HB142 (Modify LEO notification) scheduled for 7th hearing in Senate committee

Chairman Bill Coley (R-Liberty Township), who chairs the Government Oversight and Reform Committee, has announced his committee will be holding a 7th hearing on Rep. Scott Wiggam's HB 142 (Modify LEO notification) on Thursday, December 13 at 10:30 a.m. in the Finance Hearing Room.

The committee will be considering testimony from proponents, opponents and interested parties. The chair has also indicated that possible amendments may be considered before a possible vote.

As passed by the House, Sub. HB 142 seeks to modify Ohio law to require that, if asked by a law enforcement officer for a driver's license or state-issued ID, a concealed handgun license (CHL) holder must also display the person's concealed handgun license or documents demonstrating the person to be a qualified military member with the driver's license or state ID, or orally inform the officer or employee, at the same time as displaying the driver's license or state ID, that the person has been issued a concealed handgun license or is authorized to carry a concealed handgun as an active duty military member, and disclose that the person then is carrying a concealed handgun or has a loaded handgun in the motor vehicle.

The substitute bill also specifies that failure to comply with the notification requirement described above is a minor misdemeanor and that the offender may be subject to a fine of not more than $25; plus it removes the possibility of having a concealed handgun license suspended for failure to comply.

In 2015, a study by ConcealedNation.org revealed that Ohio was in a vast minority of states that makes such a requirement of concealed handgun license-holders.

The Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association's Executive Director Robert Cornwell has said Sub. HB 142 creates for license holders "a clear line of distinction as to when they are required to notify the law enforcement officer that they are a licensee.

"This clarification will benefit all those concerned," he wrote. The group remains neutral on the bill.

Stay tuned for updates.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is co-founder of BFA-PAC, and served as its Vice Chairman for 15 years. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.