergency forces of that state and representatives of deceased members of such forces in case such members sustain injuries or are killed while rendering aid pursuant to this compact, in the same manner and on the same terms as if the injury or death were sustained within their own state.

ARTICLE IX - REIMBURSEMENT

Any party state rendering aid in another state pursuant to this compact shall be reimbursed by the party state receiving such aid for any loss or damage to or expense incurred in the operation of any equipment and the provision of any service in answering a request for aid and for the costs incurred in connection with such requests; provided, that any aiding party state may assume in whole or in part such loss, damage, expense, or other cost, or may loan such equipment or donate such services to the receiving party state without charge or cost; and provided further, that any two or more party states may enter into supplementary agreements establishing a different allocation of costs among those states. Article VIII expenses shall not be reimbursable under this provision.

ARTICLE X - EVACUATION

Plans for the orderly evacuation and interstate reception of portions of the civilian population as the result of any emergency or disaster of sufficient proportions to so warrant, shall be worked out and maintained between the party states and the emergency management/services directors of the various jurisdictions where any type of incident requiring evacuations might occur. Such plans shall be put into effect by request of the state from which evacuees come and shall include the manner of transporting such evacuees, the number of evacuees to be received in different areas, the manner in which food, clothing, housing, and medical care will be provided, the registration of the evacuees, the providing of facilities for the notification of relatives or friends, and the forwarding of such evacuees to other areas or the bringing in of additional materials, supplies, and all other relevant factors. Such plans shall provide that the party state receiving evacuees and the party state from which the evacuees come shall mutually agree as to reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in receiving and caring for such evacuees, for expenditures for transportation, food, clothing, medicines and medical care, and like items. Such expenditures shall be reimbursed as agreed by the party state from which the evacuees come. After the termination of the emergency or disaster, the party state from which the evacuees come shall assume the responsibility for the ultimate support of repatriation of such evacuees.

ARTICLE XI - IMPLEMENTATION

(A) This compact shall become operative immediately upon its enactment into law by any two (2) states; thereafter, this compact shall become effective as to any other state upon its enactment by such state.

(B) Any party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall take effect until 30 days after the governor of the withdrawing state has given notice in writing of such withdrawal to the governors of all other party states. Such action shall not relieve the withdrawing state from obligations assumed hereunder prior to the effective date of withdrawal.

(C) Duly authenticated copies of this compact and of such supplementary agreements as may be entered into shall, at the time of their approval, be deposited with each of the party states and with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other appropriate agencies of the United States Government.

ARTICLE XII - VALIDITY

This Act shall be construed to effectuate the purposes stated in Article I hereof. If any provision of this compact is declared unconstitutional, or the applicability thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the constitutionality of the remainder of this act and the applicability thereof to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

ARTICLE XIII - ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

Nothing in this compact shall authorize or permit the use of military force by the National Guard of a state at any place outside that state in any emergency for which the President is authorized by law to call into federal service the militia, or for any purpose for which the use of the Army or the Air Force would in the absence of express statutory authorization be prohibited under Section 1385 of title 18, United States Code."

Section 5502.41 | Intrastate mutual aid compact.

• Effective: July 3, 2012
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 243 - 129th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Chief executive of a participating political subdivision" means the elected chief executive of a participating political subdivision or, if the political subdivision does not have an elected chief executive, a member of the political subdivision's governing body or an employee of the political subdivision appointed by the governing body's members to be its representative for purposes of the intrastate mutual aid program created pursuant to this section.

(2) "Countywide emergency management agency" means a countywide emergency management agency established under section 5502.26 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Emergency" means any period during which the congress of the United States, a chief executive as defined in section 5502.21 of the Revised Code, or a chief executive of a participating political subdivision has declared or proclaimed that an emergency exists.

(4) "Participating political subdivision" means each political subdivision in this state except a political subdivision that enacts or adopts, by appropriate legislation, ordinance, resolution, rule, bylaw, or regulation signed by its chief executive, a decision not to participate in the intrastate mutual aid program created by this section and that provides a copy of the legislation, ordinance, resolution, rule, bylaw, or regulation to the state emergency management agency and to the countywide emergency management agency, regional authority for emergency management, or program for emergency management within the political subdivision.

(5) "Planned event" means a scheduled nonemergency activity as defined by the national incident management system adopted under section 5502.28 of the Revised Code as the state's standard procedure for incident management. "Planned event" includes, but is not limited to, a sporting event, concert, or parade.

(6) "Political subdivision" or "subdivision" has the same meaning as in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code and also includes a health district established under Chapter 3709. of the Revised Code.

(7) "Program for emergency management within a political subdivision" means a program for emergency management created by a political subdivision under section 5502.271 of the Revised Code.

(8) "Regional authority for emergency management" means a regional authority for emergency management established under section 5502.27 of the Revised Code.

(9) "Regional response team" means a group of persons from participating political subdivisions who provide mutual assistance or aid in preparation for, response to, or recovery from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources. "Regional response team" includes, but is not limited to, an incident management team, hazardous materials response team, water rescue team, bomb team, or search and rescue team.

(B) There is hereby created the intrastate mutual aid program to be known as "the intrastate mutual aid compact" to complement existing mutual aid agreements. The program shall have two purposes:

(1) Provide for mutual assistance or aid among the participating political subdivisions for purposes of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources;

(2) Establish a method by which a participating political subdivision may seek assistance or aid that resolves many of the common issues facing political subdivisions before, during, and after an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, and that ensures, to the extent possible, eligibility for available state and federal disaster assistance or other funding.

(C) Each countywide emergency management agency, regional authority for emergency management, and program for emergency management within a political subdivision, in coordination with all departments, divisions, boards, commissions, agencies, and other instrumentalities within that political subdivision, shall establish procedures or plans that, to the extent possible, accomplish both of the following:

(1) Identify hazards that potentially could affect the participating political subdivisions served by that agency, authority, or program;

(2) Identify and inventory the current services, equipment, supplies, personnel, and other resources related to the preparedness, response, and recovery activities of the participating political subdivisions served by that agency, authority, or program.

(D)(1) The executive director of the state emergency management agency shall coordinate with the countywide emergency management agencies, regional authorities for emergency management, and programs for emergency management within a political subdivision in identifying and formulating appropriate procedures or plans to resolve resource shortfalls.

(2) During and after the formulation of the procedures or plans to resolve resource shortfalls, there shall be ongoing consultation and coordination among the executive director of the state emergency management agency; the countywide emergency management agencies, regional authorities for emergency management, and programs for emergency management within a political subdivision; and all departments, divisions, boards, commissions, agencies, and other instrumentalities of, and having emergency response functions within, each participating political subdivision, regarding this section, local procedures and plans, and the resolution of the resource shortfalls.

(E)(1) A participating political subdivision that is impacted by an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, may request mutual assistance or aid by doing either of the following:

(a) Declaring a state of emergency and issuing a request for assistance or aid from any other participating political subdivision;

(b) Issuing to another participating political subdivision a verbal or written request for assistance or aid. If the request is made verbally, a written confirmation of the request shall be made not later than seventy-two hours after the verbal request is made.

(2) Requests for assistance or aid made under division (E)(1) of this section shall be made through the emergency management agency of a participating political subdivision or an official designated by the chief executive of the participating political subdivision from which the assistance or aid is requested and shall provide the following information:

(a) A description of the incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency;

(b) A description of the assistance or aid needed;

(c) An estimate of the length of time the assistance or aid will be needed;

(d) The specific place and time for staging of the assistance or aid and a point of contact at that location.

(F) A participating political subdivision shall provide assistance or aid to another participating political subdivision that is impacted by an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources. The provision of the assistance or aid is subject to the following conditions:

(1) The responding political subdivision may withhold resources necessary to provide for its own protection.

(2) Personnel of the responding political subdivision shall continue under their local command and control structure, but shall be under the operational control of the appropriate officials within the incident management system of the participating political subdivision receiving assistance or aid.

(3) Responding law enforcement officers acting pursuant to this section have the same authority to enforce the law as when acting within the territory of their regular employment.

(G)(1) Nothing in this section shall do any of the following:

(a) Alter the duties and responsibilities of emergency response personnel;

(b) Prohibit a private company from participating in the provision of mutual assistance or aid pursuant to the compact created pursuant to this section if the participating political subdivision approves the participation and the contract with the private company allows for the participation;

(c) Prohibit employees of participating political subdivisions from responding to a request for mutual assistance or aid precipitated by an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, when the employees are responding as part of a regional response team that is under the operational control of the incident command structure;

(d) Authorize employees of participating political subdivisions to respond to an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, without a request from a participating political subdivision.

(2) This section does not preclude a participating political subdivision from entering into a mutual aid or other agreement with another political subdivision, and does not affect any other agreement to which a participating political subdivision may be a party, or any request for assistance or aid that may be made, under any other section of the Revised Code, including, but not limited to, any mutual aid arrangement under this chapter, any fire protection or emergency medical services contract under section 9.60 of the Revised Code, sheriffs' requests for assistance to preserve the public peace and protect persons and property under section 311.07 of the Revised Code, any agreement for mutual assistance or aid in police protection under section 737.04 of the Revised Code, any agreement for law enforcement services between universities and colleges and political subdivisions under section 3345.041 or 3345.21 of the Revised Code, and mutual aid agreements among emergency planning districts for hazardous substances or chemicals response under sections 3750.02 and 3750.03 of the Revised Code.

(H)(1) Personnel of a responding participating political subdivision who suffer injury or death in the course of, and arising out of, their employment while rendering assistance or aid under this section to another participating political subdivision are entitled to all applicable benefits under Chapters 4121. and 4123. of the Revised Code.

(2) Personnel of a responding participating political subdivision shall be considered, while rendering assistance or aid under this section in another participating political subdivision, to be agents of the responding political subdivision for purposes of tort liability and immunity from tort liability under the law of this state.

(3)(a) A responding participating political subdivision and the personnel of that political subdivision, while rendering assistance or aid under this section, or while in route to or from rendering assistance or aid under this section, in another participating political subdivision, shall be deemed to be exercising governmental functions as defined in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code, shall have the defenses to and immunities from civil liability provided in sections 2744.02 and 2744.03 of the Revised Code, and shall be entitled to all applicable limitations on recoverable damages under section 2744.05 of the Revised Code.

(b) A participating political subdivision requesting assistance or aid and the personnel of that political subdivision, while requesting or receiving assistance or aid under this section from any other participating political subdivision, shall be deemed to be exercising governmental functions as defined in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code, shall have the defenses to and immunities from civil liability provided in sections 2744.02 and 2744.03 of the Revised Code, and shall be entitled to all applicable limitations on recoverable damages under section 2744.05 of the Revised Code.

(I) If a person holds a license, certificate, or other permit issued by a participating political subdivision evidencing qualification in a professional, mechanical, or other skill, and if the assistance or aid of that person is asked for under this section by a participating political subdivision, the person shall be deemed to be licensed or certified in or permitted by the participating political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid to render the assistance or aid, subject to any limitations and conditions the chief executive of the participating political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid may prescribe by executive order or otherwise.

(J)(1) Subject to division (K) of this section and except as provided in division (J)(2) of this section, any participating political subdivision rendering assistance or aid under this section in another participating political subdivision shall be reimbursed by the participating political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid for any loss or damage to, or expense incurred in the operation of, any equipment used in rendering the assistance or aid, for any expense incurred in the provision of any service used in rendering the assistance or aid, and for all other costs incurred in responding to the request for assistance or aid. To avoid duplication of payments, insurance proceeds available to cover any loss or damage to equipment of a participating political subdivision rendering assistance or aid shall be considered in the reimbursement by the participating political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid.

(2) A participating political subdivision rendering assistance or aid under this section to another participating political subdivision shall not be reimbursed for either of the following:

(a) The first eight hours of mutual assistance or aid it provides to the political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid;

(b) Expenses the participating political subdivision incurs under division (H)(1) of this section.

(K) A participating political subdivision rendering assistance or aid under this section may do any of the following:

(1) Assume, in whole or in part, any loss, damage, expense, or cost the political subdivision incurs in rendering the assistance or aid;

(2) Loan, without charge, any equipment, or donate any service, to the political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid;

(3) Enter into agreements with one or more other participating political subdivisions to establish different allocations of losses, damages, expenses, or costs among such political subdivisions.

Section 5502.411 | Weapons during declared emergency.

• Effective: April 4, 2023
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 16 - 134th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Ammunition" has the same meaning as in section 2305.401 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Concealed handgun license," "deadly weapon," "firearm," and "valid concealed handgun license" have the same meanings as in section 2923.11 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Licensee" has the same meaning as in section 2923.124 of the Revised Code.

(B) The transport, storage, sale, transfer, commerce in, import and export of, distribution, repair, maintenance, and manufacture of deadly weapons or firearms, ammunition, and accessories and components related to deadly weapons or firearms, shooting ranges, and other goods and services directly related to lawful deadly weapon or firearm possession, use, storage, repair, maintenance, sale, transfer, and training in the use of deadly weapons or firearms, are declared to be life-sustaining "essential" businesses and services for the purposes of safety and security in times of declared emergency or any other statutorily authorized response to any disaster, war, act of terrorism, riot, civil disorder, public health crisis, public nuisance, or emergency of whatever kind or nature.

(C) Except as provided in this section, no state agency, political subdivision, elected or appointed official or employee of this state or any political subdivision, or agent of this state or of any political subdivision, board, commission, bureau, or other public body established by law may, under any governmental authority or color of law exercised as part of any statutorily authorized response to any disaster, war, act of terrorism, riot, civil disorder, public health crisis, public nuisance, or emergency of whatever kind or nature, do any of the following:

(1) Prohibit, regulate, or curtail the otherwise lawful possession, carrying, display, sale, transportation, transfer, defensive use, or other lawful use of any of the following:

(a) Any firearm, including any component or accessory of a firearm;

(b) Any ammunition, including any component or accessory of ammunition;

(c) Any ammunition-reloading equipment, component, or supplies;

(d) Any deadly weapon, including any component or accessory of a deadly weapon.

(2) Require registration of deadly weapon or firearm owners, of any firearms, including any component or accessory of a firearm, of any ammunition, including any component or accessory of ammunition, or of any deadly weapon, including any component or accessory of a deadly weapon;

(3) Seize, commandeer, or confiscate in any manner, any of the following items that are possessed, carried, displayed, sold, transferred, transported, stored, or used in connection with otherwise lawful conduct:

(a) Any firearm, including any component or accessory of a firearm;

(b) Any ammunition, including any component or accessory of ammunition;

(c) Any ammunition-reloading equipment, component, or supplies;

(d) Any deadly weapon, including any component or accessory of a deadly weapon.

(4) Suspend or revoke a valid concealed handgun license, except as expressly authorized in Chapter 2923. of the Revised Code;

(5) Refuse to accept or process an application for a concealed handgun license or for renewal of a concealed handgun license, provided the application for the license has been properly completed and submitted in accordance with section 2923.125 or 2923.1213 of the Revised Code and the application for the renewal has been properly completed and submitted in accordance with section 2923.125 of the Revised Code;

(6) Prohibit, suspend, or limit the business operations of any entity engaged in the lawful selling or servicing of any firearms or ammunition, including any components or accessories of firearms or ammunition, any ammunition-reloading equipment, component, or supplies, or any deadly weapons, including any component or accessory of deadly weapons;

(7) Prohibit, suspend, or limit the business operations of any legally established indoor or outdoor shooting range, whether located on state lands or on land other than state lands, or of any entity engaged in providing deadly weapon or firearms safety, deadly weapon or firearms training, firearms license qualification or requalification, firearms safety instructor courses, or any similar class, course, or program;

(8) Place restrictions or quantity limitations on any entity regarding the lawful sale or servicing of any of the following:

(a) Any firearm, including any component or accessory of a firearm;

(b) Any ammunition, including any component or accessory of ammunition;

(c) Any ammunition-reloading equipment, component, or supplies;

(d) Any deadly weapon, including any component or accessory of a deadly weapon.

(9) Suspend, restrict, or prohibit otherwise lawful hunting, fishing, or trapping activities or business entities conducting or directly facilitating lawful hunting, trapping, or fishing activities, whether conducted on state lands and waters or on land and waters other than state lands and waters.

(D)(1) If a concealed handgun license has been issued to a licensee under either section 2923.125 or 2923.1213 of the Revised Code, if the governor issues an executive order declaring an emergency, and if the date that the valid and existing license would or is scheduled to expire falls within the period of emergency declared by the governor's executive order or the thirty days immediately preceding the date of that declaration, then, notwithstanding the date of scheduled expiration, the license is automatically extended throughout the duration of the period of the emergency plus an additional ninety days. If, during the period of the emergency or during the additional ninety days, a licensee issued a license under section 2923.125 of the Revised Code submits an application for renewal of the license or schedules an appointment with the issuing authority or another authority authorized to renew the license, the license is further automatically extended until the renewal application is accepted and fully processed.

(2) If division (D)(1) of this section applies with respect to a concealed handgun license, during the extension period described in that division that is applicable to that license, all of the following apply:

(a) The license shall be valid for all purposes under the laws of this state and the person to whom the license was issued shall be considered for all purposes under the laws of this state to be the holder of a valid license to carry a concealed handgun, and the license shall be valid for all purposes under section 2923.128 of the Revised Code ;

(b) The license remains subject to the operation of section 2923.128 of the Revised Code during the extended period of the license and at any other time ;

(c) Except for the date of scheduled expiration, all other conditions and restrictions otherwise applicable to the license and the license holder continue to apply during the extended period of the license and at any other time.

(E) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, including sections 5502.30 and 5502.35 of the Revised Code:

(1) A person, group, or entity adversely affected by any manner of law, ordinance, rule, regulation, resolution, practice, or other action enacted or enforced in violation of this section may file an action for damages, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, or other appropriate redress in the court of common pleas of the county in which the aggrieved person resides or the group or entity is located, or in which the violation occurred, unless the action is for damages and filed against any state agency, any elected or appointed official or employee of the state, or any other agent of the state.

(2) In an action brought under authority of division (E)(1) of this section:

(a) A person, group, or entity adversely affected by any manner of law, ordinance, rule, regulation, resolution, practice, or other action enacted or enforced by any political subdivision, any elected or appointed official or employee of a political subdivision, or any agent of any political subdivision, bureau, or other public body established by law in conflict with this section may bring a civil action against the political subdivision, elected or appointed official or employee of the political subdivision, or agent of the political subdivision, bureau, or other public body seeking damages, declaratory relief, injunctive relief, or a combination of those remedies. Any damages awarded shall be awarded against, and paid by, the political subdivision, or the bureau, or other public body. In addition to any actual damages awarded against the agency, the political subdivision, or the board, commission, bureau, or other public body and any other relief provided with respect to such an action, the court shall award reasonable expenses to any person, group, or entity that brings the action, to be paid by the political subdivision, bureau, or other public body, if either of the following applies:

(i) The person, group, or entity prevails in a challenge to the law, ordinance, rule, regulation, resolution, practice, or action as being in conflict with this section.

(ii) The law, ordinance, rule, regulation, resolution, practice, or action or the manner of its enforcement is repealed or rescinded after the civil action was filed but prior to a final court determination of the action.

(b) In addition to any other remedy available at law or in equity, a person, group, or entity aggrieved by the seizure or confiscation, in violation of this section, of one or more items listed in division (C)(3) of this section may apply to the court of common pleas of the county in which the item or items were seized or confiscated for the immediate return of the item or items, unless the action is for damages and filed against any state agency, any elected or appointed official or employee of the state, or any other agent of the state. Except as otherwise provided in division (E)(2)(a) of this section, upon receipt of the application and a determination by the court that the seizure or confiscation of the item or items was in violation of this section, the court shall order the immediate return of the item or items by the seizing or confiscating state agency, political subdivision, board, commission, bureau, or other public body and that entity's employed officials. If a court orders the return of the seized or confiscated item or items under this division and the item or items are not returned in accordance with the order, the aggrieved party may claim reasonable costs and attorney fees for the loss and, the cost of reclaiming the item or items, or the cost of any damages to the item or items.

(3) Any claim filed against any state agency, any elected or appointed official or employee of the state, or any other agent of the state for damages shall be filed with the court of claims.

(4) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to mean the state intends to waive its right to federal immunity under the eleventh amendment of the United States Constitution.

(F) The provisions contained in the amendments to section 3761.16 of the Revised Code and the enactment of this section by S.B. 16 of the 134th general assembly are severable, as provided in section 1.50 of the Revised Code. In particular, it is the intent of the general assembly that any invalidity or potential invalidity of a provision contained in those amendments or this section is not to impair the immediate and continuing enforceability of the remaining provisions.

Last updated February 27, 2023 at 5:20 PM

Section 5502.42 | Civil defense certificate of necessity - application.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

Application for a civil defense certificate of necessity shall be filed at such time, in such manner, and in such office as may be prescribed by rule adopted pursuant to section 5502.51 of the Revised Code, but no later than the expiration of six months after the beginning of construction, reconstruction, erection, or installation of the structure or the acquisition of the equipment. The application shall be in such form as may be prescribed by that rule and shall contain plans and specifications of the structure or structures, including all materials incorporated or to be incorporated therein, and a descriptive list of all equipment acquired or to be acquired. If the certifying authority finds that the facility or proposed facility is necessary in the interest of civil defense, is designed exclusively as a civil defense facility, and is suitable and reasonably adequate for the intended purpose, it shall issue a certificate to that effect. No structure or equipment shall be considered suitable and adequate unless it is constructed to provide reasonable protection against modern methods of warfare including nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare in accordance with any standards of adequacy furnished by the federal emergency management agency.

Section 5502.43 | Notice and hearing prior to issuance of certificate - revocation or modification.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

Before issuing any civil defense certificate, the certifying authority shall give notice in writing by registered mail to the tax commissioner, and, in case the application relates to a structure, written notice to the county auditor of the county in which such structure is or is to be located, and shall afford to the applicant and the tax commissioner and the county auditor to whom such notice has been given an opportunity for a hearing. On like notice to the applicant and opportunity for hearing the certifying authority, on its own initiative or on complaint by the tax commissioner or the county auditor of the county in which any property to which a civil defense certificate relates is located, shall revoke such civil defense certificate whenever any of the following appears:

(A) That the certificate was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation;

(B) That the holder of the certificate has failed substantially to proceed with the construction, reconstruction, installation, or acquisition of the civil defense facility contemplated by the certificate;

(C) That the structure, or the equipment, or both, to which the certificate relates is being used for the ordinary and usual purposes of the holder, and is no more than sufficient for such ordinary and usual purposes; provided, that where the circumstances so require, the certifying authority in lieu of revoking such certificate may modify the same by restricting its operation.

Upon the mailing of notice of the action of the certifying authority revoking or modifying a civil defense certificate, as provided in section 5502.44 of the Revised Code, such certificate shall cease to be in force, or shall remain in force only as modified, as the case may require.

Section 5502.44 | Distribution of certificate.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

A civil defense certificate, when issued, shall be sent by registered mail to the applicant and notice of such issuance, in the form of certified copies thereof, shall be sent by registered mail by the certifying authority to the tax commissioner and to the county auditor of the county in which any property to which the same relates is located. Notice of the order of the certifying authority denying, revoking, or modifying a civil defense certificate, in the form of certified copies thereof, shall be sent by registered mail to the applicant or the holder thereof and to the tax commissioner and such county auditor. The applicant or holder and the tax commissioner and such county auditor are parties for the purpose of the review afforded by section 5502.45 of the Revised Code.

Section 5502.45 | Appeal.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

Any party aggrieved by the issuance, the refusal to issue, the revocation, or the modification of a civil defense certificate may appeal to the common pleas court of the county in which the property to which the same relates, or would relate, is located. The party desiring to appeal shall file a notice of appeal with the certifying authority setting forth the order appealed from and the grounds of his appeal. A copy of such notice of appeal shall also be filed by appellant with the court. Such notice of appeal shall be filed within fifteen days after mailing of notice as provided in section 5505.44 of the Revised Code.

The filing of a notice of appeal shall not operate as a suspension of the order of the certifying authority. Within ten days after receipt of notice of appeal the certifying authority shall prepare and certify to the court a complete record of its proceedings in the matter. Upon demand by any party the certifying authority shall furnish at the cost of such party a copy of the stenographic report of testimony offered and evidence submitted at any hearing.

In the hearing of the appeal the court shall be confined to the record as certified to it. The court shall determine the rights of the parties in accordance with sections 5502.42 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code, and may affirm, reverse, vacate, or modify the action of the certifying authority complained of in the appeal. The court shall certify its judgment to the parties to the appeal or take such other action in connection therewith as may be required to give its judgment effect.

Section 5502.46 | Revocation due to fraud - taxes and penalties.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

Whenever a civil defense certificate is revoked because it was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation, all taxes that would have been payable had no certificate been issued shall be assessed with maximum penalties prescribed by the law applicable thereto.

Section 5502.47 | Exemption from real property tax.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

No civil defense structure shall be considered an improvement on the land on which the same is located for the purpose of real property taxation, if and from the time that a certified copy of the civil defense certificate shall have been filed in the office of the county auditor of the county in which the same is situated, and so long as such civil defense certificate shall be in force.

Section 5502.48 | Exemption from personal property tax.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

No civil defense structure or equipment shall be considered as "used in business" for the purpose of personal property taxation.

Section 5502.49 | Exemption from corporate franchise tax.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

No civil defense structure or equipment for which a civil defense certificate has been issued shall be considered as an asset of any corporation in determining the value of its issued and outstanding shares or the value of the property owned and used by it in this state for the purpose of the franchise tax.

Section 5502.50 | Cost of superior protection from attack does not increase tax value of structure.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

Where for reasons of national defense, a structure is constructed by an industry that is included on the list of critical industries as furnished by the federal emergency management agency, and the structure is located underground or in such similar fashion so as to provide superior protection against attack, that portion of the cost of the structure that is attributable to the added protection shall not be considered in determining the value of the structure for purposes of property taxation.

Section 5502.51 | Rules and standards for issuance of certificates.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

The director of public safety shall adopt and may amend or rescind rules and standards, consistent with sections 5502.42 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code, to govern the issuance of civil defense certificates and carry out the purposes of those sections.

Section 5502.52 | Statewide emergency alert program - abducted children - false report.

• Effective: September 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

(A) There is hereby created the statewide emergency alert program to aid in the identification and location of children who are under eighteen years of age, who are abducted, and whose abduction, as determined by a law enforcement agency, poses a credible threat of immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death to a child. The program shall be a coordinated effort among the governor's office, the department of public safety, the attorney general, law enforcement agencies, the state's public and commercial television and radio broadcasters, and others as deemed necessary by the governor.

(B) The statewide emergency alert program shall not be implemented unless all of the following activation criteria are met:

(1) The local investigating law enforcement agency confirms that an abduction has occurred.

(2) An abducted child is under eighteen years of age.

(3) The abduction poses a credible threat of immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death to a child.

(4) A law enforcement agency determines that the child is not a runaway and has not been abducted as a result of a child custody dispute, unless the dispute poses a credible threat of immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death to the child.

(5) There is sufficient descriptive information about the child, the abductor, and the circumstances surrounding the abduction to indicate that activation of the alert will help locate the child.

(C) Nothing in division (B) of this section prevents the activation of a local or regional emergency alert program that may impose different criteria for the activation of a local or regional plan.

(D) Any radio broadcast station, television broadcast station, or cable television system participating in the statewide emergency alert program or in any local or regional emergency alert program, and any director, officer, employee, or agent of any such station or system, shall not be liable to any person for damages for any loss allegedly caused by or resulting from the station's or system's broadcast or cablecast of, or failure to broadcast or cablecast, any information pursuant to the statewide emergency alert program or the local or regional emergency alert program.

(E) No person shall knowingly make a false report that a child has been abducted and that leads to the implementation of the statewide emergency alert program created under this section or that leads to the implementation of a local or regional emergency alert program. Whoever violates this division is guilty of a felony of the fourth degree.

(F) As used in this section:

(1) "Abducted child" means a child for whom there is credible evidence to believe that the child has been abducted in violation of section 2905.01, 2905.02, 2905.03, or 2905.05 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Cable television system" means a cable system, as defined in section 2913.04 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Law enforcement agency" includes, but is not limited to, a county sheriff's office, the office of a village marshal, a police department of a municipal corporation, a police force of a regional transit authority, a police force of a metropolitan housing authority, the state highway patrol, a state university law enforcement agency, the office of a township police constable, and the police department of a township or joint police district.

Section 5502.521 | AMBER alert advisory committee.

• Effective: January 8, 2003
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 290 - 124th General Assembly

(A) There is hereby created the AMBER alert advisory committee, consisting of members to be appointed by the governor. The committee shall advise the governor, the attorney general, the department of public safety, and law enforcement agencies on an ongoing basis on the implementation, operation, improvement, and evaluation of the statewide emergency alert program created under section 5502.52 of the Revised Code.

(B) Initial appointments to the committee shall be made within thirty days after the effective date of this section. Terms of office shall be for two years. Members may be reappointed. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as provided for original appointments.

(C) The committee shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) The governor's designee;

(2) A representative from the department of public safety, representing the emergency management agency;

(3) A representative from the department of public safety, representing the state highway patrol;

(4) A representative from the attorney general's office--missing children clearing house;

(5) A representative from the state emergency communications committee;

(6) A representative from the federal bureau of investigation;

(7) A representative from the buckeye state sheriffs association;

(8) A representative from the Ohio association of chiefs of police;

(9) A broadcast industry designee;

(10) A victim or a victim's advocate;

(11) A representative from a local or regional AMBER plan;

(12) A representative of any other agency or organization as deemed appropriate by the governor.

(D) The governor shall select one member to serve as chairperson for a two-year term.

(E) The committee may meet periodically to review and evaluate the operation and effectiveness of the statewide emergency alert program, develop recommendations for procedures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the program, and work in a coordinated effort to make recommendations for needed legislative change.

(F) Members of the committee shall serve without compensation.

Section 5502.522 | Statewide emergency alert program.

• Effective: April 4, 2023
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 16 - 134th General Assembly

(A) There is hereby created the statewide emergency alert program to aid in the identification and location of any individual who has a mental impairment, has autism spectrum disorder or another developmental disability, or is sixty-five years of age or older, who is or is believed to be a temporary or permanent resident of this state, is at a location that cannot be determined by an individual familiar with the missing individual, and is incapable of returning to the missing individual's residence without assistance, and whose disappearance, as determined by a law enforcement agency, poses a credible threat of immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death to the missing individual. The program shall be a coordinated effort among the governor's office, the department of public safety, the attorney general, law enforcement agencies, the state's public and commercial television and radio broadcasters, and others as determined necessary by the governor. No name shall be given to the program created under this division that conflicts with any alert code standards that are required by federal law and that govern the naming of emergency alert programs.

(B) The statewide emergency alert program shall not be implemented unless all of the following activation criteria are met:

(1) The local investigating law enforcement agency confirms that the individual is missing.

(2) The individual meets at least one of the following criteria:

(a) Is sixty-five years of age or older;

(b) Has a mental impairment;

(c) Has either autism spectrum disorder or another developmental disability.

(3) The disappearance of the individual poses a credible threat of immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death to the individual.

(4) There is sufficient descriptive information about the individual and the circumstances surrounding the individual's disappearance to indicate that activation of the alert will help locate the individual.

(C) Nothing in division (B) of this section prevents the activation of a local or regional emergency alert program that may impose different criteria for the activation of a local or regional plan.

(D) Any radio broadcast station, television broadcast station, or cable system participating in the statewide emergency alert program or in any local or regional emergency alert program, and any director, officer, employee, or agent of any station or system participating in either type of alert program, shall not be liable to any person for damages for any loss allegedly caused by or resulting from the station's or system's broadcast or cablecast of, or failure to broadcast or cablecast, any information pursuant to the statewide emergency alert program or the local or regional emergency alert program.

(E) A local investigating law enforcement agency shall not be required to notify the statewide emergency alert program that the law enforcement agency has received information that meets the activation criteria set forth in division (B) of this section during the first twenty-four hours after the law enforcement agency receives the information.

(F) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the use of the federal emergency alert system unless otherwise authorized by federal law.

(G) As used in this section:

(1) "Autism spectrum disorder" has the same meaning as in section 1751.84 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Cable system" has the same meaning as in section 2913.04 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Developmental disability" has the same meaning as in section 5123.01 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Law enforcement agency" includes, but is not limited to, a county sheriff's office, the office of a village marshal, a police department of a municipal corporation, a police force of a regional transit authority, a police force of a metropolitan housing authority, the state highway patrol, a state university law enforcement agency, the office of a township police constable, and the police department of a township or joint police district.

(5) "Mental impairment" means a substantial disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation, or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behavior, or ability to live independently or provide self-care as certified by a licensed physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist.

Last updated February 13, 2023 at 9:35 AM

Section 5502.53 | Statewide blue alert program.

• Effective: June 8, 2012
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 258 - 129th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

"Cable system" has the meaning defined in section 2913.04 of the Revised Code.

"Law enforcement agency" means an organization or unit made up of law enforcement officers as defined in section 2901.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) There is created the statewide blue alert program that consists of a statewide system for the rapid dissemination of information to speed the apprehension of persons suspected of killing or seriously injuring law enforcement officers and to aid in the location of missing law enforcement officers. The governor shall organize the program as a coordinated effort among the governor's office, the department of public safety, the attorney general, law enforcement agencies, the state's public and commercial television and radio broadcasters, the state's cable systems, and others as considered necessary by the governor.

(C) A statewide blue alert shall be activated if all of the following activation criteria are met:

(1) A local law enforcement agency confirms that a law enforcement officer has been seriously injured or killed, and a suspect has not been apprehended, or that a law enforcement officer is missing while on duty under circumstances warranting concern for the law enforcement officer's safety.

(2) There is sufficient descriptive information about the suspect or the circumstances surrounding a law enforcement officer's injury, death, or disappearance to indicate that activation of the alert may help locate a suspect or a missing law enforcement officer.

Nothing in this division prevents the activation of a local or regional emergency alert program that may impose different criteria for the activation of a local or regional emergency alert.

(D) A radio broadcast station, television broadcast station, or cable system participating in the statewide blue alert program, and a director, officer, employee, or agent of a station or system participating in the program, is immune from liability for damages for any loss allegedly caused by or resulting from the station's or system's broadcast or cablecast of, or failure to broadcast or cablecast, any information pursuant to the statewide blue alert program.

(E) The statewide blue alert program shall be operated in such a manner that it complements and does not conflict with similar federal alert programs.

Section 5502.61 | Criminal justice services definitions.

• Effective: September 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

As used in sections 5502.61 to 5502.66 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Federal criminal justice acts" means any federal law that authorizes financial assistance and other forms of assistance to be given by the federal government to the states to be used for the improvement of the criminal and juvenile justice systems of the states.

(B)(1) "Criminal justice system" includes all of the functions of the following:

(a) The state highway patrol, county sheriff offices, municipal and township police departments, and all other law enforcement agencies;

(b) The courts of appeals, courts of common pleas, municipal courts, county courts, and mayor's courts, when dealing with criminal cases;

(c) The prosecuting attorneys, city directors of law, village solicitors, and other prosecuting authorities when prosecuting or otherwise handling criminal cases, and the county and joint county public defenders and other public defender agencies or offices;

(d) The department of rehabilitation and correction, probation departments, county and municipal jails and workhouses, and any other department, agency, or facility that is concerned with the rehabilitation or correction of criminal offenders;

(e) Any public or private agency whose purposes include the prevention of crime or the diversion, adjudication, detention, or rehabilitation of criminal offenders;

(f) Any public or private agency, the purposes of which include assistance to crime victims or witnesses.

(2) The inclusion of any public or private agency, the purposes of which include assistance to crime victims or witnesses, as part of the criminal justice system pursuant to division (B)(1) of this section does not limit, and shall not be construed as limiting, the discretion or authority of the attorney general with respect to crime victim assistance and criminal justice programs.

(C) "Juvenile justice system" includes all of the functions of the juvenile courts, the department of youth services, any public or private agency whose purposes include the prevention of delinquency or the diversion, adjudication, detention, or rehabilitation of delinquent children, and any of the functions of the criminal justice system that are applicable to children.

(D) "Comprehensive plan" means a document that coordinates, evaluates, and otherwise assists, on an annual or multi-year basis, any of the functions of the criminal and juvenile justice systems of the state or a specified area of the state, that conforms to the priorities of the state with respect to criminal and juvenile justice systems, and that conforms with the requirements of all federal criminal justice acts. These functions may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

(1) Crime and delinquency prevention;

(2) Identification, detection, apprehension, and detention of persons charged with criminal offenses or delinquent acts;

(3) Assistance to crime victims or witnesses, except that the comprehensive plan does not include the functions of the attorney general pursuant to sections 109.91 and 109.92 of the Revised Code;

(4) Adjudication or diversion of persons charged with criminal offenses or delinquent acts;

(5) Custodial treatment of criminal offenders, delinquent children, or both;

(6) Institutional and noninstitutional rehabilitation of criminal offenders, delinquent children, or both.

(E) "Metropolitan county criminal justice services agency" means an agency that is established pursuant to division (A) of section 5502.64 of the Revised Code.

(F) "Administrative planning district" means a district that is established pursuant to division (A) or (B) of section 5502.66 of the Revised Code.

(G) "Criminal justice coordinating council" means a criminal justice services agency that is established pursuant to division (D) of section 5502.66 of the Revised Code.

(H) "Local elected official" means any person who is a member of a board of county commissioners or township trustees or of a city or village council, judge of the court of common pleas, a municipal court, or a county court, sheriff, county coroner, prosecuting attorney, city director of law, village solicitor, or mayor.

(I) "Juvenile justice coordinating council" means a juvenile justice services agency that is established pursuant to division (D) of section 5502.66 of the Revised Code.

(J) "Mcgruff house program" means a program in which individuals or families volunteer to have their homes or other buildings serve as places of temporary refuge for children and to display the mcgruff house symbol identifying the home or building as that type of place.

(K) "Mcgruff house symbol" means the symbol that is characterized by the image of "mcgruff," the crime dog, and the slogan "take a bite out of crime," and that has been adopted by the national crime prevention council as the symbol of its national citizens' crime prevention campaign.

(L) "Sponsoring agency" means any of the following:

(1) The board of education of any city, local, or exempted village school district;

(2) The governing board of any educational service center;

(3) The governing authority of any chartered nonpublic school;

(4) The police department of any municipal corporation, township, township police district, or joint police district;

(5) The office of any township constable or county sheriff.

Section 5502.62 | Office of criminal justice services - powers and duties.

• Effective: June 30, 2007
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 67 - 127th General Assembly

(A) There is hereby created in the department of public safety a division of criminal justice services. The director of public safety, with the concurrence of the governor, shall appoint an executive director of the division of criminal justice services. The executive director shall be the head of the division. The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the director of public safety. To carry out the duties assigned under this section and to comply with sections 5502.63 to 5502.66 of the Revised Code, the executive director, subject to the direction and control of the director of public safety, may appoint and maintain any necessary staff and may enter into any necessary contracts and other agreements. The executive director of the division, and all professional and technical personnel employed within the division who are not public employees as defined in section 4117.01 of the Revised Code, shall be in the unclassified civil service, and all other persons employed within the division shall be in the classified civil service.

(B) Subject to division (F) of this section and subject to divisions (D) to (F) of section 5120.09 of the Revised Code insofar as those divisions relate to federal criminal justice acts that the governor requires the department of rehabilitation and correction to administer, the division of criminal justice services shall do all of the following:

(1) Serve as the state criminal justice services agency and perform criminal justice system planning in the state, including any planning that is required by any federal law;

(2) Collect, analyze, and correlate information and data concerning the criminal justice system in the state;

(3) Cooperate with and provide technical assistance to state departments, administrative planning districts, metropolitan county criminal justice services agencies, criminal justice coordinating councils, agencies, offices, and departments of the criminal justice system in the state, and other appropriate organizations and persons;

(4) Encourage and assist agencies, offices, and departments of the criminal justice system in the state and other appropriate organizations and persons to solve problems that relate to the duties of the division;

(5) Administer within the state any federal criminal justice acts that the governor requires it to administer;

(6) Administer funds received under the "Family Violence Prevention and Services Act," 98 Stat. 1757 (1984), 42 U.S.C.A. 10401, as amended, with all powers necessary for the adequate administration of those funds, including the authority to establish a family violence prevention and services program;

(7) Implement the state comprehensive plans;

(8) Audit grant activities of agencies, offices, organizations, and persons that are financed in whole or in part by funds granted through the division;

(9) Monitor or evaluate the performance of criminal justice system projects and programs in the state that are financed in whole or in part by funds granted through the division;

(10) Apply for, allocate, disburse, and account for grants that are made available pursuant to federal criminal justice acts, or made available from other federal, state, or private sources, to improve the criminal justice system in the state. All money from such federal grants that require that the money be deposited into an interest-bearing fund or account, that are intended to provide funding to local criminal justice programs, and that require that investment earnings be distributed for program purposes shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the federal justice programs funds, which are hereby created. A separate fund shall be established each federal fiscal year. All investment earnings of a federal justice programs fund shall be credited to that fund and distributed in accordance with the terms of the grant under which the money is received. If the terms under which the money is received do not require the money to be deposited into an interest-bearing fund or account, all money from such federal grants shall be deposited into the state treasury to the credit of the federal justice grants fund, which is hereby created. Money credited to the fund shall be used or distributed pursuant to the federal grant programs under which the money is received.

(11) Contract with federal, state, and local agencies, foundations, corporations, businesses, and persons when necessary to carry out the duties of the division;

(12) Oversee the activities of metropolitan county criminal justice services agencies, administrative planning districts, and criminal justice coordinating councils in the state;

(13) Advise the director of public safety, general assembly, and governor on legislation and other significant matters that pertain to the improvement and reform of criminal and juvenile justice systems in the state;

(14) Prepare and recommend legislation to the director of public safety, general assembly, and governor for the improvement of the criminal and juvenile justice systems in the state;

(15) Assist, advise, and make any reports that are requested or required by the governor, director of public safety, attorney general, or general assembly;

(16) Develop and maintain the Ohio incident-based reporting system in accordance with division (C) of this section;

(17) Subject to the approval of the director of public safety, adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code;

(18)(a) Not later than June 1, 2007, and subject to the approval of the director of public safety, adopt rules for the establishment and maintenance of a mcgruff house program by any sponsoring agency. The rules shall include the following:

(i) The adoption of the mcgruff house symbol to be used exclusively in all mcgruff house programs in this state;

(ii) The requirements for any sponsoring agency to establish and maintain a mcgruff house program;

(iii) The criteria for the selection of volunteers to participate in a mcgruff house program that shall include, but not be limited to, criminal background checks of those volunteers;

(iv) Any other matters that the division of criminal justice services considers necessary for the establishment and maintenance of mcgruff house programs by sponsoring agencies and the participation of volunteers in those programs.

(b) The division of criminal justice services shall distribute materials and provide technical assistance to any sponsoring agency that establishes and maintains a mcgruff house program, any volunteer group or organization that provides assistance to that sponsoring agency, or any volunteer who participates in a mcgruff house program.

(C) The division of criminal justice services shall develop and maintain the Ohio incident-based reporting system to facilitate the sharing of information with the federal bureau of investigation and participating law enforcement agencies in Ohio. The Ohio incident-based reporting system shall be known as OIBRS. In connection with OIBRS, the division shall do all of the following:

(1) Collect and organize statistical data for reporting to the national incident-based reporting system operated by the federal bureau of investigation for the purpose of securing federal criminal justice grants;

(2) Analyze and highlight mapping data for participating law enforcement agencies;

(3) Distribute data and analyses to participating law enforcement agencies;

(4) Encourage nonparticipating law enforcement agencies to participate in OIBRS by offering demonstrations, training, and technical assistance;

(5) Provide assistance, advice, and reports requested by the governor, the general assembly, or the federal bureau of investigation;

(6) Require every law enforcement agency that receives federal criminal justice grants or state criminal justice information system general revenue funds through the division to participate in OIBRS or in the uniform crime reporting program of the federal bureau of investigation. An agency that submits OIBRS data to the Ohio local law enforcement information sharing network shall be considered to be in compliance with division (C)(6) of this section if both of the following apply:

(a) The Ohio local law enforcement information sharing network is capable of collecting OIBRS data.

(b) The division of criminal justice services has the ability to extract the OIBRS data for reporting to the national incident-based reporting system in the manner required by the federal bureau of investigation.

(D) Upon the request of the director of public safety or governor, the division of criminal justice services may do any of the following:

(1) Collect, analyze, or correlate information and data concerning the juvenile justice system in the state;

(2) Cooperate with and provide technical assistance to state departments, administrative planning districts, metropolitan county criminal justice service agencies, criminal justice coordinating councils, agency offices, and the departments of the juvenile justice system in the state and other appropriate organizations and persons;

(3) Encourage and assist agencies, offices, and departments of the juvenile justice system in the state and other appropriate organizations and persons to solve problems that relate to the duties of the division.

(E) Divisions (B), (C), and (D) of this section do not limit the discretion or authority of the attorney general with respect to crime victim assistance and criminal justice programs.

(F) Nothing in this section is intended to diminish or alter the status of the office of the attorney general as a criminal justice services agency or to diminish or alter the status or discourage the development and use of other law enforcement information systems in Ohio.

Section 5502.63 | Poster and brochure describing safe firearms practices and information regarding human trafficking.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) The division of criminal justice services in the department of public safety shall prepare a poster and a brochure that describe safe firearms practices. The poster and brochure shall contain typeface that is at least one-quarter inch tall. The division shall furnish copies of the poster and brochure free of charge to each federally licensed firearms dealer in this state.

As used in this division, "federally licensed firearms dealer" means an importer, manufacturer, or dealer having a license to deal in destructive devices or their ammunition, issued and in effect pursuant to the federal "Gun Control Act of 1968," 82 Stat. 1213, 18 U.S.C. 923 et seq., and any amendments or additions to that act or reenactments of that act.

(B)(1) The division of criminal justice services shall create a poster that provides information regarding the national human trafficking resource center hotline. The poster shall be no smaller than eight and one-half inches by eleven inches in size and shall include a statement in substantially the following form:

"If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and cannot leave - whether it is commercial sex, housework, farm work, or any other activity - call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to access help and services.

Victims of human trafficking are protected under U.S. and Ohio law.

The toll-free Hotline is:

- Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

- Operated by a non-profit, non-governmental organization

- Anonymous & confidential

- Accessible in 170 languages

- Able to provide help, referral to services, training, and general information."

The statement shall appear on each poster in English, Spanish, and, for each county, any other language required for voting materials in that county under section 1973aa-1a of the "Voting Rights Act of 1965," 79 Stat. 437, 42 U.S.C. 1973, as amended. In addition to the national human trafficking resource center hotline, the statement may contain any additional hotlines regarding human trafficking for access to help and services.

(2) The division shall make the poster available for print on its public web site and shall make the poster available to and encourage its display at each of the following places:

(a) A highway truck stop;

(b) A hotel, as defined in section 3731.01 of the Revised Code;

(c) An adult entertainment establishment, as defined in section 2907.39 of the Revised Code;

(d) A beauty salon, as defined in section 4713.01 of the Revised Code;

(e) An agricultural labor camp, as defined in section 3733.41 of the Revised Code;

(f) A hospital or urgent care center;

(g) Any place where there is occurring a contest for the championship of a division, conference, or league of a professional athletic association or of a national collegiate athletic association division I intercollegiate sport or where there is occurring an athletic competition at which cash prizes are awarded to individuals or teams;

(h) Any establishment operating as a massage parlor, massage spa, alternative health clinic, or similar entity by persons who do not hold a valid license from the state medical board to practice massage therapy under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code;

(i) A fair.

(3) As used in this section:

(a) "Fair" means the annual exposition conducted by any county or independent agricultural society or the Ohio expositions commission.

(b) "Highway truck stop" means a gas station with a sign that is visible from a highway, as defined in section 5501.01 of the Revised Code, that offers amenities to commercial vehicles.

Section 5502.64 | Metropolitan county criminal justice services agency - powers and duties.

• Effective: June 30, 2005
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 66 - 126th General Assembly

(A) A county may enter into an agreement with the largest city within the county to establish a metropolitan county criminal justice services agency, if the population of the county exceeds five hundred thousand or the population of the city exceeds two hundred fifty thousand.

(B) A metropolitan county criminal justice services agency shall do all of the following:

(1) Accomplish criminal and juvenile justice systems planning within its services area;

(2) Collect, analyze, and correlate information and data concerning the criminal and juvenile justice systems within its services area;

(3) Cooperate with and provide technical assistance to all criminal and juvenile justice agencies and systems and other appropriate organizations and persons within its services area;

(4) Encourage and assist agencies of the criminal and juvenile justice systems and other appropriate organizations and persons to solve problems that relate to its duties;

(5) Administer within its services area any federal criminal justice acts or juvenile justice acts that the division of criminal justice services pursuant to section 5139.11 of the Revised Code or the department of youth services administers within the state;

(6) Implement the comprehensive plans for its services area;

(7) Monitor or evaluate, within its services area, the performance of the criminal and juvenile justice systems projects and programs that are financed in whole or in part by funds granted through it;

(8) Apply for, allocate, and disburse grants that are made available pursuant to any federal criminal justice acts, or pursuant to any other federal, state, or private sources for the purpose of improving the criminal and juvenile justice systems;

(9) Contract with federal, state, and local agencies, foundations, corporations, and other businesses or persons to carry out the duties of the agency.

Section 5502.65 | Metropolitan county criminal justice services agency - funding, supervisory board.

• Effective: June 30, 2005
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 66 - 126th General Assembly

(A)(1) When funds are available for criminal justice purposes pursuant to section 5502.64 of the Revised Code, the division of criminal justice services shall provide funds to metropolitan county criminal justice services agencies for the purpose of developing, coordinating, evaluating, and implementing comprehensive plans within their respective counties. The division of criminal justice services shall provide funds to an agency only if it complies with the conditions of division (B) of this section.

(2) When funds are available for juvenile justice purposes pursuant to section 5502.64 of the Revised Code, the department of youth services shall provide funds to metropolitan county criminal justice services agencies for the purpose of developing, coordinating, evaluating, and implementing comprehensive plans within their respective counties. The department shall provide funds to an agency only if it complies with the conditions of division (B) of this section.

(B) A metropolitan county criminal justice services agency shall do all of the following:

(1) Submit, in a form that is acceptable to the division of criminal justice services or the department of youth services pursuant to section 5139.01 of the Revised Code, a comprehensive plan for the county;

(2) Establish a metropolitan county criminal justice services supervisory board whose members shall include a majority of the local elected officials in the county and representatives from law enforcement agencies, courts, prosecuting authorities, public defender agencies, rehabilitation and correction agencies, community organizations, juvenile justice services agencies, professionals, and private citizens in the county, and that shall have the authority set forth in division (C) of this section;

(3) Organize in the manner provided in sections 167.01 to 167.03, 302.21 to 302.24, or 713.21 to 713.27 of the Revised Code, unless the board created pursuant to division (B)(2) of this section organizes pursuant to these sections.

(C) A metropolitan county criminal justice services supervisory board shall do all of the following:

(1) Exercise leadership in improving the quality of the criminal and juvenile justice systems in the county;

(2) Review, approve, and maintain general oversight of the comprehensive plans for the county and the implementation of the plans;

(3) Review and comment on the overall needs and accomplishments of the criminal and juvenile justice systems in the county;

(4) Establish, as required to comply with this division, task forces, ad hoc committees, and other committees, whose members shall be appointed by the chairperson of the board;

(5) Establish any rules that the board considers necessary and that are consistent with the federal criminal justice acts and section 5502.62 of the Revised Code.

Section 5502.66 | Metropolitan county criminal justice services agency - administrative planning district, criminal or juvenile justice coordinating council.

• Effective: June 30, 2005
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 66 - 126th General Assembly

(A) In counties in which a metropolitan county criminal justice services agency does not exist, the division of criminal justice services shall discharge the division's duties that the director of public safety requires it to administer by establishing administrative planning districts for criminal justice programs. An administrative planning district shall contain a group of contiguous counties in which no county has a metropolitan county criminal justice services agency.

(B) In counties in which a metropolitan county criminal justice services agency does not exist, the department of youth services shall discharge pursuant to section 5139.11 of the Revised Code the department's duty by establishing administrative planning districts for juvenile justice programs.

(C) All administrative planning districts shall contain a group of contiguous counties in which no county has a metropolitan county criminal justice services agency.

(D) Any county or any combination of contiguous counties within an administrative planning district may form a criminal justice coordinating council or a juvenile justice coordinating council for its respective programs, if the county or the group of counties has a total population in excess of two hundred fifty thousand. The council shall comply with the conditions set forth in divisions (B) and (C) of section 5502.65 of the Revised Code, and exercise within its jurisdiction the powers and duties set forth in division (B) of section 5502.64 of the Revised Code.

Section 5502.67 | Justice program service fund.

• Effective: July 1, 2015
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 53 - 131st General Assembly

There is hereby created in the state treasury the justice program services fund. The fund shall consist of the court costs designated for the fund pursuant to section 2949.094 of the Revised Code and all money collected by the division of criminal justice services for nonfederal purposes, including subscription fees for participating in the Ohio incident-based reporting system under division (C) of section 5502.62 of the Revised Code, unless otherwise designated by law. The justice program services fund shall be used to pay costs of administering the operations of the division of criminal justice services.

Section 5502.68 | Drug law enforcement fund.

• Effective: September 29, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly

(A) There is hereby created in the state treasury the drug law enforcement fund. Ninety-seven per cent of three dollars and fifty cents out of each ten-dollar court cost imposed pursuant to section 2949.094 of the Revised Code shall be credited to the fund. Money in the fund shall be used only in accordance with this section to award grants to counties, municipal corporations, townships, township police districts, and joint police districts to defray the expenses that a drug task force organized in the county, or in the county in which the municipal corporation, township, or district is located, incurs in performing its functions related to the enforcement of the state's drug laws and other state laws related to illegal drug activity.

The division of criminal justice services shall administer all money deposited into the drug law enforcement fund and, by rule adopted under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall establish procedures for a county, municipal corporation, township, township police district, or joint police district to apply for money from the fund to defray the expenses that a drug task force organized in the county, or in the county in which the municipal corporation, township, or district is located, incurs in performing its functions related to the enforcement of the state's drug laws and other state laws related to illegal drug activity, procedures and criteria for determining eligibility of applicants to be provided money from the fund, and procedures and criteria for determining the amount of money to be provided out of the fund to eligible applicants.

(B) The procedures and criteria established under division (A) of this section for applying for money from the fund shall include, but shall not be limited to, a provision requiring a county, municipal corporation, township, township police district, or joint police district that applies for money from the fund to specify in its application the amount of money desired from the fund, provided that the cumulative amount requested in all applications submitted for any single drug task force may not exceed more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars in any calendar year for that task force.

(C) The procedures and criteria established under division (A) of this section for determining eligibility of applicants to be provided money from the fund and for determining the amount of money to be provided out of the fund to eligible applicants shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) Provisions requiring that, in order to be eligible to be provided money from the fund, a drug task force that applies for money from the fund must provide evidence that the drug task force will receive a local funding match of at least twenty-five per cent of the task force's projected operating costs in the period of time covered by the grant;

(2) Provisions requiring that money from the fund be allocated and provided to drug task forces that apply for money from the fund in accordance with the following priorities:

(a) Drug task forces that apply, that are in existence on the date of the application, and that are determined to be eligible applicants, and to which either of the following applies shall be given first priority to be provided money from the fund:

(i) Drug task forces that received funding through the division of criminal justice services in calendar year 2007;

(ii) Drug task forces in a county that has a population that exceeds seven hundred fifty thousand.

(b) If any moneys remain in the fund after all drug task forces that apply, that are in existence on the date of the application, that are determined to be eligible applicants, and that satisfy the criteria set forth in division (C)(2)(a)(i) or (ii) of this section are provided money from the fund as described in division (C)(2)(a) of this section, the following categories of drug task forces that apply and that are determined to be eligible applicants shall be given priority to be provided money from the fund in the order in which they apply for money from the fund:

(i) Drug task forces that are not in existence on the date of the application;

(ii) Drug task forces that are in existence on the date of the application but that do not satisfy the criteria set forth in division (C)(2)(a)(i) or (ii) of this section.

(D) The procedures and criteria established under division (A) of this section for determining the amount of money to be provided out of the fund to eligible applicants shall include, but shall not be limited to, a provision specifying that the cumulative amount provided to any single drug task force may not exceed more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars in any calendar year.

(E) Any drug task force for which a grant is awarded by the division of criminal justice services under this section shall comply with all grant requirements established by the division, including a requirement that the drug task force report its activities through the El Paso intelligence center information technology systems.

(F) As used in this section, "drug task force" means a drug task force organized in any county by the sheriff of the county, the prosecuting attorney of the county, the chief of police of the organized police department of any municipal corporation or township in the county, and the chief of police of the police force of any township police district or joint police district in the county to perform functions related to the enforcement of state drug laws and other state laws related to illegal drug activity.

Section 5502.69 | Ohio narcotics intelligence center.

• Effective: October 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly

(A) There is hereby created the Ohio narcotics intelligence center in the department of public safety. The center shall operate as a division within the department.

(B) The director of public safety shall appoint an executive director of the center. The executive director shall serve at the discretion of the director of public safety. The executive director shall advise the governor and the director of public safety on matters pertaining to illegal drug activities. To carry out the duties assigned under this section, the executive director, subject to the direction and control of the director of public safety, may appoint and maintain necessary staff and may enter into any necessary agreements.

(C) The center shall do all of the following:

(1) Coordinate law enforcement response to illegal drug activities for state agencies and act as a liaison between state agencies and local entities for the purposes of communicating counter-drug policy initiatives;

(2) Collect, analyze, maintain, and disseminate information to support local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, other government agencies, and private organizations in detecting, deterring, preventing, preparing for, prosecuting, and responding to illegal drug activities. The records received and created are confidential law enforcement investigatory records pursuant to section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(3) Develop and coordinate policies, protocols, and strategies that may be used by local, state, and private organizations to detect, deter, prevent, prepare for, prosecute, and respond to illegal drug activities;

(4) Develop, update, and coordinate the implementation of an Ohio drug control strategy to guide state and local governments and public agencies.

Last updated October 4, 2023 at 3:04 PM

Section 5502.70 | Ohio mobile training team.

• Effective: October 24, 2024
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 168 - 135th General Assembly

(A) There is hereby created in the department of public safety the Ohio mobile training team, which shall be administered by a chief mobile training officer. The team shall provide services to public and nonpublic schools regarding school safety and security.

(B) Not later than December 11, 2022, the director of public safety shall appoint an individual who satisfies the criteria specified in division (B) of section 5502.701 of the Revised Code as the chief mobile training officer, who shall serve at the pleasure of the director. To carry out the duties prescribed by this section or sections 5502.702 and 5502.703 of the Revised Code, the chief mobile training officer may hire and maintain necessary staff and may enter into any necessary agreements.

(C) Not later than ninety days after the appointment of the chief mobile training officer, the director of public safety shall appoint sixteen regional mobile training officers, each of whom shall satisfy the criteria specified in division (B) of section 5502.701 of the Revised Code, to conduct the duties described in sections 5502.702 and 5502.703 of the Revised Code.

The regions shall be the same as those described in section 3312.02 of the Revised Code. To carry out the duties prescribed by sections 5502.702 and 5502.703 of the Revised Code, a regional mobile training officer may hire and maintain necessary staff and may enter into any necessary agreements.

(D) Except as otherwise provided by law, nothing in this section or in sections 5502.702 and 5502.703 of the Revised Code shall be construed to give the director of public safety, the chief mobile training officer, or a regional mobile training officer authority over the incident management structure or responsibilities of local emergency response personnel.

(E) The department of public safety, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules with respect to the Ohio mobile training team. The rules shall be made available for public inspection at the department of public safety and at other places and during reasonable hours as fixed by the chief mobile training officer of the Ohio mobile training team.

Last updated August 15, 2024 at 5:03 PM

Section 5502.701 | Mobile training team officer qualifications.

• Effective: September 12, 2022
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 99 - 134th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "veteran" means any person who has completed service in the armed forces of the United States and who has been honorably discharged under honorable conditions from the armed forces, or who has been transferred to the reserve with evidence of satisfactory service.

(B) No person is eligible for appointment to the position of chief mobile training officer or the position of regional mobile training officer unless that person meets the following requirements:

(1) The person is a licensed peace officer, as defined in division (A)(1) of section 109.71 of the Revised Code; or

(2) The person is a veteran, as defined in division (A) of this section; and

(3) The person has met all additional qualifications prescribed by rule adopted under section 5502.70 of the Revised Code.

Last updated October 17, 2022 at 11:05 AM

Section 5502.702 | Mobile training team officer duties.

• Effective: September 12, 2022
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 99 - 134th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "administrator" has the same meaning as in section 5502.262 of the Revised Code.

(B) The duties of the chief mobile training officer include:

(1) Administering the Ohio mobile training team;

(2) Adopting additional qualifications and training requirements for regional mobile training officers appointed under section 5502.70 of the Revised Code;

(3) Enforcing rules and executing additional duties prescribed by the department of public safety.

(C) The duties of a regional mobile training officer include:

(1) Upon request, assisting an administrator within an officer's region in the development or review of an emergency management plan under section 5502.262 of the Revised Code;

(2) Upon request, assisting an administrator of a public or nonpublic school within an officer's region with any other security protocols for activities or events outside of the building during or after school hours;

(3) Upon request, assisting in strategic communications between federal, state, and local law enforcement or agencies in the event of an emergency situation at a school within an officer's region;

(4) Offering tactical emergency medical services training to public and nonpublic schools within an officer's region;

(5) Promoting the use of the SaferOH tip line within an officer's region;

(6) Enforcing rules and executing additional duties prescribed by either the department of public safety or the chief mobile training officer;

(7) Providing instruction and training through the Ohio school safety and crisis center as prescribed in section 5502.703 of the Revised Code;

(8) Overseeing training operations and offering training opportunities for school employees, including observing emergency management tests as described in section 5502.262 of the Revised Code, providing weapons manipulation instruction, and other appropriate activities.

Last updated October 17, 2022 at 11:06 AM

Section 5502.703 | Ohio school safety and crisis center.

• Effective: September 12, 2022
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 99 - 134th General Assembly

(A) The Ohio school safety and crisis center is hereby created within the department of public safety and shall be operated by the mobile training team established under section 5502.70 of the Revised Code.

(B) The mobile training team shall develop curriculum and provide instruction and training, including firearms training, that individuals may complete to satisfy the criterion specified in division (D)(1)(d)(i) of section 2923.122 of the Revised Code to be permitted to convey deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone under division (D)(1)(d) of that section. Except as otherwise specified in division (D)(1)(d)(i) of that section, an individual shall successfully complete the curriculum, instruction, and training so developed as a requirement to be permitted to convey deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone under the authority of division (D)(1)(d) of that section.

The curriculum, instruction, and training shall follow the private investigator and security guard firearms training guidelines adopted under section 4749.06 of the Revised Code and include both of the following:

(1) Initial instruction and training, which shall not exceed twenty-four hours;

(2) Annual requalification training, which shall not exceed eight hours.

Nothing in this section prohibits a school district board of education or governing body of a school from requiring additional training for an individual to which this section applies.

(C)(1) The curriculum of the initial and requalification instruction and training required under this section shall include instruction in all of the following:

(a) Mitigation techniques;

(b) Communications capabilities and coordination and collaboration techniques;

(c) Neutralization of potential threats and active shooters;

(d) Accountability;

(e) Reunification;

(f) Psychology of critical incidents;

(g) De-escalation techniques;

(h) Crisis intervention;

(i) Trauma and first aid care;

(j) The history and pattern of school shootings;

(k) Tactics of responding to critical incidents in schools;

(l) At least four hours of training in scenario-based or simulated training exercises;

(m) Completion of tactical live firearms training;

(n) Realistic urban training.

(2) The board or governing body of the school that authorizes an individual to convey deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone, under division (D)(1)(d) of section 2923.122 of the Revised Code, shall pay all fees for the training described in divisions (B) and (C)(1) of this section that the individual receives.

(3) A school district board of education or governing body of a school may adopt alternate curriculum, instruction, and training, provided it includes all of the topics specified in division (C)(1) of this section.

A district board or governing body shall submit any alternate curriculum, instruction, and training adopted under division (C)(3) of this section to the school safety and crisis center for approval prior to granting authorization to an individual to convey deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone under the control of the district board or governing authority. The school safety center shall approve any curriculum, instruction, and training within thirty days after receipt if the curriculum, instruction, and training comply with divisions (B) and (C) of this section.

(D) Each school district board of education or governing body of a school shall provide to the school safety and crisis center a current list of the qualified personnel authorized to convey deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone under the control of the district board or governing body who have completed training under this section.

The list is not a public record under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(E) The department of public safety, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules to implement this section.

Last updated October 17, 2022 at 11:07 AM

Section 5502.99 | Penalty.

• Effective: October 29, 1995
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 162 - 121st General Assembly

(A) Whoever violates division (A) of section 5502.37 of the Revised Code shall be fined fifty dollars or imprisoned for not less than sixty days, or both.

(B) Whoever violates division (B) of section 5502.37 of the Revised Code shall be fined not less than five thousand nor more than ten thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not less than one nor more than five years, or both.

(C) Whoever violates division (C) or (D) of section 5502.37 of the Revised Code shall be fined not less than two thousand nor more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not less than one nor more than five years, or both.

(D) Except as provided in divisions (A), (B), and (C) of this section and unless another penalty is provided by the laws of this state, whoever violates sections 5502.21 to 5502.37 of the Revised Code, or any other law enacted, adopted, or issued pursuant to those sections, shall be fined not more than fifty dollars or imprisoned for not more than sixty days, or both.