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HB691 • 2026

Enact the Community and Police Protection Act

Enact the Community and Police Protection Act

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Karen Brownlee
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.

Enact the Community and Police Protection Act

To enact section 2921.50 of the Revised Code to enact the Community and Police Protection Act to regulate law enforcement officers' use of masks.

What This Bill Does

  • To enact section 2921.50 of the Revised Code to enact the Community and Police Protection Act to regulate law enforcement officers' use of masks.

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 section 2921.50 of the Revised Code to enact the Community and Police Protection Act to regulate law enforcement officers' use of masks.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
H. B. No. 691

2025-2026

Representatives Brownlee, Thomas, C.

Cosponsors: Representatives
Abdullahi, Baker, Brent, Brewer, Bryant Bailey, Cockley, Grim,
Jarrells, Lett, McNally, Miller, J., Mohamed, Piccolantonio, Rader,
Robinson, Russo, Sigrist, Sims, Somani, Upchurch, Synenberg, White,
E.

To
enact section 2921.50 of the Revised Code
to
enact the Community and Police Protection Act to regulate law
enforcement officers' use of masks.

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

Section
1.
That
section 2921.50 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
2921.50.
(A)
As used in this section, "federal law enforcement officer"
means an employee of the United States who serves in a position the
duties of which are primarily the investigation, apprehension, or
detention of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses under the
criminal laws of the United States or found to have committed
offenses under the civil laws of the United States.

(B)
No law enforcement officer or federal law enforcement officer shall
purposefully wear any mask or personal disguise while interacting
with the public in the performance of the officer's duties, except
for the following:

(1)
Medical grade masks that are surgical or N95 or KN95 respirators
designed to prevent the transmission of airborne diseases and worn
for that purpose;

(2)
Masks designed to protect against exposure to smoke or other
environmental dangers and worn for that purpose;

(3)
Masks or other protective equipment used by special weapons and
tactics team officers in the performance of those officers' duties
and worn for that purpose.

(C)
Law enforcement officers and federal law enforcement officers shall
display the officer's name and badge number as part of the officer's
uniform.

(D)
Whoever violates division (B) or (C) of this section is guilty of a
misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

(E)
This section does not apply to a law enforcement officer while the
officer is engaged in an undercover assignment.

(F)
If any provision of this section, or the application of any provision
of this section to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the
invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this
section or related sections that can be given effect without the
invalid provision or application. To this end, the provisions are
severable.

Section
2.
This
act shall be known as the Community and Police Protection Act.