As Reported by the House Criminal Justice Committee 1
122nd General Assembly 4
Regular Session H. B. No. 382 5
1997-1998 6
REPRESENTATIVES OGG-OPFER-PRINGLE-SULZER-TAVARES-VAN VYVEN- 8
GARCIA-SUTTON-FORD-MYERS-MASON-LUCAS 9
11
A B I L L
To amend section 2917.31 of the Revise Code to 13
increase the penalty for the offense of inducing 14
panic when the public place involved in the 15
offense is a school. 16
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO: 17
Section 1. That section 2917.31 of the Revised Code be 19
amended to read as follows: 20
Sec. 2917.31. (A) No person shall cause the evacuation of 29
any public place, or otherwise cause serious public inconvenience 30
or alarm, by doing any of the following: 31
(1) Initiating or circulating a report or warning of an 33
alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, or other 34
catastrophe, knowing that such report or warning is false; 35
(2) Threatening to commit any offense of violence; 37
(3) Committing any offense, with reckless disregard of the 39
likelihood that its commission will cause serious public 40
inconvenience or alarm. 41
(B) Division (A)(1) of this section does not apply to any 43
person conducting an authorized fire or emergency drill. 44
(C)(1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of inducing 46
panic,. 47
(2) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN DIVISION (C)(3) OR (4) 49
OF THIS SECTION, INDUCING PANIC IS a misdemeanor of the first 51
degree. If
(3) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN DIVISION (C)(4) OF 53
2
THIS SECTION, IF A violation of this section results in physical 56
harm to any person, inducing panic is a felony of the fourth 57
degree.
(4)(a) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN DIVISION (C)(4)(b) 60
OF THIS SECTION, IF THE PUBLIC PLACE INVOLVED IN A VIOLATION OF 61
DIVISION (A)(1) OF THIS SECTION IS A SCHOOL, INDUCING PANIC IS A 62
FELONY OF THE FOURTH DEGREE.
(b) IF THE PUBLIC PLACE INVOLVED IN A VIOLATION OF 64
DIVISION (A)(1) OF THIS SECTION IS A SCHOOL AND IF THE VIOLATION 65
RESULTS IN PHYSICAL HARM TO ANY PERSON, INDUCING PANIC IS A 66
FELONY OF THE THIRD DEGREE.
(D) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, "SCHOOL" MEANS ANY SCHOOL 68
OPERATED BY A BOARD OF EDUCATION OR ANY SCHOOL FOR WHICH THE 69
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESCRIBES MINIMUM STANDARDS UNDER 70
SECTION 3301.07 OF THE REVISED CODE, WHETHER OR NOT ANY
INSTRUCTION, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, OR TRAINING PROVIDED BY 71
THE SCHOOL IS BEING CONDUCTED AT THE TIME A VIOLATION OF THIS 72
SECTION IS COMMITTED.
Section 2. That existing section 2917.31 of the Revised 74
Code is hereby repealed. 75