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HB461 • 2026

Require jails, prisons provide teletypewriters to certain inmates

Require jails, prisons provide teletypewriters to certain inmates

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Terrence Upchurch
Last action
Official status
As Introduced
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Require jails, prisons provide teletypewriters to certain inmates

To enact sections 341.193, 753.022, and 5120.052 of the Revised Code to require municipal and county correctional facilities and state correctional institutions to provide inmates who are deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired with access to teletypewriters.

What This Bill Does

  • To enact sections 341.193, 753.022, and 5120.052 of the Revised Code to require municipal and county correctional facilities and state correctional institutions to provide inmates who are deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired with access to teletypewriters.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. Ohio Legislature

    As Introduced

Official Summary Text

To enact sections 341.193, 753.022, and 5120.052 of the Revised Code to require municipal and county correctional facilities and state correctional institutions to provide inmates who are deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired with access to teletypewriters.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
H. B. No. 461

2025-2026

Representative Upchurch

Cosponsors: Representatives Mohamed,
Lett, McNally, Williams, Brent, Brennan

To
enact sections 341.193, 753.022, and 5120.052 of the Revised Code
to
require municipal and county correctional facilities and state
correctional institutions to provide inmates who are deaf, hard of
hearing, or severely speech impaired with access to teletypewriters.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
That
sections 341.193, 753.022, and 5120.052 of the Revised Code be
enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
341.193.
(A)
As used in this section:

(1)
"County correctional facility" means a county jail, county
workhouse, minimum security jail, joint city and county workhouse,
municipal-county correctional center, multicounty-municipal
correctional center, municipal-county jail or workhouse, or
multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse.

(2)
"Teletypewriter" or "TTY" means a communication
device used by people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have severe
speech impairment.

(B)
Each county correctional facility shall provide every inmate who is
deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a
teletypewriter at no cost to the inmate.

(C)
No county correctional facility shall deny an inmate who is deaf,
hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a
teletypewriter.

Sec.
753.022.
(A)
As used in this section:

(1)
"Municipal correctional facility" means a municipal jail,
municipal workhouse, minimum security jail, joint city and county
workhouse, municipal-county correctional center,
multicounty-municipal correctional center, municipal-county jail or
workhouse, or multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse.

(2)
"Teletypewriter" or "TTY" means a communication
device used by people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have severe
speech impairment.

(B)
Each municipal correctional facility shall provide every inmate who
is deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a
teletypewriter at no cost to the inmate.

(C)
No municipal correctional facility shall deny an inmate who is deaf,
hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a
teletypewriter.

Sec.
5120.052.
(A)
As used in this section:

(1)
"State correctional institution" has the same meaning as in
section 2967.01 of the Revised Code.

(2)
"Teletypewriter" or "TTY" means a communication
device used by people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have severe
speech impairment.

(B)
Each state correctional institution shall provide every inmate who is
deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a
teletypewriter at no cost to the inmate.

(C)
No state correctional institution shall deny an inmate who is deaf,
hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a
teletypewriter.