Schaffer Legislation Protecting First Responders, Children, and Second Amendment Rights Clears Ohio General Assembly

COLUMBUS - State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) announced today that Senate Bill 16, which enhances protections for Ohio’s first responders, children, and Second Amendment rights during declared emergencies, has been sent to the Governor for signature.

“I am pleased that my colleagues in the Ohio General Assembly agreed that protecting first responders and their families is critical,” said Schaffer, the bill’s primary sponsor. “No cop, firefighter, or their family should ever fear for their safety from out-of-control mobs and rioters who terrorize our cities. As a civilized society, we cannot tolerate violence on these men and women who have taken oaths to protect us.”

Schaffer introduced the legislation in 2021 to protect police, firefighters, EMTs, and their family members from the menacing violence they were suffering during the riots and civil unrest the year before.

Senate Bill 16 makes several more important public safety changes, including:

Prison for Importuning - Adds mandatory sentencing for offenders on their first offense when they are convicted of importuning a minor child under 13 years of age and if the offender is ten or more years older than the victim.The same standard applies to importuning cases where a law enforcement officer has posed as a person between the ages of 13 and 16.
This amendment is the second of two policy changes advocated by Schaffer in a campaign to fight importuning in Ohio.
Emergency Alert System - Expands our statewide emergency alert system to include individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other developmental disabilities.
SORN Offenders - Prohibits Sex Offender Registration and Notification (SORN) offenders from volunteering with youth organizations where they will have extensive contact with a minor.
Voyeurism - Expands the definition of voyeurism to include streaming, photographing, or filming a person in a changing room who has a reasonable expectation of privacy to disrobe.
Senate Bill 185, another Schaffer priority bill, was also amended into Senate Bill 16 earlier this week. The amendment protects Ohioans from the unconstitutional seizing of their firearms and ammunition by government officials during declared emergencies.

“This amendment will protect us from the Constitutional violations experienced in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, where government officials rounded up firearms and ammunition in the weeks after the storm,” Schaffer said. Due to phone lines and cell technology being destroyed by the hurricane, no one could call for help.
 
“Government effectively disarmed citizens when bands of criminals ran wild, raiding homes and committing serious crimes,” Schaffer said. More recently, a similar situation occurred in Michigan, when Governor Whitmer shut down firearms commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the startling scope of government power during a declared emergency,” Schaffer said. “It is critical that both local and state authorities understand that this power cannot be used to infringe on people’s ability to protect themselves and their families.”

Senate Bill 16 will now head to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for signature.