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| To enact section 2923.241 of the Revised Code to | 1 |
| prohibit designing, building, constructing, | 2 |
| fabricating, modifying, or altering a vehicle to | 3 |
| create or add a hidden compartment, knowing or | 4 |
| having reasonable cause to believe the vehicle | 5 |
| will be used to facilitate a crime, and to | 6 |
| prohibit operating, possessing, or using a vehicle | 7 |
| with a hidden compartment, knowing or having | 8 |
| reasonable cause to believe that the vehicle has | 9 |
| been or will be used to facilitate a crime. | 10 |
| Section 1. That section 2923.241 of the Revised Code be | 11 |
| enacted to read as follows: | 12 |
| Sec. 2923.241. (A) As used in this section: | 13 |
| (1) "Controlled substance" has the same meaning as in section | 14 |
| 3719.01 of the Revised Code. | 15 |
| (2) "Hidden compartment" means a container, space, or | 16 |
| enclosure that conceals, hides, or otherwise prevents the | 17 |
| discovery of the contents of the container, space, or enclosure. | 18 |
| "Hidden compartment" includes, but is not limited to, any of the | 19 |
| following: | 20 |
| (a) False, altered, or modified fuel tanks; | 21 |
| (b) Any original factory equipment on a vehicle that has been | 22 |
| modified to conceal, hide, or prevent the discovery of the | 23 |
| modified equipment's contents; | 24 |
| (c) Any compartment, space, box, or other closed container | 25 |
| that is added or attached to existing compartments, spaces, boxes, | 26 |
| or closed containers integrated or attached to a vehicle. | 27 |
| (3) "Vehicle" has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of | 28 |
| the Revised Code and includes, but is not limited to, a motor | 29 |
| vehicle, commercial tractor, trailer, noncommercial trailer, | 30 |
| semitrailer, mobile home, recreational vehicle, or motor home. | 31 |
| (4) "Motor vehicle," "commercial trailer," "trailer," | 32 |
| "noncommercial trailer," "semitrailer," "mobile home," | 33 |
| "recreational vehicle," and "motor home" have the same meanings as | 34 |
| in section 4501.01 of the Revised Code. | 35 |
| (B) No person shall knowingly design, build, construct, or | 36 |
| fabricate a vehicle with a hidden compartment, or modify or alter | 37 |
| any portion of a vehicle in order to create or add a hidden | 38 |
| compartment with knowledge or reasonable cause to believe that the | 39 |
| vehicle will be used to facilitate a crime. | 40 |
| (C) No person shall knowingly operate, possess, or use a | 41 |
| vehicle with a hidden compartment with knowledge or reasonable | 42 |
| cause to believe that the vehicle has been or will be used to | 43 |
| facilitate a crime. | 44 |
| (D) Whoever violates division (B) of this section is guilty | 45 |
| of designing a vehicle with a hidden compartment. Except as | 46 |
| otherwise provided in this division, designing a vehicle with a | 47 |
| hidden compartment is a felony of the fourth degree. If the | 48 |
| offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a | 49 |
| violation of division (B) of this section, designing a vehicle | 50 |
| with a hidden compartment is a felony of the third degree. | 51 |
| (E) Whoever violates division (C) of this section is guilty | 52 |
| of operating a vehicle with a hidden compartment. Except as | 53 |
| otherwise provided in this division, operating a vehicle with a | 54 |
| hidden compartment is a felony of the fourth degree. Except as | 55 |
| otherwise provided in this division, if the offender previously | 56 |
| has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of division | 57 |
| (C) of this section, operating a vehicle with a hidden compartment | 58 |
| is a felony of the third degree. If the hidden compartment | 59 |
| contains a controlled substance at the time of the offense, | 60 |
| operating a vehicle with a hidden compartment is a felony of the | 61 |
| second degree. | 62 |
| (F) This section does not apply to any law enforcement | 63 |
| officer acting in the performance of the law enforcement officer's | 64 |
| duties. | 65 |