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As Introduced
136th
General Assembly
Regular
Session
H. B. No. 817
2025-2026
Representative Williams
To
create
the NextGen Public Safety Pilot Program, to authorize Local
Government Fund reductions if Lucas County or the City of Toledo fail
to abide by certain terms of a grant under that Program, and to make
an appropriation.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section
1.
(A)
As used in this section, "major metropolitan city" means a
city with a population of one hundred thousand or more according to
the most recent federal decennial census.
(B)
The NextGen Public Safety Pilot Program is created, which shall be a
two-year pilot program to support the deployment of modern public
safety technologies by local governments within Lucas County. Under
the pilot program, the Department of Public Safety shall award grants
to any of the following upon application to the Department:
(1)
Lucas County, if both of the following apply:
(a)
The board of county commissioners has entered into a contract prior
to the effective date of this section to fund a county-wide license
plate reader system;
(b)
The county is maintaining such system at the time of application.
Additionally,
the board shall include in the application a statement that the board
agrees to maintain the system for at least five years from the date
of receipt of any grant awards under this section. The board also
shall include in the application a statement that the board agrees to
increase by twenty-five per cent the number of license plate readers
and cameras that existed within the jurisdiction immediately prior to
the date of receipt of any grant awards under this section and that
such expansion shall be achieved within one year after receiving the
last grant award. If the board has entered into such a contract and
has made application, with the required statement, to the Department
to receive a grant under this section, the Department shall award to
Lucas County a grant of five hundred thousand dollars for fiscal year
2026 and five hundred thousand dollars for fiscal year 2027. Upon
receipt of the award, Lucas County shall remit the award to the Lucas
County Sheriff's office, which shall use it to purchase additional
license plate readers and any associated technology and
infrastructure.
If
the Department of Public Safety determines that the Lucas County
Sheriff's office has failed to increase by twenty-five per cent the
number of license plate readers and cameras that existed within the
jurisdiction immediately prior to the date of receipt of any grant
awards under this section within one year after receiving the last
grant award, the Department shall notify the Tax Commissioner. Upon
receipt of this notification, the Tax Commissioner, beginning with
the next monthly payment required to be made under division (B) of
section 5747.50 of the Revised Code, shall reduce each such payment
to the county's undivided local government fund.
Except
as otherwise provided in this division, the reduction shall be by the
same percentage as that certified as Lucas County's percentage share,
as a political subdivision, certified to the Tax Commissioner under
division (J) of section 5747.51 of the Revised Code, applicable to
that month. The reductions shall continue until aggregate reductions
equal the amount of the grant disbursed to Lucas County under
division (B)(1) of this section. If, in any month, a reduction by the
percentage certified as Lucas County's percentage share, as a
political subdivision, would result in aggregate reductions in excess
of the amount of the grant then the reduction for that month shall be
reduced so the aggregate reductions equal the amount of the grant.
Until
reductions cease, payments made from the county's undivided local
government fund shall be made as if the amount certified as Lucas
County's share as a subdivision was the percentage actually certified
less the percentage used to calculate the reduction under this
division.
The
Commissioner shall transfer the amount of any reduced payment under
this division from the Local Government Fund to the General Revenue
Fund.
(2)(a)
The City of Toledo, if both of the following apply:
(i)
The legislative authority of the city has entered into a contract
prior to the effective date of this section to fund a city-wide
license plate reader system.
(ii)
The city is maintaining such system at the time of application.
Additionally,
the legislative authority shall include in the application a
statement that the legislative authority agrees to maintain the
system for at least five years from the date of receipt of any grant
awards under this section. The legislative authority also shall
include in the application a statement that the legislative authority
agrees to increase by twenty-five per cent the number of license
plate readers and cameras that existed within the city immediately
prior to the date of receipt of any grant awards under this section
and that such expansion shall be achieved within one year after
receiving the last grant award. If the legislative authority has
entered into such a contract and has made application, with the
required statement, to the Department to receive a grant under this
section, the Department shall award to the City of Toledo a grant of
five hundred thousand dollars for fiscal year 2026 and five hundred
thousand dollars for fiscal year 2027. Upon receipt of the award, the
city shall remit the award to the Toledo police department, which
shall use it to purchase additional license plate readers and any
associated technology and infrastructure.
(b)
If the Department of Public Safety determines that the Toledo police
department has failed to increase by twenty-five per cent the number
of license plate readers and cameras that existed within the city
immediately prior to the date of receipt of any grant awards under
this section within one year after receiving the last grant award,
the Department shall notify the Tax Commissioner. Upon receipt of
this notification, the Tax Commissioner shall do both of the
following:
(i)
Cease making payments to the city from the local government fund
under division (C) of section 5747.50 of the Revised Code.
(ii)
Beginning with the next monthly payment required to be made under
division (B) of section 5747.50 of the Revised Code, reduce each such
payment to the county's undivided local government fund. Except as
otherwise provided in division (B)(2)(b) of this section, this
reduction shall be by the same percentage as that certified as the
city's percentage share, as a political subdivision, certified to the
Tax Commissioner under division (J) of section 5747.51 of the Revised
Code, applicable to that month.
The
reductions under divisions (A)(2)(b)(i) and (ii) of this section
shall continue until aggregate reductions equal the amount of the
grant disbursed to the City of Toledo under division (B)(2) of this
section. If, in any month, a reduction would result in aggregate
reductions in excess of the amount of the grant then the reduction
for that month shall be reduced so the aggregate reductions equal the
amount of the grant.
Until
reductions cease, payments made from the county's undivided local
government fund shall be made as if the amount certified as the City
of Toledo's share as a subdivision was the percentage actually
certified less the percentage used to calculate the reduction under
this division.
The
Tax Commissioner shall transfer the amount of any reduced payment
under division (B)(2)(b) of this section from the Local Government
Fund to the General Revenue Fund.
(3)
A major metropolitan city located within Lucas County that has
invested in public safety drone technology. If the city has invested
in such technology and has made application to the Department to
receive grant money under this section, the Department shall award to
the city a grant of seven hundred fifty thousand dollars for fiscal
year 2026 and seven hundred fifty thousand dollars for fiscal year
2027. Upon receipt of the award, the city shall remit the award to
the Toledo police department, which shall use it to purchase
additional public safety drones and any associated technology and
infrastructure. Any public safety drones and associated technology
and infrastructure purchased through grant money in accordance with
this division shall comply with the applicable federal laws and
regulations, including those in the national security interests of
the United States. As such, the public safety drones, technology, and
infrastructure purchased shall comply with the "American
Security Drone Act of 2023," as part of the "National
Defense Authorization Act of 2024," (Pub. L. No. 118-31,
Division A, Title XVIII, Subtitle B—Drone Security SEC.1821), and
any other applicable conditions of national defense spending.
(4)
A major metropolitan city located within Lucas County that has
invested in a stationary surveillance camera system network in public
areas that has a command system and a network and command center in
existence as of the effective date of this section. If the city has
invested in such a network and has made application to the Department
to receive a grant under this section, the Department shall award to
the city a grant of one million five hundred thousand dollars for
fiscal year 2026 and one million five hundred thousand dollars for
fiscal year 2027. Upon receipt of the award, the city shall remit the
award to the Toledo police department. The police department shall
use seven hundred fifty thousand dollars of the grant award each year
the award is given for additional staff and infrastructure to upgrade
the command center and the remaining amount for additional stationary
surveillance cameras to expand the network.
(C)(1)
The Department of Public Safety shall award, upon application, a
one-time additional grant of five hundred thousand dollars to any
major metropolitan city in Lucas County that enacts an ordinance
requiring all commercial businesses within the city to install
front-facing security cameras that meet all of the following
requirements:
(a)
The cameras are in 4K resolution;
(b)
The cameras have continuous video feed;
(c)
The cameras retain footage for at least thirty days.
(2)
A major metropolitan city that receives the additional grant under
division (C)(1) of this section shall use four hundred thousand
dollars of the award to establish a grant program for gas stations
that have fifty or fewer employees in this state and that comply with
the ordinance to reimburse the gas stations for the purchase,
installation, and maintenance of the cameras. The city shall use the
remainder of the award to market, promote, and encourage compliance
with the ordinance.
(D)
If Lucas County or a major metropolitan city receives a grant under
this section, the county or city shall submit a report to the
Department of Public Safety not later than January 1, 2028. The
report shall detail the number of violent and nonviolent crime cases
reported in fiscal years 2025, 2026, and 2027, the closure rate of
those cases, and the number of outstanding violent and nonviolent
crime cases.
(E)
To evaluate the pilot program's success and to determine the
potential for expanded statewide legislation, not later than January
1, 2032, the Department of Public Safety shall submit a report to the
General Assembly and to the Governor detailing the effectiveness or
lack of effectiveness of the pilot program on reducing crime rates
and increasing closure rates of crimes.
Section
2.
All
items in this act are hereby appropriated as designated out of any
moneys in the state treasury to the credit of the designated fund.
For all operating appropriations made in this act, those in the first
column are for fiscal year 2026 and those in the second column are
for fiscal year 2027. The operating appropriations made in this act
are in addition to any other operating appropriations made for these
fiscal years.
Section
3.
1
2
3
4
5
A
DPS
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
B
General
Revenue Fund
C
GRF
768425
Justice
Program Services
$3,750,000
$3,250,000
D
General
Revenue Fund Total
$3,750,000
$3,250,000
E
TOTAL
ALL BUDGET FUND GROUPS
$3,750,000
$3,250,000
JUSTICE
PROGRAM SERVICES
The
foregoing appropriation item 768425, Justice Program Services, shall
be used to award grants in accordance with Section 1 of this act as
part of the NextGen Public Safety Pilot Program.
Section
4.
Within
the limits set forth in this act, the Director of Budget and
Management shall establish accounts indicating the source and amount
of funds for each appropriation made in this act, and shall determine
the manner in which appropriation accounts shall be maintained.
Expenditures from operating appropriations contained in this act
shall be accounted for as though made in, and are subject to all
applicable provisions of, H.B. 96 of the 136th General Assembly.