The bill establishes the Innocence Act Enforcement Fund within the state treasury, designated for expenses incurred by the office of the attorney general. It mandates that up to 25% of civil penalties collected under section 1349.101 be allocated to this fund. The bill amends sections 1349.10 and 1349.101 of the Revised Code to clarify the attorney general's enforcement authority over organizations that sell or present material considered obscene or harmful to juveniles. Key provisions require these organizations to implement reasonable age verification methods, such as photo identification and geolocation checks, and to delete any identifying information collected during this process while maintaining compliance with data privacy laws.

Additionally, the bill introduces a new provision allowing the attorney general to initiate enforcement actions against organizations that do not rectify violations within a specified forty-five-day period or that commit subsequent violations after resolving an initial one. Civil penalties of up to one hundred thousand dollars per day of violation can be imposed, with portions allocated to both the consumer protection enforcement fund and the Innocence Act Enforcement Fund. The bill also repeals and renames existing sections 1349.10 and 1349.101 as the Innocence Act, clarifying that the attorney general has exclusive enforcement authority and that no private right of action is provided. A severability clause is included to ensure the enforceability of remaining provisions if any part of the law is deemed invalid.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 2307.66, 2917.211, 2981.02
As Reported By House Committee: 1349.10, 1349.101
As Passed By House: 1349.10, 1349.101