HB 461: Require jails, prisons provide teletypewriters to certain inmates
The bill requires that certain correctional facilities provide inmates who are deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired with access to teletypewriters. These facilities include county correctional facilities, municipal correctional facilities, and state correctional institutions. Inmates who are deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired must be given access to a teletypewriter at no cost to the inmate. No facility can deny an inmate access to a teletypewriter based on their hearing or speech impairment. This ensures that inmates who rely on teletypewriters for communication have equal access to services and opportunities within the facilities.
| Oct. 01, 2025 | Referred to committee: Local Government |
| Sep. 17, 2025 | Introduced |
As Introduced
136th General Assembly
Regular Session
H. B. No. 461
2025-2026
Representative Upchurch
To enact sections 341.193, 753.022, and 5120.052 of the Revised Code to require municipal and county correctional facilities and state correctional institutions to provide inmates who are deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired with access to teletypewriters.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 341.193, 753.022, and 5120.052 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 341.193. (A) As used in this section:
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(1) "County correctional facility" means a county jail, county workhouse, minimum security jail, joint city and county workhouse, municipal-county correctional center, multicounty-municipal correctional center, municipal-county jail or workhouse, or multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse.
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(2) "Teletypewriter" or "TTY" means a communication device used by people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have severe speech impairment.
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(B) Each county correctional facility shall provide every inmate who is deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a teletypewriter at no cost to the inmate.
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(C) No county correctional facility shall deny an inmate who is deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a teletypewriter.
Sec. 753.022. (A) As used in this section:
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(1) "Municipal correctional facility" means a municipal jail, municipal workhouse, minimum security jail, joint city and county workhouse, municipal-county correctional center, multicounty-municipal correctional center, municipal-county jail or workhouse, or multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse.
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(2) "Teletypewriter" or "TTY" means a communication device used by people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have severe speech impairment.
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(B) Each municipal correctional facility shall provide every inmate who is deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a teletypewriter at no cost to the inmate.
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(C) No municipal correctional facility shall deny an inmate who is deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a teletypewriter.
Sec. 5120.052. (A) As used in this section:
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(1) "State correctional institution" has the same meaning as in section 2967.01 of the Revised Code.
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(2) "Teletypewriter" or "TTY" means a communication device used by people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have severe speech impairment.
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(B) Each state correctional institution shall provide every inmate who is deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a teletypewriter at no cost to the inmate.
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(C) No state correctional institution shall deny an inmate who is deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired access to a teletypewriter.