Ohio House Public Safety Committee - 5-19-2026

The Public Safety Committee will now come to order. Will the clerk please call the roll? Chair Abrams.

Vice Chair Miller.

Ranking Member Thomas.

Representative Brent.

Representative Brewer.

Representative Creech. Representative Gambari is excused.

Here.

Representative Kishman.

Representative Luray.

Representative Plummer.

Representative Willis.

Okay, we have a quorum and we will proceed as a full committee. Members, the minutes of the March 24, 2026 committee meeting are on your iPads for review. Are there any objections or changes to the minutes? Hearing no objections, the minutes are approved. We do have a full agenda today, as everyone can see on their iPads. We have a hard stop at 1130. I'd like to be respectful of everybody's time. So testimony at this moment is limited to five minutes. We may reduce that if we are short on time. Members, a friendly reminder to be mindful of your questions. We want to get everybody in here today. Okay, I will now call House Bill 689 for its fourth hearing. The chair recognizes Vice Chair Miller for a motion.

Clerk, please call the roll. Chair Abrams.

Vice Chair Miller.

Ranking Member Thomas. Representative Brent.

Representative Brewer. Yes.

Representative Kishman. Yes.

Representative Plummer. Yes.

Okay, with 10 affirmative votes and 0 negative votes, the bill passes. The bill will be reported as a substitute bill. Members, please make sure you sign the report as it comes around, and please indicate on the report if you would like to co-sponsor. I will now call House Bill We're going to go out of order here quickly Just to get some amendments in here while I have a quorum I will now call House Bill 849 for its first hearing The chair recognizes Hold on I thought we had an amendment, never mind Alright, scratch it I will now call House Bill 82 for its second hearing The chair recognizes Vice Chair Miller for a motion

Okay, please explain the sub-bill.

Okay. Are there any questions or discussions on the sub-bill? Without objection, the motion will be agreed to. Hearing no objection, the motion is agreed to and the committee accepts the amendment. We're going to come back to that bill. I will now call House Bill 417 for its third hearing. The chair recognizes Vice Chair Miller for a motion. Or it's Plummer, never mind. Representative Plummer.

Explain the amendment, please.

Okay.

Okay. That was it. Okay. Thank you. It's noted. Without objection, the motion will be agreed to. Hearing no objection, the motion is agreed to, and the committee accepts the amendment. I'm going to come back to Representative Plummer for a second motion.

Okay, please explain the amendment.

Okay. Are there any questions or discussion on the amendment? Okay. Hearing no objection, the motion will be agreed to, and the committee accepts the amendment. Members, direct your attention to the iPads for interested party testimony, and that will now conclude the third hearing of House Bill 417. I will now call House Bill 667 for its third hearing. The chair recognizes Vice Chair Miller for a motion.

Okay, please explain the amendment.

Okay. Are there any questions or discussion on the amendment?

Okay. That's noted. And just to be clear, we do not have a 24-hour rule in this committee. Hearing no objection, the motion is agreed to and the committee accepts the amendment. Members, please direct your attention to the iPads for written testimony, written interested party testimony, and that will now conclude the third hearing for House Bill 667. Okay, now going back to the top of the order. I will now call Senate Bill 321 for its first hearing. The chair recognizes Senator Schaefer.

I understand, Madam Chair. The floor is yours.

Thank you Senator for being here. Members do you have any questions?

Ranking Member Thomas.

Chair Abrams, Representative Senator Thomas. I think there's nothing in this bill that would prohibit that. And I believe, I'm virtually positive, that they're carrying some of those tools today. They just don't carry firearms. But I don't think there's anything in this bill that could be interpreted as limiting that you can't have a mace, you can't have a taser, you can't have other things to help resolve situations. And certainly and hopefully, we certainly hope before the use of firearms would ever become an option or a necessary. Madam Chair Fowler.

We can talk about that. I'm not putting you on the spot or anything, but in order to make the bill better. Sure. Madam Chair, Representative Thomas, if you're looking at my testimony, one, two, three, four, the fifth paragraph up from the end says that the amendment also added additional firearms training that the two agencies can require of their police officers. And I think that was added in the spirit of what you're talking about. We want to make sure that they're properly trained to make sure that absolutely firearm use is the absolute last resort in order to preserve life. So I'm confident in that amendment that we added in the Senate committee, but I would absolutely love to sit down and talk with you and go through the language to make sure you're comfortable with it, that it does what I think it does and what you're wanting.

Sure.

Madam Chair, Representative Thomas, that's a great question. Let me verify that, and I will get the answer through the chair's office to everybody on the committee. Let's just make sure that these individuals, these OPATA commission or licensed police officers, have that additional training that you're talking about. I understand exactly what you're talking about. I believe that these are not random or rank-and-file type interactions. This population very well may have extra needs for attention, certain types of attention and handling. So, yes, that's a very good question. So, Madam Chair, I will get some responses back to you. Thank you.

Any further questions? Representative Brant.

Madam Chair, Representative Brent, because the situation is that sometimes these police officers are off campus. They are taking the clients, the patients, to appointments, that kind of thing. And these folks have phones available to them, cell phones. And so the fear is that we have the potential of ambush, escape, attempted escape, things like that. Some of these folks may be ill. They may be very ill, but they're also, many of them are very bright, and some may have some criminal intent possibly of escape or getting my brothers to show up and spring me from the patrol car or whatever it might be. We're sending police to do some very delicate, to Representative Thomas' point, some delicate work, and it can be dangerous work, and they're unarmed. So we're not asking for anything other than what every police officer you see on the street has.

Madam Chair, Representative Brent, let me get back to you with those stats. Let me check with the departments and our sources, and I'd be glad to.

Okay. Okay.

Okay. Thank you. And just a clarification, Representative.

I get it. It's very dangerous.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Senator, for bringing this to our attention. The two members already brought up my concern, but I do just want to emphasize that, hopefully with the amendments, that some type of de-escalation training is also put in there as well. Yes, they should protect themselves, but as the two reps already mentioned, there should be some type of de-escalation training before someone resorts to their guns. So thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I will be following up with you on these questions.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Chair Abrams, Ranking Member Thomas, and members of the House Public Safety Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide sponsor testimony today on House Bill 852. House Bill 852 is very straightforward legislation. It states that individuals who are appointed to serve as a chief of police must complete an Ohio Peace Officer basic training program. Under current law, an individual may in some circumstances be appointed as police chief without completing Ohio peace officer basic training requirements. While many chiefs already possess extensive law enforcement backgrounds, this bill closes an important gap by ensuring that all appointed chiefs meet a consistent baseline standard of training and preparedness. In communities across our state, police chiefs are entrusted with extraordinary responsibility. They establish department policy, oversee officer conduct and training, make critical operational decisions, and serve as the public face of law enforcement in their jurisdictions These responsibilities require not only administrative ability but also a fundamental understanding of Ohio law enforcement practices and the realities officers face in the field each and every day. Chair Abrams, Ranking Member Thomas, members of the Public Safety Committee, thank you again for the ability to testify today, and I would be more than happy to answer any of your questions.

Representative Brewer. Thank you sir, thank you for bringing my attention because I know where this has happened in some districts in Coward County. Two questions. The first one, I know you have it here, interim chiefs and appointed on your bill. Do you have interim in there now because I know they're exempt, but also you know will your bill include interim chiefs, I know appointed, but interim as well, who have to take these requirements.

Through the chair to the representative, certainly happy to take a look at the language

Follow up, go ahead. Civil service exams, does it also require them to take the civil service exams as well, or just the framing?

Ranking Member Thomas.

Through the chair, to the representative, that's a great question. Under current law right now, I believe it's an 80-hour class that they have to take. in order to get that certification.

Through the chair to the representative. So that's a great point. What I would say is, and I can't remember if it was the last General Assembly or two General Assemblies ago, we specifically mandated training for chiefs in the state of Ohio. We did. So there is that additional training. What this is is it ensures that if you going to call yourself a police chief that you have certification through Opata in the state of Ohio And right now although most do this it a loophole we trying to close because there are some chiefs that have been appointed that do not have any of the things you're talking about, and we're trying to close that.

No, we can talk, officer. Yeah. Thank you.

Correct, Representative Miller? I'm sorry?

Yes, they have to be a certified, correct.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and then thank you, Representative, for bringing this bill forth. Just a quick question for you. Lots of times when we introduce bills, it's birthed out of something. Something happened, you know, something caught your eye. What was it that made you introduce this? Like, why do you feel like this is important?

Can you follow up? And then I just have a quick follow up. It sounds like it's not very many maybe cities or townships or whatever that does this. But I guess my question, and I hate to put them on blast, but I'm nosy, so I want to know. Like what what city is it that is allowing for police police chiefs to be appointed without that training? Is that OK for me? For me to ask?

What a great answer. What a great answer. OK.

Welcome to committee. Do I need to bring this down?

Whatever is comfortable for you there. I'm not as tall as Kevin either, so there's that.

Good morning, Chair Abrams, Vice Chair Miller, and Ranking Member Thomas, and all other member committees. Thank you for this opportunity to provide proponents a testimony on House Bill 82 My name is Christina Greenwood I am the mother of Jordan Thomas who was a local member of Labor Union 423 and employed at Kikosing since 2023. On February 28, 2026, at 2.14 a.m., please just give me a little grace, an impaired driver made it easily through my son's construction zone my son was tragically killed Jordan was only 25 years old he was filled with light, energy, ambition unfortunately Jordan is now a part of the National Work Zone's fatalities, but I am here today to be his voice Work zone safety and regulations play a key role in maintaining and upgrading our nation's roadways. In 2024, 850 people were killed in work zones, a decrease from 905 in 2023, according to the FHWA report. However, even with the decline, on average, at least two people are killed in a work zone every single day, according to NHTSA data. While the recent decline in work zones is encouraging, more than 100,000 work zone crashes still occur annually nationwide. The hole that Jordan's death has created in our family will never be filled. But preventing the death of construction workers by passing this bill is the reason for me being here today. Many of Jordan's co-workers also took witness to this and are forever changed. Many of them could not return to work because of the trauma. The tripling effect that this has is massive. This is why I am pleading to you that my advocacy does not fall on deaf ears and that you are moved to increase the safety and accountability and worker construction zones to ensure all of Jordan's brothers and sisters make it home to their families safely, because Jordan did not. Thank you again for this opportunity to provide support for HB 82, and I would be happy to answer any questions.

Representative Bren. This is not to the actual witness. This is actually maybe to LSE or to the chairwoman. I know we passed a similar bill maybe two GAs ago about protecting these areas of people who, I think it might have been like Rep Patterson's bill from Geaga. Wasn't there a similar bill that we passed that was similar to this already that addressed this? Is this already? I can't recall. Last GA, no, but maybe the GA before. I'm the senior person in this committee right now. I'm the old lady of the room, not by age though. But I remember us passing something similar to this. I'll have to look it up, but I remember us passing something similar to address this. We had another mom who had a similar situation like this, and I just hate that any family has to deal with this when your kid is going to work and they're doing a good job. You never want to think that they're going to be hurt by a driver who's being irresponsible. So I'm definitely sorry that you even have to come here for that. I'm glad you came to the people's house, but I'm sorry that you had to come here on those terms.

Okay. Any further questions? Thank you again

Thank you. Chair, now recognizes Mandy Gherkin, the Gherkin Companies.

Wait one minute. Yep, yep. Appears to be a packed house here.

Very much so. Wait one minute. Okay, go ahead.

and for their leadership on this important issue. My name is Mandy Gerken. I'm the Chief Administrative Officer for the Gerken Companies. We're a fourth-generation family business based in Northwest Ohio. I'm an Executive Board Member for the Ohio Contractors Association, and I'm an attorney by training. In my current role, I oversee safety, risk, legal, and compliance for our organization. But long before I held any of these titles, I was a flagger on the roadway. It wasn't unusual for me to flag with my parents, family, friends in the summers. To this day, my dad, who is now in his 60s, will still occasionally grab a flag and help when needed. My cousin is a foreman. I have another cousin as a project manager. and there are countless multi-generation road construction families within the Gerken organization. My grandfather, who is now 96, used to drive jobs up until about the age of 94. I tell you all of this because road construction is not just what we do, it's who we are, and it is very important to us to protect the members of our road construction family. I still remember my first day as a flagger. I was called in to flag when the worker before me left promptly after a semi-swerved and overturned to miss her. I remember my mother's tears as I climbed into my father's truck and went out to flag traffic for the first time. Today is far more dangerous. With increased traffic volumes, larger vehicles, and greater driver distraction than ever before, the risks in today's work zones are fundamentally different than they were even a decade ago. Over the past 20 years, in my current role, I have overseen numerous investigations involving our employees being struck in work zones. I have seen the full spectrum, from minor physical contact to life-altering injuries to tragic loss of life. I've seen firsthand the emotional and physical toll these accidents take on family and their work colleagues. And I commend Christina and the Galloways for being able to come forward today to discuss those specific situations. While preparing for my testimony over the weekend, my thoughts consistently drifted to the many employees that have been affected. I think of the flagger that had ongoing headaches after being struck as a driver disregarded a road close sign in Toledo. I think of the gentleman that was a victim of a hit and run on I-475 who was so badly injured he couldn't walk down the aisle at his own wedding. I think of my own father's call to me as he held his high school classmate who had just had his leg shattered in Lima, Ohio in a work zone. I think about the father we lost on US-24 just miles from our main office. Each of these incidents is devastating, but what makes them even harder is what sometimes happens afterward Too often our workers suffer and the drivers do not As an attorney I was surprised to learn how limited the statutory tools are when it comes to holding drivers accountable in these situations. When I began inquiring law enforcement officers why citations were not being issued in these cases, or why the charges were limited to something like assured clear distance, which appeared to make an inhuman no more than a bumper. I was shocked by what I learned. Quite simply, there are gaps in the law that do not adequately address the act of striking a construction worker in a work zone. That realization has stayed with me for many years, and I have been looking for an opportunity to correct it ever since. I began raising the issue with legal colleagues and stakeholders connected to the state house more than six years ago. While my early efforts did not gain traction at the time, I was honored to later be asked as a part of this group to advocate for House Bill 82. House Bill 82 is an important step forward. It does not correct everything, but it strengthens the accountability for unsafe driving in construction zones, increases penalties, and then pairs that with education and training options that improve driver awareness and behavior. That balance is critical because this is not just about punishment. It is about prevention. At Gherkin, we employ more than 600 hardworking men and women. They work long hours and a short construction season to build and maintain the infrastructure that allows Ohio to keep moving forward. They deserve to go home safely. This is not just about protecting workers. It's about protecting every driver, passenger, and family traveling on Ohio's roads. When someone makes the choice to drive recklessly, distracted, or impaired through a work zone and harms one of these workers, No matter how minor, there must be meaningful consequences that help drive awareness and change behaviors. Just as importantly, we must do everything we can to educate our drivers about how to properly and respectfully travel our work zones. At the end of the day, our request is simple. The men and women building Ohio's roads should not have to risk their lives to do it. On behalf of the Gherkin companies, my family, and the many men and women that build roads across Ohio, I respectfully urge you to support House Bill 82. I thank you for your time and opportunity to speak today.

Thank you, ma'am, for your testimony. I guess I haven't really read the analysis, but so my question, you mentioned education. The bill educates those that are, require those that violate the rules. I believe the bills requires those individuals to get some additional education. It has two parts for education. So one of them is just educating new drivers. so it would be added to driver's education. The second piece is if you receive this citation, that in lieu of the fine, you can do some additional training for your first offense. Madam Chair, follow up. The reason that got my attention was simply, oftentimes individuals, for whatever reason, just the drivers, they are not familiar with the new law. And so they're not well, they don't, oftentimes they find out about it after they violated the law And I was thinking that maybe it might be a good idea if we use some of the fines the dollars that we use those fine dollars to begin to educate the public on this issue.

Just follow up. Follow up. So then maybe I can talk to the sponsor, and maybe we can add an educational component into the bill. I think that a public campaign would be an excellent idea, and I would support having that conversation. Okay, thank you.

Thank you. Chair Abrams, Vice Chair Miller, and Ranking Member Thomas, and members of the House Safety Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide proponent testimony on House Bill 82. My name is Jenny Galloway. My husband Mike is here with me today, and I am the mother of Trenton Galloway, whose name is attached to this bill. He was hit and killed by a motorist that was trying to pass him while he was working in a work zone. He worked for Richland County Highway Department, and they were working on a two-lane country road that was well-traveled at the time, doing moving berm work. He was a seasonal employee just out of high school working for them, and they loved him, and the bosses and all the guys that worked with him really took him under his wing and talked him into getting a CDL to stay on full-time. So that's what he did. He figured it out, figured out how to get a CDL, had a job when he came home from that. and that was in 24 when he was hit. He was also a lifelong active member at Grace Bible Church, which has been greatly impacted by the loss of him. He was a hard worker. He was his brother's best friend. Their birthdays are coming up here in the next couple of weeks. They were just barely two years apart. he was a good son he was a jokester he liked to give me crap a lot and I really miss that Sorry. His voice was taken for him, so that's why I'm here today. And I believe that he would want me to speak up for his co-workers, because many of them he loved, and we're still in contact with today. Okay. Something in House Bill 82, it's going to require, like you had just spoke about, the online driver education courses and in person to instruct on the dangers and requirements related to driving in a construction zone. I never even thought about that when I was teaching my kids, you know, to even speak about it. It never occurred to me. And I was talking to somebody more recently about that, and they said they asked their child, who was currently going through driver's ed, and it was the same thing. They asked their child because they knew about this, and they had no clue. They had no clue that there was maybe going to be a guy there with a sign that they need to watch for or that you have to slow down and move over or all that. so I'm a proponent of that extra teaching. House Bill 82 would also impose additional penalties on people who commit the specified traffic offenses in a construction zone. And in my opinion, obviously, probably, this is a very minimal fine in this bill. You're putting that fine on a life. You know. And it just changes. It changes the entire course of our community. We've seen our church, our family, his friends, his girlfriends, his brother. It just has changed everything. And other people have already given to dads and stuff, so I don't need to. It's not just Trent. You know, there's a lot of young kids out there, dads, moms. And I believe also I like the point about, you know, getting the word out there because if the public knows and if the public can see a face with it and can see that a construction zone is their work area, just like they're going to their work in their office or whatever, you know, and you're flying by them, you know, at high speeds, that maybe they would think twice about it if they know, especially if there's extra fines because nobody wants to pay any extra fines or go sit in a class for some extra hours to learn the additional driver's training. I believe what happened to our son could have been prevented. We will continue to help advocate for all of his fellow road workers. Many of them are very traumatized by what happened. They're out there risking their lives so that each one of us has a nice road to drive on. It really just puts life into perspective when you have to think about these things. And they deserve respect. And right now I don't see that they're getting it for much of the public. So thank you again for providing support for House Bill 82. I can attempt to answer questions.

not necessarily a question but certainly a comment I have a son and And I can only, I can't even really imagine. And so I just want to say thank you to you as well as to the other mother for being here, being vulnerable and speaking up on behalf of your sons. So again, just I'm praying for you and just thank you for your strength. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Chair Adams, Vice Chair Miller, Ranking Member Thomas, and members of the Ohio House Public Safety Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on House Bill 82. My name is Will Woodfin, and I'm the President-elect and Government Relations Liaison for the Ohio Chapter of the American Traffic Safety Services Association, ATSA. On behalf of the Ohio Chapter of ATSA, I write to you today to ask for your support of House Bill 82. HB 82 would strengthen the penalties against drivers who operate their vehicles in a dangerous and reckless manner as they drive through roadway work zones, along with providing additional work zone safety education for new drivers. The Ohio ATSA chapter represents the men and women who work to install and maintain roadway safety devices and infrastructure across Ohio, as well as those who provide traffic control services in roadway work zones. Roadway workers are the most vulnerable part of the work zone. Often, just feet from live traffic, workers in their work zones are often struck by distracted and speeding drivers. The National Work Zone Safety Clearinghouse reported that in 2023, 136 roadway workers were killed doing their jobs. Roadway workers are killed on the job 3.7 times more often than the average American worker. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol Work Zone Dashboard, since the start of 2026, there have already been 935 crashes in work zones, with over 320 of those having workers present when those crashes occurred. These crashes have resulted in hundreds of injuries and, tragically, seven deaths. Between 2020 and 2024, OSHP issued over 30,000 citations for motorists in work zones, of which 74% were for speeding violations and more than 11,000 of them for violations in which the driver was traveling more than 20 miles per hour over the limit. Nearly 120 of those citations were for motorists traveling over 100 miles per hour. Every instance of speeding or reckless driving in a work zone means that a road worker is at an elevated risk of being killed in a work zone. Unfortunately, this is what happened to Trenton Galloway in 2024. Trenton was a 20-year-old Richland County Highway Department worker who was struck and killed by a driver attempting to pass his truck while he completed intermittent moving road maintenance in Franklin Township. It's key to point out this is a local road we're talking about, not a highway, which a lot of times there's a distinction that needs to be made. A lot of people think this is covered under highways, and it's not. Local roads are not included in that same legislation. Stories like Trenton's are why the Ohio ATSA chapter is supportive of legislation such as HB82. Imposing stricter penalties on those who speed, drive distracted, or drive recklessly is vital to help address bad driver behavior in work zones. Improvements at the state's driver ed curriculum to include more instruction on safely navigating work zones will help make our most vulnerable drivers aware of these dangers. We urge this committee to support HB 82 and help secure its passage to the House. Now is the time to address the safety crisis, and I look forward to working with the committee to bring the number of fatalities and work zones across Ohio to zero We also like to thank the bill sponsors Representatives Glick and Johnson for bringing this important legislation forward Thank you I'll receive any questions if there's...

Our goal is to make the bill even better. So there you go.

Maybe, maybe. Let me try something. Okay. Ranking Member Thomas, maybe. Now this is, help me out, just follow my thoughts here. When I travel through Pennsylvania, you know, you get on the toll road and you pay a toll a toll from point A to point B. And the toll could be more if you speed through that area. I found that out. Uh-oh. Found out the hard way, I guess. We have a lot of confessions here in this committee. Now, I'm not advocating for a toll to drive through a work zone. but maybe if the speed limit is set and you travel through that at an excessive speed does it make sense to all of a sudden now that person gets a citation simply because he went through that work zone. It's just that work zone now. Nowhere else. If the speed limit is set If the speed limit is 55 and this person travels 70 miles per hour through, and as they exit that area, whatever methods they use in Pennsylvania to track your speed, it will attach to that vehicle going through that zone. Does that make sense?

Okay, that's fine. Okay.

All right. Any further questions?

Thank you, Chairwoman. and I might be asking this to the wrong person, but I just want to put this on record because I've learned being here for a long time that if you don't say it in committee and you bring it up later as an amendment, people will be like, it never got brought up in committee. So you might not even be the right person for the question. So I just want to put that disclaimer on here. So question I have is that we're going to be putting up these cameras for the speed monitoring and also for the installation of the cameras. I don't have any quorums with that. My quorums is that in the legislation is that we're going to be using private contractors. Now, we didn't have this lovely folks from the unions come, and now we're going to say we're not going to have us as a state install it. We're going to utilize private contractors. Have a little bit of pause with using private contractors instead of us as a state installing our own cameras and also having our own data for these cameras and for the speed monitoring. And I said, you might not be the person to answer this question, so you don't have to feel like you're pushing.

I digress. Yeah. We only got this at 6 o'clock yesterday, so I was driving.

That's it.

Thank you. That's why I said I might be asking the wrong person.

Thank you.

Good morning. Chair Abrams, Vice Chair Miller, Ranking Member Thomas, and members of the Ohio Public Safety Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written proponent testimony in support of House Bill 82. My name is Bill Luttmer. I am the president of ANA Safety. We are a traffic control company with offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Beaver Creek. I'm also currently serving as the Ohio Contractors Association chairman for 2026, as well as having been past president of the Ohio ATSA chapter. I've been working in the industry for over 40 years. A&E Safety has approximately 200 employees who work directly in traffic on a daily basis. I'm here today to share some thoughts about work zone safety that you may or may not think about or be aware of. They don't show up in any type of data, collection, or reporting services from Federal Highway or any type of law enforcement. When I share these thoughts, I'd like you to think about what other professions have similar risks and requirements that we have. Also, what other laws and protections exist for those professions? For instance, in what profession do you have to reach out to a family and loved one to let them know their spouse, child, or a loved one has been in an accident? Even more horrific in my role and many people that are here in support of this bill is to let them know that their loved one has lost their life. In what profession does a co-worker need to call emergency services on a regular basis and stay with an injured team member until help arrives? In what profession do you witness firsthand equipment and devices struck with brute force, creating significant damage within inches of where you stand? In what profession does someone on a regular basis have to dive out of the way of danger? This can be from an inexperienced driver, inattentive driver, impaired driver, distracted driver, or any of the above. In what profession are risks creating such a stress level that many are choosing to pursue a different line of work nowhere near the traveling public? We need your help. House Bill 82 the Trenton Work Zone Safety Act is a step in the right direction for work zone safety The goal is to reduce injuries and fatalities for roadway workers as well as the traveling public This bill attacks the problem in multiple ways. It addresses the education component. I have a 16-year-old daughter who has had her license since December. she went through all of the requirements of getting her license and had virtually no exposure or experience with regard to work zone safety before getting her license. The bill would help in requiring classroom and online instruction as well behind the wheel training to improve the understanding of work zone safety. The best place to start is always at the beginning. It will address the appropriate work zone speed limit and what will be the most effective use of that tool based on all safety considerations. It will clearly define a work zone, where it begins and where it ends, as well as clarifying where penalties will exist. It will specify new mandatory work zone signage, indicating increased penalties, which will hopefully increase visibility and awareness. By allowing the traveling public to pay a reckless operation fine or be waived by completing a driver behavior course that they have a choice, hopefully will enhance the likelihood of changing driver behavior in a work zone. This legislation will use all the tools in the toolbox. We're attacking this problem with education, engineering, enforcement, and enhanced communication to protect roadway workers and the traveling public. Thank you again for the opportunity to support House Bill 82, the Trenton-Galloway Work Zone Safety Act, and I would be happy to answer any question the committee may have.

Good morning. Good morning. How are you all doing? It's just a normal day in public safety. Here we are. Very good. I'm glad to be here. Chair Abrams, Vice Chair Miller,

With all the goodies. Thanks, Chair Abrams. I'll be brief since Representative Salvo did such a great job. This is her lane of prevention. Guys, we're not eliminating vapes. We're eliminating vapes that aren't approved by the FDA. We're eliminating vapes that are coming from China that are targeting our kids, that are putting nasty chemicals in our kids, and they can't even smoke them in China. So figure that out. Can't use them in China, but we're going to send them to America to, you know, put this crap in our kids' lungs. So it's a great framework. You know, we're going to have, Jody said most of it, a directory. We're going to strengthen policies for schools. I mean, I still coach wrestling. This is a huge problem in schools. You guys know that. I lost a couple of my better wrestlers because of this crap we'll do more inspections and enforcements from DPS the packaging, the marketing towards our children has to stop this is very clever but it's not cool at all in my world there be more penalties there going to be legislative oversight so after this framework in place by twice a year they going to have to bring reports back to us to make sure this is actually working A lot of times we pass laws and people don enforce them So I think this is a good bill, like Representative Salvo said. We'll get a little pushback back, but you guys know as well as I do, this is the right thing to do to protect our kids. So we'll open up for any questions, Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Chairwoman. from the chairwoman to the sponsors. I'm just asking a technical question. I see in your bill you're going to make people pay a fee of $125 for every place of business. So just making a statement. Sure, go ahead. Okay. So you're doing this $125 fee. That's a lot of different stores that people will have to do. Have you talked to people who make vapes locally within the state of Ohio of how that will affect their point of doing business here within the state? I know you guys keep on referring to other countries, but we still do have people who make vapes within the state. And I don't own business, but $125 just for each application for each store that I'm doing at seems very expensive when you're trying to get your stuff out there. Sure.

So you already had them?

Anything else?

Representative, a follow-up?

so I'm going to answer on behalf. His wrestlers are 15. Where this bill hits exactly to your question and I served schools many years before I walked into this space They are pervasive in our school buildings Some of these actually this is one that would look much more common in our schools They're pretty. So easy to conceal. Some of these vapes fit in the drawstrings of sweatshirts. I mean, they are absolutely everywhere. Why we're talking about youth diversion is because we do not have licensed retailers or a regulatory framework that exists in this vape market, which means this underage sales are happening everywhere. So once we have a regulatory framework, very similar to what we already do with tobacco, then we will not have the problem of the diversion that we have. And we're not banning any of the vape products. so adults have full access to the products that will be on the market. But as legislators, I think it's good to know the products that will be on the market are in the FDA pathway already. So at least we're somewhat making available a little bit of a healthier product. Okay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for bringing this forward. Just one quick question. does this identify stopping them from opening a vape shop across the street from a school? And the reason I ask that because, you know, I've received many phone calls, I can go on top of my head, of schools who are saying, I thought we passed the law of academics, can I be a, and once again, we have these vape shops. Do we address that issue of making sure they are not being sold across for like daycares or schools? Yeah, I don't know.

Representative, I can add to that. Last General Assembly, we passed a bill that basically, first of all, there are vape shops in every district where the kids know where to go after school. And they're lined up, and the owner doesn't care. So last year, last year, we passed a bill that basically when, you know, when the law is enforced and they keep selling and keep selling and keep selling and keep getting in trouble, the locals can declare that vape shop a nuisance and shut them down. So that's one area. This is another area that we can try to, like, again, prevent our kids from doing this. Because I agree, when you're 21, do what you want. But, you know, until then.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, sponsors, for bringing the bill today. I really do believe there's more work to be done. Just curious if you'd be open to an amendment that would create any kind of tiered penalty system that would run up to and including the decertification or revocation of the license.

Okay.

Well, through the Chair, you know our caucus, so it's a great idea. We just have to work on that. I think that'll take us a little while.

Through the chair to the representative. Um, I do view Houston taxes as different than regular taxes. Um, Because the health consequence, we all pay in the long run. So there is definitely a disparity between traditional cigarettes and vapes at this point. When you look at it, it's kind of flipped upside down in my own head, just because the majority of our young people are using the vape products, and we knew that price point does make a difference. Thank you.

Chair Abrams, Vice Chair Miller, Ranking Member Thomas, and honored members of the Ohio House Ohio House of Representatives of the Public Safety Committee. My name is Thomas Rollins, and I represent Clark County Partners in Prevention. We are located in Springfield, Ohio, where youth nicotine use, while consistently lowering, is still a major concern for the children of our community. According to the 2024 OES survey, Clark County students in grades 7 through 12 reported using vapes at a rate more than twice the national average. The most recent OES survey reports that electronic cigarettes use is 16% among 7th and 12th graders, and that those who report use also report past 30-day use in the range of 46%. These statistics, when compared to the Center of Disease Control's national results of 5.9% teen use, and with those teen users reporting frequent use at a rate of 26%, it's quite alarming. At Clark County Partners in Prevention, we have helped develop new school policies regarding nicotine products that include alternatives to suspension, including additional education for infractions, counseling and cessation programs. In just one middle school that I work within in Clark County, I have been called in to meet with over 10% of the school's population to help with additional education due to being caught with a nicotine product. This has been extremely hard on me emotionally because this is a school that one of my children attend. I have been seeing firsthand what's going on in this school, and it is at such a high rate. The administration is dedicated to reducing the numbers of students using nicotine products, but they cannot do this alone. In Clark County, 23% of students grades 7 through 12 reported to be able to purchase electronic vaping devices for themselves from stores and online. House Bill 849 will help to hold manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to a much higher standard by mandating the registration, licensure, and comprehensive inspection of retailers who sell electronic smoking and vaping products. The passage of Health Bill 849 will help this public health crisis by providing clear authority to peace officers in the Department of Public Safety to enforce the new requirements and verify manufacturers' compliance. Health Bill 849 will also help to strengthen and reinforce rules and legislation that are already in place enforcing explicit prohibitions against student-using or possessing tobacco and nicotine products on school grounds. The Ohio Department of Public Health reports that the benefits of 100% tobacco-free school district policies provide significant impact. The impact of these 100 tobacco district policies include a decrease in initiation of tobacco use among people and provide positive role modeling It reduces the exposure of secondhand smoke and vapor and prepares students for smoke workplaces and tobacco campus for colleges This will help raise grades and attendance rates and reduces the amount of consumption of tobacco by the users. Increasing the number of tobacco users who quit and reduces tobacco-related morbidity and mortality, including acute cardiovascular events. And this also will reduce the health care costs and sustainability. The passing of House Bill 849 will establish state preemption of local regulations to create uniform enforcement across Ohio municipalities, which will help to create a future that has more individuals who will never feel the negative effects of nicotine use and addiction, helping to ensure better health outcomes for this generation of Ohioans and for generations to come. I want to thank you for your time and commitment to keeping the youth of the great state of Ohio healthier by making informed decisions about their health and safety. I am now open for questions.

All right, Representative Willis. Thank you, Madam Chair, and good to see you today, Thomas, from our district today. I know the work that you are doing. I get to talk regularly to Dr. Hill about the things that happen inside just the Springfield. Right now, it's like an endemic thing with our children that we are not covering to the extent we need to. And so I think every possibility that we have here to increase the regulation side of this as a public safety issue for our children, we can't go far enough. So just curious if you're seeing anything else locally. I mean, this is a great program. that you are running inside our county, but are you seeing anything else that can be added that we could be doing actively right now before we get to actual law?

Okay, Representative Humphrey.

please. So I would actually have to talk to local business owners to see exactly where they're getting them from. Mainly, I'm assuming that they would be coming through distributors, not them buying individually from overseas. I think the issue that comes from having products coming from overseas is that even as a chemical prevention specialist assistant, I have no idea what's actually in those products. And that's something I talk to the kids about, is the FDA approved one not approved but authorized they're actually being regulated so we know what ingredients what amounts where the ones that are coming from overseas that aren't going through that same process we can't really tell you from vaping product to vaping product what's in it does that answer your question representative Tom free follow up thank you madam chairwoman yes sir it does I

Yeah, hopefully the manufacturers will slow them down when we eliminate a market. You know, that's what my hope would be.

I want to thank Chair Abrams, Vice Chair Miller, Ranking Member Thomas, and all other committee members for allowing me the opportunity to provide testimony this morning. I'm Dan Kaufman, and I currently serve as a superintendent at Cambridge City Schools. I've had the opportunity to be a teacher for four years and a school administrator for the past 19 years, of which 10 have been spent as a superintendent of schools in Guernsey County. I'm here today to provide proponent testimony for House Bill 849. From the perspective of a public school superintendent, I strongly support the legislation because it provides school districts, families, and law enforcement with long overdue tools to address the growing use of illegal nicotine and vaping products among our minor students. This legislation modernizes Ohio law by aligning school tobacco policies with the realities districts face every day. By expressly allowing districts to adopt nicotine and vapor-free policies and incorporating electronic smoking products into existing school tobacco laws, the bill strengthens our ability to maintain safe, healthy, and distraction-free learning environments. The prevalence of vaping among school-age children has created significant disciplinary health and attendance concerns in schools across Ohio. and current enforcement mechanisms have not kept pace with the evolving marketplace. School administrators and families face significant challenges because of the lack of regulation surrounding the products our students can access. Increased regulation provides clarity and accountability while helping eliminate illegal products are frequently marketed towards youth through flavors, packaging, and advertising tactics designed to appeal to children. Schools work tirelessly to educate students about the dangers of nicotine and THC addiction, yet many of these products are intentionally designed to undermine those efforts School districts cannot solve the vaping crisis alone We need coordinated statewide enforcement that addresses the supply chain bringing illegal products into our communities and ultimately into our schools The legislation appropriately targets manufacturers distributors wholesalers, and retailers who fail to protect students from easy access to these illegal products by establishing meaningful oversight and accountability measures. This bill represents a proactive approach to student safety and public health. As a superintendent, I frequently communicate with parents regarding issues related to vaping. I often ask parents whether they speak to their children about topics such as alcohol, drugs, sex, or other topics relevant to middle and high school students, and most of them indicate that they do. However, when I explain that their child may have access to vaping products on a daily basis, many parents respond with genuine surprise and concern. We must continue to increase regulation while also educating families about the prevalence of vaping and the importance of encouraging students to avoid nicotine and THC products. I recall one expulsion hearing last school year involving a male student who explained how he regularly asked his grandmother to take him to Walmart to purchase Visa gift cards. His grandmother believed he was using the cards to buy games for his PlayStation. In reality, he was using the gift cards to order vape cartridges online and have them delivered to his home through the postal service. He simply planned to intercept the packages on the days he knew that they would arrive. This situation demonstrates how easily students can access these products and how difficult it can be for families to recognize what is occurring. The impact on schools is substantial. Our dean of students at Cambridge High School reported 43 office referrals for vaping during this school year alone, noting that vaping has become a daily issue affecting students and school operations. At Cambridge Middle School, vaping continues to significantly impact both the learning environment and student health. During the 25-26 school year, the middle school issued approximately 25 suspensions related to vaping incidents involving nicotine and THC products. While vape detectors installed in restrooms have reduced incidents in those areas, staff members have seen an increase in class-related concerns, including students concealing devices in hoodies and personal belongings. A significant amount of administrative and instructional time is spent investigating reports, conducting searches, and addressing the ongoing disruption caused by vaping. This legislation recognizes that protecting students requires a comprehensive statewide strategy rather than a fragmented local enforcement efforts. In many ways, I see similarities between what we are encountering with vaping to the sudden onset of synthetic marijuana approximately 15 years ago. When there was limited state regulation of synthetic marijuana, it quickly became a significant problem for schools. But as soon as the state regulated it closer, the issue all but resolved itself. However, in my professional opinion, the concerns with vaping are far greater of concern and have been ongoing for several years with limited regulation. By creating stronger regulation and meaningful enforcement mechanisms, the bill represents a responsible and necessary step towards protecting Ohio students. On behalf of educational leaders committed to providing safe learning environments for Ohio's children, I respectfully urge support for the Ohio Legal Vapor product enforcement legislations. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to admit I'm a little out of my wheelhouse as I'm normally in a school building all day. I do have a question before I begin. On my testimony, did you receive the picture at the end? There were two of them. Yes, they're on here. I just will reference. that, but okay. Yeah. Okay. I'm a proud resident of Stark County. However, I work in Tuscarora County,

Thank you, Ida, for your testimony and for what you do every single day. It's got to be a tough job. My hat goes off to you as the principal and all of your staff. Members, do you have any questions? No, seeing none. Thank you for being here today. Keep up the good work. Members, direct your attention to the iPads where we have additional written proponent testimony, and that will now conclude the first hearing for House Bill 849. I will now call House Bill 630 for its second hearing. The chair recognizes Clinton County Sheriff Douglas Estes.

I worked with an Estes. He spelled it different. All right, Sheriff, the floor is yours. Thank you so much for being here today and being patient.

Okay. Thank you, Sheriff, for your testimony. Members, do you have any questions? All right. Seeing none, thank you.

The chair now recognizes Mayor Patrick Haley, City of Wilmington. Welcome, Mayor, to committee. Thank you for your patience.

Okay. Thank you, Mayor, for your testimony. Members, do you have any questions? All right. Seeing none. Thank you.

That will now conclude the second hearing for House Bill 630. All right. I will now call House Bill 846 for its first hearing. The chair recognizes ranking member Thomas and representatives Plummer for sponsor testimony.

Thank you. Thanks Representative Thomas. Thanks Chair for having us, having a hearing today. As you know, domestic violence is one of the most dangerous situations we put our police officers in. A lot of our fallen officers came from domestic violence situations So I done a lot of work in this area One court in Montgomery County we only convicted 20 of people charged with domestic violence So 80% of the people have walked and not been convicted for a whole host of reasons. I'm usually not a big advocate for registries, but I think this registry will be a very important step to keep people safe. Like I said, if only 20% are getting convicted, they're really screwing up to earn your way on this list. So in your second conviction, you're going to be put on this registry. It'll be public. BCI will control the registry. And if you're a good person, there will be a timeline when you can get yourself off this registry. So it cuts both ways. But like I said, I'm not a huge fan of this registry. But if we can shine the light on a certain group of individuals that continue to commit domestic violence, we may be able to save some people along the way. Because a lot of times people get in this rut and they don't change their ways of treating people. So I think this is a good move for us, and we'll open it up for any questions. Thanks, Chair.