HB 44: Regards law enforcement training and competitive examinations
The bill aims to improve training for law enforcement officers in Ohio. It establishes a chief of police training course that lasts forty hours and covers topics such as diversity training and community-police relations. The course is mandatory for newly appointed chiefs of police appointed on or after January 1, 2018. The training program will be conducted by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission and will include certification for completion. The bill also creates a competitive civil service system for state and local law enforcement agencies. The system will have two classes: competitive and unskilled labor. The competitive class will include positions that require merit-based examinations, while the unskilled labor class will include ordinary unskilled laborers. The system will prioritize applicants based on their rating in the examinations. Additionally, the bill allows for exe…
| Feb. 04, 2026 | Effective |
| Nov. 05, 2025 | Signed By The Governor |
| Oct. 28, 2025 | Sent To The Governor |
| Oct. 22, 2025 | Passed |
| Jun. 25, 2025 | Reported: Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety |
ANACT
To amend sections $109.804, 124.11$, and 124.30 and to enact sections 109.791 and 737.061 of the Revised Code regarding training schools for prospective law enforcement officers, filling a vacant police department position without a competitive examination, requirements for chief of police training, and advanced training for officers at or above the rank of sergeant.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio:
Section 1.
That sections $109.804, 124.11$, and 124.30 be amended and sections 109.791 and 737.061 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 109.791.
The Ohio peace officer training commission may establish and conduct police officer training courses in addition to those specified in section 109.79 of the Revised Code to be offered to a law enforcement officer at or above the rank of sergeant.
Sec. 109.804.
(A)(1)
The Ohio peace officer training commission shall develop and conduct provide a chief of police training course lasting forty hours for newly appointed chiefs of police appointed on or after January 1, 2018. The commission shall determine the course topics, which shall include diversity training with an emphasis on historical perspectives and community-police relations, and shall establish criteria for what constitutes successful completion of the course. The commission shall conduct the course at the Ohio peace officer training academy locations determined by the commission and in a manner prescribed by the commission. The commission shall offer the course at least semiannually.
(2)
The executive director of the commission shall issue a certificate of completion of a training program required under this section in accordance with Chapter 4796. of the Revised Code to a newly appointed chief of police if either of the following applies:
(a)
The person holds a certificate of completion of such a program in another state.
(b)
The person has satisfactory work experience, a government certification, or a private certification as described in that chapter as a chief of police in a state that does not require completion of such a training program.
(B)
A newly appointed chief of police may request an equivalency exemption from a portion eight hours of the forty hours of the chief of police training course, on topics approved by the executive director, by submitting to the Ohio peace officer training commission, not more than ten calendar days following the person's appointment as a chief of police, evidence of training or qualification in the subject area of the exempted portiontopics.
A request for equivalency exemption by the newly appointed chief of police shall be provided to the commission not later than fourteen calendar days before the beginning of the course.
(C)
Upon presentation of evidence by a newly appointed chief of police that because of a medical disability or other good cause the newly appointed chief of police is unable to complete the chief of police training course, the Ohio peace officer training commission may defer the requirement for the newly appointed chief of police to complete the chief of police training course until the disability or cause terminates.
(D)
A newly appointed chief of police appointed on or after January 1, 2018, shall attend a chief of police training course conducted by the Ohio peace officer training commission pursuant to division (A) of this section not later than six months after the person's appointment as a chief of police. While attending the chief of police training course, a newly appointed chief of police shall receive compensation in the same manner and amounts as if carrying out the powers and duties of the office of chief of police. The costs of conducting the chief of police training course shall be paid from state funds appropriated to the attorney general. The cost of meals, lodging, and travel of a newly appointed chief of police attending the chief of police training course shall be paid from the budget of the entity for which the newly appointed chief of police was appointed.
(E)
As used in this section:
"Newly appointed chief of police" means a person appointed chief of police under section 505.49, 737.05, or 737.15 of the Revised Code or any administrative official that is responsible for the daily administration and supervision of peace officers in a law enforcement agency who did not hold the office has never held the full-time position of chief of police on the date before the person was appointed chief of police.
"Law enforcement agency" means a municipal or township police department, or any other entity authorized by statute to appoint peace officers to enforce criminal laws and who have the statutory power of arrest. "Law enforcement agency" does not include a county sheriff's office, the state highway patrol, or the bureau of criminal identification and investigation.
Sec. 124.11.
The civil service of the state and the several counties, cities, civil service townships, city health districts, general health districts, and city school districts of the state shall be divided into the unclassified service and the classified service.
(A)
The unclassified service shall comprise the following positions, which shall not be included in the classified service, and which shall be exempt from all examinations required by this chapter:
(1)
All officers elected by popular vote or persons appointed to fill vacancies in those offices;
(2)
All election officers as defined in section 3501.01 of the Revised Code;
(3)
(a) The members of all boards and commissions, and heads of principal departments, boards, and commissions appointed by the governor or by and with the governor's consent;
(b) The heads of all departments appointed by a board of county commissioners;
(c) The members of all boards and commissions and all heads of departments appointed by the mayor, or, if there is no mayor, such other similar chief appointing authority of any city or city school district;
Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(17) or (C) of this section, this chapter does not exempt the chiefs of police departments and chiefs of fire departments of cities or civil service townships from the competitive classified service.
(33)
Employees placed in the unclassified service by another section of the Revised Code.
(B)
The classified service shall comprise all persons in the employ of the state and the several counties, cities, city health districts, general health districts, and city school districts of the state, not specifically included in the unclassified service. Upon the creation by the board of trustees of a civil service township civil service commission, the classified service shall also comprise, except as otherwise provided in division (A)(17) or (C) of this section, all persons in the employ of a civil service township police or fire department having ten or more full-time paid employees. The classified service consists of two classes, which shall be designated as the competitive class and the unskilled labor class.
(1)
The competitive class shall include all positions and employments in the state and the counties, cities, city health districts, general health districts, and city school districts of the state, and, upon the creation by the board of trustees of a civil service township of a township civil service commission, all positions in a civil service township police or fire department having ten or more full-time paid employees, for which it is practicable to determine the merit and fitness of applicants by competitive examinations. Appointments shall be made to, or employment shall be given in, all positions in the competitive class that are not filled by promotion, reinstatement, transfer, or reduction, as provided in this chapter, and the rules of the director of administrative services, by appointment from those certified to the appointing officer in accordance with this chapter.
(2)
The unskilled labor class shall include ordinary unskilled laborers. Vacancies in the labor class for positions in service of the state shall be filled by appointment from lists of applicants registered by the director or the director's designee. Vacancies in the labor class for all other positions shall be filled by appointment from lists of applicants registered by a commission. The director or the commission, as applicable, by rule, shall require an applicant for registration in the labor class to furnish evidence or take tests as the director or commission considers proper with respect to age, residence, physical condition, ability to labor, honesty, sobriety, industry, capacity, and experience in the work or employment for which application is made. Laborers who fulfill the requirements shall be placed on the eligible list for the kind of labor or employment sought, and preference shall be given in employment in accordance with the rating received from that evidence or in those tests. Upon the request of an appointing officer, stating the kind of labor needed, the pay and probable length of employment, and the number to be employed, the director or commission, as applicable, shall certify from the highest on the list double the number to be employed; from this number, the appointing officer shall appoint the number actually needed for the particular work. If more than one applicant receives the same rating, priority in time of application shall determine the order in which their names shall be certified for appointment.
(C)
A municipal or civil service township civil service commission may place volunteer firefighters who are paid on a fee-for-service basis in either the classified or the unclassified civil service.
(D)
(1)
This division does not apply to persons in the unclassified service who have the right to resume positions in the classified service under sections $4121.121,5119.18,5120.38,5120.381$, $5120.382,5123.08$, and 5139.02 of the Revised Code or to cities, counties, or political subdivisions of the state.
(2)
A person who holds a position in the classified service of the state and who is appointed to a position in the unclassified service shall retain the right to resume the position and status held by the person in the classified service immediately prior to the person's appointment to the position in the unclassified service, regardless of the number of positions the person held in the unclassified service. An employee's right to resume a position in the classified service may only be exercised when an appointing authority demotes the employee to a pay range lower than the employee's current pay range or revokes the employee's appointment to the unclassified service and any of the following apply:
(a)
That person held a certified position prior to July 1, 2007, in the classified service within the appointing authority's agency;
(b)
That person held a permanent position on or after July 1, 2007, in the classified service within the appointing authority's agency, and was appointed to the position in the unclassified service prior to January 1, 2016;
(c)
That person held a permanent position on or after January 1, 2016, in the classified service within the appointing authority's agency, and is within five years from the effective date of the person's appointment in the unclassified service.
(3)
An employee forfeits the right to resume a position in the classified service when:
(a)
The employee is removed from the position in the unclassified service due to incompetence, inefficiency, dishonesty, drunkenness, immoral conduct, insubordination, discourteous treatment of the public, neglect of duty, violation of this chapter or the rules of the director of administrative services, any other failure of good behavior, any other acts of misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance in office, or conviction of a felony while employed in the civil service; or
(b)
Upon transfer to a different agency.
(4)
Reinstatement to a position in the classified service shall be to a position substantially equal to that position in the classified service held previously, as certified by the director of administrative services. If the position the person previously held in the classified service has been placed in the unclassified service or is otherwise unavailable, the person shall be appointed to a position in the classified service within the appointing authority's agency that the director of administrative services certifies is comparable in compensation to the position the person previously held in the classified service. Service in the position in the unclassified service shall be counted as service in the position in the classified service held by the person immediately prior to the person's appointment to the position in the unclassified service. When a person is reinstated to a position in the classified service as provided in this division, the person is entitled to all rights, status, and benefits accruing to the position in the classified service during the person's time of service in the position in the unclassified service.
Sec. 124.30.
(A)
Classified positions in the civil service may be filled without competition as follows:
(1)
Whenever there are urgent reasons for filling a vacancy in any position in the classified civil service and the director of administrative services is unable to certify to the appointing authority, upon its request, a list of persons eligible for appointment to the position after a competitive examination, the appointing authority may fill the position by noncompetitive examination.
A temporary appointment may be made without regard to the rules of sections 124.01 to 124.64 of the Revised Code. Except as otherwise provided in this division, the temporary appointment may not continue longer than one hundred twenty days, and in no case shall successive temporary appointments be made. A temporary appointment longer than one hundred twenty days may be made if necessary by reason of sickness, disability, or other approved leave of absence of regular officers or employees, in which case it may continue during the period of sickness, disability, or other approved leave of absence, subject to the rules of the director.
(2)
In case of a vacancy in a position in the classified civil service where peculiar and exceptional qualifications of a scientific, managerial, professional, or educational character are required, and upon satisfactory evidence that for specified reasons competition in this special case is impracticable and that the position can best be filled by a selection of some designated person of high and recognized attainments in those qualities, the director may suspend the provisions of sections 124.01 to 124.64 of the Revised Code that require competition in this special case, but no suspension shall be general in its application. All such cases of suspension shall be reported in the annual report of the director with the reasons for each suspension. The director shall suspend the provisions when either of the following applies:
(a)
The director of job and family services provides the certification under section 5101.051 of the Revised Code that a position with the department of job and family services can best be filled if the provisions are suspended;
(b)
The medicaid director provides the certification under section 5160.051 of the Revised Code that a position with the department of medicaid can best be filled if the provisions are suspended.
(3)
Except as provided in division (D) of this section, in case of a vacancy in a position in the classified civil service in a police department, on satisfactory evidence that for specified reasons competition in this special case is impracticable and that the position can best be filled by a selection of some designated person holding a specialized certification, possessing peculiar and exceptional qualifications, or having completed a police cadet training program through the police department, the director of administrative services may suspend the provisions of sections 124.01 to 124.64 of the Revised Code that require competition in this special case, but no suspension shall be general in its application.
(B)
The acceptance or refusal by an eligible person of a temporary appointment under division (A)(1) of this section shall not affect the person's standing on the eligible list for permanent appointment, nor shall the period of temporary service be counted as a part of the probationary service in case of subsequent appointment to a permanent position.
(B)-(C)
Persons who receive temporary or intermittent appointments under division (A)(1) of this section are in the unclassified civil service and serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority.
(D)
Division (A)(3) of this section does not apply to a vacancy in a position in the classified civil service in a police department that must be filled by promotion as prescribed in section 124.44 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 737.061.
(A)
The chief of police of a municipal corporation may conduct training schools for prospective law enforcement officers. The training school programs shall align with Ohio peace officer training academy standards and cadet qualifications. The prospective officers, during the period of training and as members of the training school, may be paid a reasonable salary. The chief of police may furnish the necessary supplies and equipment for the use of the prospective officers during the training period.
(B)
The chief of police may establish rules governing the qualifications for admission to training schools for prospective officers and provide for competitive examinations to determine the fitness of the students and prospective officers, not inconsistent with the rules of the director of administrative services.
(C)
Upon completion of a training school program established under this section, a program graduate may be hired directly by the relevant department, provided the graduate also satisfies the requirements for original appointment under section 109.77 of the Revised Code.
Section 2.
That existing sections $109.804, 124.11$, and 124.30 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.