hb1033_00

As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 1033

2025-2026

To enact section 2921.26 of the Revised Code to prohibit unlawful dissemination of a peace officer's personally identifying information.

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

Section 1. That section 2921.26 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 2921.26. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Disseminate" means electronically publishing, posting, or otherwise disclosing information to a public internet site or public forum.

(2) "Family or household member" means any of the following:

(a) Any of the following who is residing with or has resided with the peace officer:

(i) A spouse, a person living as a spouse, or a former spouse of the peace officer;

(ii) A parent, a foster parent, or a child of the peace officer, or another person related by consanguinity or affinity to the peace officer;

(iii) A parent or a child of a spouse, person living as a spouse, or former spouse of the peace officer, or another person related by consanguinity or affinity to a spouse, person living as a spouse, or former spouse of the peace officer.

(b) The natural parent of any child of whom the peace officer is the other natural parent or is the putative other natural parent.

(3) "Law enforcement agency" means a government entity that employs peace officers to perform law enforcement duties.

(4) "Peace officer" has the same meaning as in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.

(5) "Personally identifying information" means information that identifies or reasonably can be used to identify an individual, including any of the following:

(a) Social security number or other government issued identifier;

(b) Date of birth;

(d) Electronic mail address or telephone number;

(e) Financial account number or credit or debit card number;

(f) Biometric, health, or medical data, or insurance information;

(g) School or employment locations.

(B)(1)

Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, no person shall intentionally disseminate a peace officer's personally identifying information if all of the following apply:

(a) The personally identifying information is disseminated with the intent to harm or harass the peace officer whose information is being disseminated or with reckless disregard that the peace officer would be reasonably likely to suffer death or bodily injury or to become a victim of a violation of section 2903.211 of the Revised Code.

(b) The dissemination of the personally identifying information causes the peace officer whose information is disseminated to suffer significant economic injury or emotional distress or to fear serious bodily injury or death of the peace officer or a family or household member of the peace officer.

(c) The personally identifying information is disseminated with the intent to cause the peace officer whose information is disseminated to suffer a substantial life disruption.

(d) The peace officer whose personally identifying information is disseminated is identifiable from the disseminated personally identifying information itself.

(2) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(a) The dissemination of a peace officer's personally identifying information in connection with the reporting of criminal activity to an employee of a law enforcement agency, or in connection with any lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence activity of any law enforcement agency or of an intelligence agency of the United States if the person making the report reasonably believes the alleged criminal activity occurred or the existing investigative, protective, or intelligence activity is legitimate;

(b) The dissemination of a peace officer's personally identifying information for the purposes of, or in connection with, the reporting of conduct reasonably believed to be unlawful;

(c) The dissemination of a peace officer's personally identifying information in connection with activity protected by the United States Constitution or the state constitution pertaining to speech, press, assembly, protest, and petition, as well as the provision of personally identifying information to the press.

(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of unlawful dissemination of a peace officer's personally identifying information, a felony of the third degree.

(D) Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability on a broadband internet access service provider, a telecommunications service provider, an interconnected VoIP provider, or a mobile service provider as defined in 47 U.S.C. 153, a commercial mobile service provider as defined in 47 U.S.C. 332(d), or a cable operator as defined in 47 U.S.C. 522, when acting in its capacity as a provider of those services.