Ohio House approves felon alert bill

COLUMBUS — New legislation aims to enhance public safety in Ohio through faster, more coordinated emergency alerts. State Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, joined a group of lawmakers in supporting House Bill 23, which passed the Ohio House this week. The bill establishes the Escaped Convict Alert Program — a new statewide system designed to notify the public when a convicted felon escapes from custody, according to a news release. The legislation, sponsored by Reps. Bill Roemer, R-Richfield, and Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Twp., and co-sponsored by Click and dozens of others, aims to improve public safety by enabling law enforcement to quickly disseminate information about escaped inmates. Under the bill, local law enforcement agencies will have the authority to activate Escaped Convict Alert Program alerts in the region surrounding the escape. "This commonsense measure brings greater safety to every Ohioan," Click Said. "We tend to never think that we will find ourselves in a situation where this would be applicable to us. But the moment we do, we ask why there isn't a law about things like this. Now there is." Key features of House Bill 23 include: • Creation of a formal alert system to locate individuals who have escaped from jails, workhouses or correctional institutions while serving or awaiting sentencing for felony offenses. • Flexibility for local or regional adaptations of the alert system. • Legal protections for broadcasters and cable systems that participate in good faith. • Clarification that the federal Emergency Alert System may only be used if authorized by federal law. It excludes community-based correctional facilities and halfway houses from the alert criteria and ensures that local jurisdictions can maintain or enhance their own alert protocols. House Bill 23 now moves to the Ohio Senate for further deliberation. For more information, contact Click's office at rep88@ohiohouse.gov.