Criminal Justice (Law Enforcement)

HB 656 would create a new criminal offense for negligently assaulting a peace officer in Ohio. It directly affects individuals who unintentionally cause harm to officers through careless actions, such as accidentally hitting an officer while driving recklessly. The bill amends existing Ohio law (sections 2903.14 and 2927.15) to add this specific offense, distinguishing it from intentional assault. This change would establish a clear legal category for careless harm to officers, separate from other assault charges.

HB 559 allows peace officers (such as police and sheriff's deputies) to skip mandatory refresher training under specific circumstances, declared as an emergency. The bill's key provision is creating a process for state authorities to grant waivers, bypassing standard training requirements. This directly affects active peace officers who would otherwise need to complete annual training. The emergency declaration suggests urgency, likely related to staffing shortages or crisis response needs, though the abstract doesn't detail specific waiver conditions. (1-2 sentences as it's a procedural bill.)

To amend sections 2921.331 and 2929.14 of the Revised Code to expand the offense of failure to comply with an order or signal of a law enforcement officer.