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.

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.