SB 26: Create the Joint Law Enforcement Oversight Committee

As Introduced

136th General Assembly Regular Session 2025-2026

S. B. No. 26

Senator Johnson

A B I L L

To enact sections 103.52 and 103.53 of the Revised 1
Code to create the Joint Law Enforcement 2
Oversight Committee and to make an 3
appropriation. 4

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections 103.52 and 103.53 of the Revised 5
Code be enacted to read as follows: 6
Sec. 103.52. (A) As used in sections 103.52 and 103.53 of 7
the Revised Code: 8
(1) "JLEOC" means the joint law enforcement oversight 9
committee created under this section. 10
(2) "Peace officer" has the meaning defined in section 11
109.71 of the Revised Code. 12
(B) The joint law enforcement oversight committee (JLEOC) 13
is created. JLEOC shall evaluate training standards and programs 14
required to be completed by any peace officer in the state. 15
(C) JLEOC shall consist of the following members: 16
(1) Three members of the senate appointed by the president 17

S. B. No. 26 As Introduced

of the senate, two of whom are members of the majority party and 18
one of whom is a member of the minority party; 19
(2) Three members of the house of representatives 20
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, two of 21
whom are members of the majority party and one of whom is a 22
member of the minority party. 23
(D) The term of each JLEOC member shall begin on the day 24
of appointment to JLEOC and end on the last day that the member 25
serves in the house (in the case of a member appointed by the 26
speaker) or senate (in the case of a member appointed by the 27
president) during the general assembly for which the member is 28
appointed to JLEOC. The president and speaker shall make the 29
initial appointments not later than sixty days after the 30
effective date of this section. The president and speaker shall 31
make subsequent appointments not later than fifteen days after 32
the commencement of the first regular session of each general 33
assembly. JLEOC members may be reappointed. A vacancy on JLEOC 34
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. 35
(E) In odd-numbered years, the speaker shall designate one 36
of the majority members from the house as the JLEOC chairperson, 37
the president shall designate one of the majority members from 38
the senate as the JLEOC vice-chairperson, and the president 39
shall designate one of the minority members from the senate as 40
the JLEOC ranking minority member. In even-numbered years, the 41
president shall designate one of the majority members from the 42
senate as the JLEOC chairperson, the speaker shall designate one 43
of the majority members from the house as the JLEOC vice- 44
chairperson, and the speaker shall designate one of the minority 45
members from the house as the JLEOC ranking minority member. 46
(F) In appointing members from the minority, and in 47

S. B. No. 26 As Introduced

designating ranking minority members, the president and speaker 48
shall consult with the minority leader of their respective 49
houses. 50
(G) JLEOC shall meet at the call of the JLEOC chairperson. 51
The chairperson shall call JLEOC to meet not less often than 52
once each calendar month, unless the chairperson and ranking 53
minority member agree that the chairperson should not call JLEOC 54
to meet for a particular month. 55
(H) Notwithstanding section 101.26 of the Revised Code, 56
the members, when engaged in their duties as members of JLEOC on 57
days when there is not a voting session of the member's house of 58
the general assembly, shall be paid at the per diem rate of one 59
hundred fifty dollars, and their necessary traveling expenses, 60
which shall be paid from the funds appropriated for the payment 61
of expenses of legislative committees. 62
(I) The JLEOC chairperson may, subject to approval by the 63
speaker of the house of representatives or the speaker's 64
designee and the president of the senate or the president's 65
designee, employ professional, technical, and clerical employees 66
as are necessary for JLEOC to be able, successfully and 67
efficiently, to perform its duties. All such employees are in 68
the unclassified service and may be terminated by the 69
chairperson, subject to approval of the speaker or the speaker's 70
designee and president or the president's designee. JLEOC may 71
contract for the services of persons who are qualified by 72
education and experience to advise, consult with, or otherwise 73
assist JLEOC in the performance of its duties. 74
(J) The JLEOC chairperson, when authorized by JLEOC and 75
the president and speaker, may issue subpoenas and subpoenas 76

duces tecum in aid of JLEOC's performance of its duties. A 77

S. B. No. 26 As Introduced

subpoena may require a witness in any part of the state to 78
appear before JLEOC at a time and place designated in the 79
subpoena to testify. A subpoena duces tecum may require 80
witnesses or other persons in any part of the state to produce 81
books, papers, records, and other tangible evidence before JLEOC 82
at a time and place designated in the subpoena duces tecum. A 83
subpoena or subpoena duces tecum shall be issued, served, and 84
returned, and has consequences, as specified in sections 101.41 85
to 101.45 of the Revised Code. 86
(K) The JLEOC chairperson may administer oaths to 87
witnesses appearing before JLEOC. 88
Sec. 103.53. (A) JLEOc shall do both of the following: 89
(1) Review and evaluate training standards and programs 90
required to be completed by any peace officer in the state; 91
(2) Recommend, to the extent JLEOC determines appropriate, 92
improvements in statutes and rules concerning peace officer 93
training standards and programs. 94
(B) JLEOC may do all of the following: 95
(1) Require that the chairperson of the Ohio peace officer 96
training commission appear before JLEOC to provide information 97
and answer questions about the activities of the Ohio peace 98
officer training commission; 99
(2) Review bills and resolutions regarding the peace 100
officer training standards and programs that are introduced in 101
the general assembly. JLEOC may submit a report of its review of 102
a bill or resolution to the general assembly in accordance with 103
section 101.68 of the Revised Code. The report may include 104
JLEOC's determination regarding the bill's or resolution's 105
desirability as a matter of public policy; JLEOC's decision on 106

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whether and when to review a bill or resolution has no effect on 107
the general assembly's authority to act on the bill or 108
resolution. 109
(3) Solicit written comments on, and conduct public 110
hearings at which persons may offer verbal comments on, drafts 111
of its reports. 112

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.

The foregoing appropriation item 030400, Operating 123
Expenses, shall be used for the purpose of employing a task 124
force of technical professionals to assist the Joint Law 125

S. B. No. 26 As Introduced

Enforcement Oversight Committee, created by section 103.52 of 126
the Revised Code, in the performance of its duty of evaluating 127
training standards and programs required to be completed by any 128
peace officer in the state. 129
Section 4. Within the limits set forth in this act, the 130
Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts 131
indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation 132
made in this act, and shall determine the manner in which 133
appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from 134
operating appropriations contained in this act shall be 135
accounted for as though made in, and are subject to all 136
applicable provisions of, the main operating appropriations act 137
of the 136th General Assembly. 138