As Introduced
135th General Assembly
Regular Session H. B. No. 677
2023-2024
Representative Roemer
A BILL
To enact section 5502.54 of the Revised Code to 1
create the escaped convict alert program. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That section 5502.54 of the Revised Code be 3
enacted to read as follows: 4
Sec. 5502.54. (A) "Law enforcement agency" means an 5
organization or unit made up of law enforcement officers as 6
defined in section 2901.01 of the Revised Code. 7
(B)(1) The escaped convict alert program is created to aid 8
in the identification and location of any person who was 9
convicted of or pleaded guilty to a felony offense or was 10
indicted or otherwise charged with the commission of a felony 11
offense who has escaped from a jail, workhouse, or correctional 12
institution while incarcerated for or awaiting adjudication of 13
that felony offense. 14
(2) A law enforcement agency that receives a notice 15
pursuant to section 341.011, 753.19, or 5120.14 of the Revised 16
Code regarding a person who was convicted of or pleaded guilty 17
to a felony offense or was indicted or otherwise charged with 18
the commission of a felony offense may activate the escaped 19
H. B. No. 677 Page 2
As Introduced
convict alert program for the surrounding area or region of the 20
jail, workhouse, or correctional institution from which the 21
person has escaped. 22
(C) Nothing in division (B) of this section prevents the 23
activation of a local or regional alert program that may impose 24
different criteria for the activation of a local or regional 25
alert. 26
(D) Any radio broadcast station, television broadcast 27
station, or cable system participating in the statewide escaped 28
convict alert program or in any local or regional alert program, 29
and any director, officer, employee, or agent of any station or 30
system participating in either type of alert program, shall not 31
be liable to any person for damages for any loss allegedly 32
caused by or resulting from the station's or system's broadcast 33
or cablecast of, or failure to broadcast or cablecast, any 34
information pursuant to the statewide escaped convict alert 35
program or the local or regional alert program. 36
(E) Nothing in this section shall be construed to 37
authorize the use of the federal emergency alert system unless 38
otherwise authorized by federal law. 39