sb178_01

As Reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee

136th General Assembly

Regular Session Am. S. B. No. 178

2025-2026

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.