Ohio HB 203: Enact Aspen Runnels' Law

Bill Text

As Passed by the House

136th
General Assembly

 Regular
Session Sub. H. B. No. 203

 2025-2026

Representatives Hall, T., Williams

Cosponsors: Representatives
Mathews, A., Abrams, Bird, Brennan, Brent, Brownlee, Bryant Bailey,
Click, Creech, Daniels, Dovilla, Fischer, Ghanbari, Gross, Hall, D.,
Hiner, Hoops, Isaacsohn, John, Johnson, Klopfenstein, Lampton, Lett,
Manning, Miller, J., Miller, K., Mohamed, Odioso, Peterson,
Piccolantonio, Ray, Robb Blasdel, Rogers, Russo, Salvo, Schmidt,
Sigrist, Stephens, Upchurch, White, A., Workman, Young

To
amend sections 2903.06, 2903.08, 2903.081, 4511.01, 4511.132,
4511.20, 4511.202, 4511.204, 4511.205, 4511.21, 4511.25, 4511.251,
4511.26, 4511.27, 4511.28, 4511.29, 4511.30, 4511.31, 4511.32,
4511.33, 4511.34, 4511.35, 4511.36, 4511.37, 4511.38, 4511.39,
4511.41, 4511.42, 4511.43, 4511.431, 4511.44, 4511.441, 4511.46,
4511.54, 4511.60, 4511.711, 4511.712, and 5501.27 and to enact
section 4510.039 of the Revised Code to
increase penalties for vehicular assault and vehicular homicide
within an active school zone, to allow a court to impose doubled
fines for specified traffic violations in portions of an active
school zone, and to name this act Aspen Runnels' Law.

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

Section
1. That
sections 2903.06, 2903.08, 2903.081, 4511.01, 4511.132, 4511.20,
4511.202, 4511.204, 4511.205, 4511.21, 4511.25, 4511.251, 4511.26,
4511.27, 4511.28, 4511.29, 4511.30, 4511.31, 4511.32, 4511.33,
4511.34, 4511.35, 4511.36, 4511.37, 4511.38, 4511.39, 4511.41,
4511.42, 4511.43, 4511.431, 4511.44, 4511.441, 4511.46, 4511.54,
4511.60, 4511.711, 4511.712, and 5501.27 be amended and section
4510.039 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
2903.06. (A)
No person, while operating or participating in the operation of a
motor vehicle, motorcycle, utility vehicle, mini-truck, snowmobile,
locomotive, watercraft, or aircraft, shall cause the death of another
or the unlawful termination of another's pregnancy in any of the
following ways:

(1)
As the proximate result of committing an OVI offense.

(2)
In one of the following ways:

(a)
Recklessly;

(b)
As the proximate result of committing, while operating or
participating in the operation of a motor vehicle, utility vehicle,
mini-truck, or motorcycle in a construction zone, a reckless
operation offense, provided that this division applies only if the
person whose death is caused or whose pregnancy is unlawfully
terminated is in the construction zone at the time of the offender's
commission of the reckless operation offense in the construction zone
and does not apply as described in division (F) of this section;

(c)
As the proximate result of committing, while operating or
participating in the operation of a motor vehicle, utility vehicle,
mini-truck, or motorcycle in an active school zone, a reckless
operation offense, provided that this division applies only if the
person whose death is caused or whose pregnancy is unlawfully
terminated is in the active school zone at the time of the offender's
commission of the reckless operation offense in the active school
zone and does not apply as described in division (F) of this section.

(3)
In one of the following ways:

(a)
Negligently;

(b)
As the proximate result of committing, while operating or
participating in the operation of a motor vehicle, utility vehicle,
mini-truck, or motorcycle in a construction zone, a speeding offense,
provided that this division applies only if the person whose death is
caused or whose pregnancy is unlawfully terminated is in the
construction zone at the time of the offender's commission of the
speeding offense in the construction zone and does not apply as
described in division (F) of this section;

(c)
As the proximate result of committing, while operating or
participating in the operation of a motor vehicle, utility vehicle,
mini-truck, or motorcycle in an active school zone, a speeding
offense, provided that this division applies only if the person whose
death is caused or whose pregnancy is unlawfully terminated is in the
active school zone at the time of the offender's commission of the
speeding offense in the active school zone and does not apply as
described in division (F) of this section.

(4)(4)(a)
As the proximate result of committing a violation of any provision of
any section contained in Title XLV of the Revised Code that is a
minor misdemeanor or of a municipal ordinance that, regardless of the
penalty set by ordinance for the violation, is substantially
equivalent to any provision of any section contained in Title XLV of
the Revised Code that is a minor misdemeanor.

(b)
As the proximate result of committing, within an active school zone,
a violation of any provision of any section contained in Title XLV of
the Revised Code that is a minor misdemeanor or of a municipal
ordinance that, regardless of the penalty set by ordinance for the
violation, is substantially equivalent to any provis