SB 179: Verify veteran status of imprisoned individuals - Ohio

As Passed by the House → As Enrolled · 6 edits · Jun 24, 2026

MODERATE

This bill enrolls the final version of SB 179, which mandates that Ohio incarcerating institutions verify the veteran status of individuals during the booking process using the federal Veterans Reentry Search Service (VRSS). The enrolled version includes standard legislative formatting and signatures required for the bill to become law, while maintaining the core requirement for institutions to register with VRSS, access the database within three days of booking, and record verified veteran status on official documents.

Scope change

The scope of applicability remains unchanged; the bill applies to all institutions under the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, as well as county, municipal, and multicounty correctional facilities.

TECHNICAL

Added standard legislative headers, section numbering, and signature blocks required to convert the bill from a House-passed draft to an enrolled, final law.

Removed page numbers and internal markup indicators (e.g., 'Sub. S. B. No. 179') that were present in the draft version but are not part of the final statute.

REQUIREMENT

Confirmed the requirement for institutions to register with VRSS, obtain personal information to determine veteran status, and access the database within three days of booking.

Mandated that institutions note the veteran status of verified individuals on all appropriate records and train staff to use the VRSS system.

FISCAL

Established a funding mechanism allowing institutions to request financial assistance from the veterans service commission to purchase necessary computer hardware, software, and training for VRSS if federal funding is not provided.

DEFINITION

Defined key terms including 'VRSS' and 'incarcerating institution' to clarify which facilities must comply with the verification requirements.

As Passed by the Senate → As Passed by the House · 6 edits · Jun 3, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand its scope from verifying the veteran status of only 'imprisoned' individuals to include all 'incarcerated' individuals, such as those awaiting trial or charged with offenses. The House version clarifies that the duty to verify status applies to a broader range of facilities, including courts and pre-trial diversion programs, and adds specific exemptions for individuals already processed by another facility.

Scope change

The bill's applicability was broadened to cover individuals who are 'incarcerated' or 'charged' rather than just 'imprisoned,' and the list of required institutions now explicitly includes courts and pre-trial diversion programs.

SCOPE

Changed the target population from 'imprisoned individuals' to 'incarcerated individuals,' which includes those awaiting disposition or charged with offenses.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for courts of common pleas, municipal courts, departments of probation, and pre-trial diversion programs to verify veteran status.

Added an exemption stating that an institution does not need to verify status if another institution has already complied with the requirements for that specific individual.

Added a requirement for the court of common pleas to review and approve the jail's operational policies and procedures before they are adopted.

Added a requirement for the sheriff or jail administrator to prepare written operational policies and prisoner rules of conduct.

DEFINITION

Refined the definition of 'incarcerating institution' to explicitly include facilities holding individuals awaiting disposition for felonies, misdemeanors, or traffic offenses punishable by incarceration.

As Introduced → As Passed by the Senate · 4 edits · Jun 11, 2025

MODERATE

The bill expanded the list of cosponsors and refined the formatting of the header. Substantively, it added new duties for county veterans service commissions to fund outreach programs for veterans treatment courts and hire staff to assist those courts, while also clarifying the rules for verifying veteran status in correctional facilities.

Scope change

The scope of duties for county veterans service commissions was expanded to include specific funding and staffing responsibilities for veterans treatment courts.

ELIGIBILITY

Added Senators Antonio, Blackshear, Blessing, Chavez, Craig, DeMora, Gavarone, Hicks-Hudson, Koehler, Landis, Lang, Manning, O'Brien, Patton, Reineke, Reynolds, Roegner, Romanchuk, Schaffer, Smith, Timken, Wilkin, and Wilson as cosponsors.

REQUIREMENT

Added new duties for county veterans service commissions to provide financial assistance to veterans treatment courts and hire staff to assist them.

Clarified that institutions not under the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction must adopt their own rules for indicating veteran status on records.

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting errors in the jail register requirements, such as removing the phrase 'his the prisoner's' and splitting the text onto separate lines for clarity.

Verify veteran status of imprisoned individuals

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