OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
H.B. 99 Final Analysis
134th General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 99’s Fiscal Note
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Hall
Effective date: September 12, 2022; appropriations effective June 13, 2022
Effective Date:
Mitchell Smith, Research Analyst
Sarah A. Maki, Attorney
SUMMARY
Ohio School Safety and Crisis Center
 Creates the Ohio School Safety and Crisis Center within the Department of Public Safety
to be operated by the Ohio Mobile Training Team (see below).
Firearms and school safety training
 Requires the Mobile Training Team to develop curriculum and provide instruction and
training, including firearms training, that qualifies a person for an exception modified by
the act, to go armed in a school safety zone (see below).
 Permits a school district board or school governing body to adopt alternate curriculum,
instruction, and training, with Center approval, that individuals may complete to qualify
for the exception to convey deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance into a school safety
zone.
List of authorized individuals
 Requires each district board or school governing body to provide the Center with a
current list of the qualified personnel authorized to convey deadly weapons or
dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone who have completed training through the
Center or an approved alternate training.
Ohio Mobile Training Team
 Establishes the Ohio Mobile Training Team within the Department of Public Safety.
 Requires the Director of Public Safety to appoint a Chief Mobile Training Officer and 16
regional mobile training officers who provide services regarding school and campus
safety and security to primary and secondary schools.
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 Requires an officer (1) to be either a licensed peace officer or a veteran of the U.S.
armed forces and (2) to have completed any additional training requirements required
by rule of the Department of Public Safety.
 Establishes duties for the Chief Mobile Training Officer and regional mobile training
officers.
Weapons in a school safety zone
 Modifies an exception, to continuing law prohibitions against having a weapon in a
school safety zone, for a person a school district board or school governing body
authorizes to have weapons in such a zone, provided that:
 Either the person has successfully completed the new curriculum and training
established under the act, or the person has received a certificate of satisfactory
completion of an approved basic peace officer training program or is a law
enforcement officer; and
 The board or governing body has notified the public in a specified manner that the
board or governing body has authorized one or more persons to go armed within a
school.
 Requires a person who qualifies for the exception modified by the act and is authorized
by a district board or school governing body under the provision described above to
submit to an annual criminal records check.
Appropriation
 Appropriates $6 million for each of FYs 2022 and 2023 to the Department of Public
Safety for the Ohio Mobile Training Team.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Ohio School Safety and Crisis Center
The act creates the Ohio School Safety and Crisis Center within the Department of Public
Safety to provide school safety services to school districts, other public schools, and private
schools, including firearms training. It is operated by the Ohio Mobile Training Team (see
below).1
Firearms and school safety instruction
Under the act, the Ohio Mobile Training Team must develop curriculum and provide
instruction and training, including firearms training, that qualifies a person for an exception
modified by the act, to go armed in a school safety zone.2
1 R.C. 5502.01(L) and 5502.703(A).
2 R.C. 5502.703(B).
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The curriculum, instruction, and training developed by the Team must follow the Private
Investigator and Security Guard Firearms Training Guidelines3 and include instruction in:
- Mitigation techniques;
- Communications capabilities and coordination and collaboration techniques;
- Neutralization of potential threats and active shooters;
- Accountability;
- Reunifications;
- Psychology of critical incidents;
- De-escalation techniques;
- Crisis intervention;
- Trauma and first aid care;
- The history and pattern of school shootings;
- Tactics of responding to critical incidents in schools;
- At least four hours of training in scenario-based or simulated training exercises;
- Completion of tactical live firearms training; and
- Realistic urban training.4
Initial instruction and training may not exceed 24 hours and annual requalification may
not exceed eight hours. However, a school district or school may require additional training.5
The act further requires school districts and schools to pay all fees for training through
the Center for individuals whom they authorize to convey deadly weapons into a school safety
zone.6
The act also permits a district or school to adopt alternate curriculum, instruction, and
training, provided it includes the topics specified above and is approved by the Center.7
List of authorized individuals
The act requires each district board or school governing body to provide the Center with
a current list of personnel who have qualified for the exception modified by the act and have
3 See R.C. 4749.06, not in the act.
4 R.C. 5502.703(B) and (C).
5 R.C. 5502.703(B); applies to community schools and STEM schools through references in
R.C. 3314.03(A)(11)(d) and 3326.11.
6 R.C. 5502.703(C)(2).
7 R.C. 5502.703(C)(3).
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been authorized to convey deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone.
The act specifies that the list is not a public record.8
Ohio Mobile Training Team
The act establishes the Ohio Mobile Training Team within the Department of Public
Safety. Under the act, the Director of Public Safety must appoint a Chief Mobile Training Officer
by December 11, 2022, to head the Team. The Director then must appoint 16 regional mobile
training officers within 90 days after the Chief’s appointment. The regional mobile training
officers provide services regarding school and campus safety and security to public and
nonpublic primary and secondary schools.9
Eligibility and training
To be eligible, a Chief Mobile Training Officer or regional mobile training officer must
(1) be either a licensed peace officer or a veteran of the U.S. armed forces who has been
honorably discharged or who has been transferred to the reserve forces with evidence of
satisfactory service and (2) meet all additional qualifications required by rules of the
Department of Public Safety.10
Powers and duties
The act requires the Chief Mobile Training Officer to administer the Team, adopt
additional qualifications for regional mobile training officers, and enforce rules and execute
additional duties required by the Department of Public Safety.
It also specifies the following duties for each regional mobile training officer:
1. Assist building administrators within the officer’s region with the development or review
of an emergency management plan,11 upon request;
2. Assist administrators of a public or nonpublic school within the officer’s region with any
other security protocols for activities or events outside of a school building during or
after school hours, upon request;
3. Assist in strategic communications between federal, state, and local law enforcement
agencies in the event of an emergency situation at a school within the officer’s region,
upon request;
4. Offer tactical emergency medical services training to public and nonpublic schools
within the officer’s region;
8 R.C. 149.43(A)(1)(pp) and 5502.703(D).
9 R.C. 5502.01(L) and 5502.70.
10 R.C. 5502.701.
11 R.C. 5502.262.
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5. Promote the use of the SaferOH tip line within the officer’s region;12
6. Enforce rules and execute additional duties prescribed by either the Department of
Public Safety or the Chief Mobile Training Officer;
7. Provide instruction and training through the Ohio School Safety and Crisis Center; and
8. Oversee training operations and offer training opportunities for school employees,
which may include observing emergency management plan tests, providing weapons
manipulation instruction, and other “appropriate activities.”13
The act permits the Chief Mobile Training Officer and regional mobile training officers to
enter into any necessary agreements to carry out their duties. But it also specifies that,
generally, they do not have authority over the incident management structure or
responsibilities of local emergency response personnel.14
Mobile training team regions
The act prescribes 16 mobile training team regions to correspond with the regions of
the Educational Regional Service System, as shown in the table below.15
Region Counties
1 Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca,
Van Wert, Williams, and Wood
2 Erie, Huron, and Lorain
3 Cuyahoga
4 Geauga and Lake
5 Ashtabula, Mahoning, and Trumbull
6 Allen, Auglaize, Champaign, Hardin, Logan, Mercer, and Shelby
7 Ashland, Crawford, Knox, Marion, Morrow, Richland, and Wyandot
8 Medina, Portage, and Summit
12Safer Ohio School Tip Line, which may be accessed by conducting a keyword search for “Safer Ohio
School Tip Line” on the Ohio School Safety Center’s website,
https://ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov/home.
13 R.C. 5502.702(B) and (C).
14 R.C. 5502.70(B) to (D).
15 R.C. 5502.70(C). See R.C. 3312.02, not in the act.
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Region Counties
9 Columbiana, Stark, and Wayne
10 Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, and Preble
11 Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union
12 Belmont, Carroll, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Muskingum, Noble,
and Tuscarawas
13 Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren
14 Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette, and Highland
15 Lawrence, Pike, Ross, and Scioto
16 Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Perry, Vinton, and
Washington
Weapons in a school safety zone
Prohibitions and penalties
Continuing law, unchanged by the act, prohibits a person from: (1) knowingly conveying,
or attempting to convey, a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone,
(2) knowingly possessing a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance in a school safety zone, or
(3) knowingly possessing an object in a school safety zone if the object is indistinguishable from
a firearm, whether or not the object is capable of being fired, and the person indicates that the
person possesses the object and that it is a firearm, or the person knowingly displays or
brandishes the object and indicates that it is a firearm.16
A violation of the prohibition described in clause (1) or (2) is the offense of “illegal
conveyance or possession of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance in a school safety zone,”
a fourth or fifth degree felony, depending on the circumstances. A violation of the prohibition
described in clause (3) is the offense of “illegal possession of an object indistinguishable from a
firearm in a school safety zone,” a first degree misdemeanor or fifth degree felony, depending
on the circumstances.17
16 R.C. 2923.122(A) to (C).
17 R.C. 2923.122(E).
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Exception for person authorized to go armed within a school safety
zone in specified circumstances
Continuing law, modified by the act as described below, provides an exception for: (1) a
security officer employed by a school district board or school governing body during the time
that the security officer is on duty pursuant to that contract of employment, and (2) any other
person who has written authorization from the board or governing body to convey deadly
weapons or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone.18
The act modifies the exception described in clause (2) of the preceding paragraph to
provide that both of the following must apply:19
1. Either the person has successfully completed the curriculum, instruction, and training
developed or approved by the Ohio Mobile Training Team or the person has received a
certificate of having satisfactorily completed an approved basic peace officer training
program or is a law enforcement officer; and
2. The board or governing body has notified the public that it has authorized one or more
persons to go armed within a school body.
The act also requires a person who qualifies under this exception to submit to an annual
criminal records check.20
Elimination of basic peace officer training requirement
The act expressly exempts the specified categories of persons who are covered by the
exception to the offense of “having weapons in a school safety zone” modified by the act as
described above from being required to complete an approved basic peace officer training
program.
Continuing law, modified by the act as described below, specifies that no public or
private educational institution or Superintendent of the State Highway Patrol may employ a
person as a special police officer, security guard, or other position in which such person goes
armed while on duty, who has not received a certificate of having satisfactorily completed an
approved basic peace officer training program, unless the person has completed 20 years of
active duty as a peace officer.21 Peace officer basic training is provided by training schools
certified by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC).
The act specifies that the provision described in the preceding paragraph does not apply
to a person who is employed by a public or chartered nonpublic school and who has been
authorized to voluntarily go armed within a school safety zone, if both of the following apply
with respect to the employment and person:
18 R.C. 2923.122(D)(1).
19 R.C. 2923.122(D)(1)(d).
20 R.C. 2923.122(D)(1)(d), by reference to R.C. 3319.39 and 3319.391, not in the act.
21 R.C. 109.78(D)(1).
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1. The person is within the category of persons authorized to go armed within a school
safety zone; and
2. The person is not being employed as a special police officer or security officer.22
The General Assembly declares in the act that the purpose of these provisions is to
expressly overrule the decision of the