Ohio House passes bill that would increase penalties for obstructing first responders

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Ohio House has approved a bill that would increase penalties for obstructing police officers, firefighters and EMTs as they perform their lawful duties. 

Under House Bill 20, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Dayton) and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), individuals who commit “any act that hampers or impedes” a first responder could be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor. The proposed penalty marks an increase from the state’s current charge for obstructing official business, which is a second-degree misdemeanor.

“This bill will allow our first responders the space to do their jobs and increase public safety as a result,” Hall said in a statement. “It is essential that our first responders are able to safely and efficiently carry out their duties without distraction or interference.”

The legislation was passed by the House 79-18 on June 18 and now awaits consideration in the Senate. The bill saw strong support from Republicans, with all votes against it coming from Democrats.

“I support our first responders, I support the safety of our communities, but what I do not support is legislation that may threaten and criminalize compassion, silence rightful concerns and disproportionately punish Black and Brown Ohioans,” Rep. Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland) said before the vote.

Throughout its hearings, the bill received support from a variety of law enforcement officials and associations representing first responders, including the state’s police union. The director of government affairs with the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, Michael Weinman, said union members are increasingly experiencing harassment and menacing while from “agitators” while on the job.

“Harassment and menacing also [comes] from family members, friends, and community members, while officers are attempting to place individuals into custody or performing other lawful actions,” Weinman said in written testimony. “HB 20 will act as a deterrent and become a tool for de-escalation.” 

A previous version of the bill sought to create a 14-foot buffer zone around any first responder carrying out their duties. If an individual entered or remained in that zone after a warning by a first responder, they could be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor. The House-passed version of the bill ultimately ditched the buffer zone proposal. 

Throughout its testimony in the House, the only opposition to the bill came from Gary Daniels, a legislative director with the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. Daniels testified against the version of the bill that included the buffer zone proposal, expressing concerns that law enforcement could deliberately expand zones through the strategic placement of officers.

“In the wrong hands, HB 20 can be abused, used to avoid or minimize accountability, and reduce transparency, or to target certain individuals,” Daniels said. 

Daniels said given the changes made to HB 20, the ACLU is currently an “interested party” when it comes to the legislation, but is no longer actively opposing it.

In written testimony submitted by the bill’s sponsors, Hall and Plummer, the pair clarified that the legislation does not prohibit bystanders from recording first responders.