As Passed by the House 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-CAREY-BRADY-MOTTL- 9
HOUSEHOLDER-GRENDELL-WESTON-PATTON-O'BRIEN-WINKLER-TERWILLEGER- 10
BRADING-OLMAN-SALERNO-PADGETT-ROBERTS-ROMAN-COLONNA- 11
BENDER-VESPER-NETZLEY-BUCHY-LEWIS-CATES-BRITTON-JONES-VERICH 12
14
A B I L L
To amend section 2917.31 of the Revise Code to 16
increase the penalty for the offense of inducing 17
panic when the public place involved in the 18
offense is a school. 19
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO: 20
Section 1. That section 2917.31 of the Revised Code be 22
amended to read as follows: 23
Sec. 2917.31. (A) No person shall cause the evacuation of 32
any public place, or otherwise cause serious public inconvenience 33
or alarm, by doing any of the following: 34
(1) Initiating or circulating a report or warning of an 36
alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, or other 37
catastrophe, knowing that such report or warning is false; 38
(2) Threatening to commit any offense of violence; 40
(3) Committing any offense, with reckless disregard of the 42
likelihood that its commission will cause serious public 43
inconvenience or alarm. 44
(B) Division (A)(1) of this section does not apply to any 46
person conducting an authorized fire or emergency drill. 47
(C)(1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of inducing 49
panic,. 50
(2) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN DIVISION (C)(3) OR (4) 52
2
OF THIS SECTION, INDUCING PANIC IS a misdemeanor of the first 54
degree. If
(3) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN DIVISION (C)(4) OF 56
THIS SECTION, IF A violation of this section results in physical 59
harm to any person, inducing panic is a felony of the fourth 60
degree.
(4)(a) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN DIVISION (C)(4)(b) 63
OF THIS SECTION, IF THE PUBLIC PLACE INVOLVED IN A VIOLATION OF 64
DIVISION (A)(1) OF THIS SECTION IS A SCHOOL, INDUCING PANIC IS A 65
FELONY OF THE FOURTH DEGREE.
(b) IF THE PUBLIC PLACE INVOLVED IN A VIOLATION OF 67
DIVISION (A)(1) OF THIS SECTION IS A SCHOOL AND IF THE VIOLATION 68
RESULTS IN PHYSICAL HARM TO ANY PERSON, INDUCING PANIC IS A 69
FELONY OF THE THIRD DEGREE.
(D) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, "SCHOOL" MEANS ANY SCHOOL 71
OPERATED BY A BOARD OF EDUCATION OR ANY SCHOOL FOR WHICH THE 72
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESCRIBES MINIMUM STANDARDS UNDER 73
SECTION 3301.07 OF THE REVISED CODE, WHETHER OR NOT ANY
INSTRUCTION, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, OR TRAINING PROVIDED BY 74
THE SCHOOL IS BEING CONDUCTED AT THE TIME A VIOLATION OF THIS 75
SECTION IS COMMITTED.
Section 2. That existing section 2917.31 of the Revised 77
Code is hereby repealed. 78