Form Missing Women-Black, Indigenous, People of Color task force

sb178_01_RS

As Reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
Am. S. B. No. 178

2025-2026

Senator Hicks-Hudson

Cosponsors: Senators Antonio, Craig,
Smith, Manning

To
enact section 2901.44 of the Revised Code
to
create the Task Force on Missing Women and Girls who are Black,
Indigenous, or People of Color.

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

Section
1.
That
section 2901.44 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
2901.44.
(A)
The task force on missing women and girls who are Black, Indigenous,
or People of Color is created. The task force shall do all of the
following:

(1)
Work with state agencies to develop policy changes that will address
the lack of care and concern for missing and murdered women and girls
who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color and identify policies
that will ensure that first responders are culturally competent;

(2)
Advance the knowledge of communities on the severity of the issue of
women and girls who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color who are
missing and murdered;

(3)
Ensure that communities of people who are Black, Indigenous, or
People of Color are educated and trained on prevention and protection
strategies and social media protocols regarding women and girls who
are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color who are missing and
murdered;

(4)
Develop a strategy to collect statistics, demographics, surveys, oral
histories, and data analysis relevant to women and girls who are
Black, Indigenous, or People of Color who are missing and murdered;

(5)
Recommend preventive programming and ideas to advance the safety of
women and girls, including policies that address the overlapping
forms of oppression faced by women and girls who are Black,
Indigenous, or People of Color;

(6)
Identify major traffic hubs, highways, and resource extraction sites
that lead to or are responsible for the facilitation of the abduction
of women and girls who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color;

(7)
Create a statewide awareness campaign regarding women and girls who
are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color who are missing and
murdered;

(8)
Hold public meetings throughout the state to solicit public input;

(9)
Solicit and accept written public input.

(B)
The task force shall consist of the following members:

(1)
The director of job and family services or the director's designee;

(2)
The executive director of the division of criminal justice services
or the executive director's designee;

(3)
The superintendent of the state highway patrol or the
superintendent's designee;

(4)
Two members appointed by the president of the senate;

(5)
Two members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(6)
One member appointed by the minority leader of the senate;

(7)
One member appointed by the minority leader of the house of
representatives.

(B)
Task force members appointed under divisions (B)(4) to (7) of this
section shall be representative of the communities experiencing this
crisis, including directly impacted individuals, and reflect the
diversity of the state and have experience in cultural competency.

(C)
Initial members of the task force shall be appointed not later than
ninety days after the effective date of this section. Members of the
task force appointed under divisions (B)(4) to (7) of this section
shall serve terms of two years. Any vacancy on the task force shall
be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

(D)
Members shall select a chairperson from among the members of the task
force.

(E)
A majority of the members of the task force constitutes a quorum for
the transaction of the business of the task force.

(F)
Task force members shall serve without compensation but shall be
reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties.

(G)
Not later than two years after the effective date of this section,
and every two years thereafter, the task force shall submit a report
containing its findings and recommendations to the president of the
senate, speaker of the house of representatives, minority leader of
the senate, and minority leader of the house of representatives. The
report shall be made available to the public.