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As Introduced
123rd General Assembly
Regular Session
1999-2000 | S. B. No. 244 |
SENATOR MUMPER
A BILL
To enact section 4501.80 of the Revised Code to require every law enforcement
agency whose law enforcement officers investigate motor vehicle accidents to
develop and adopt a written policy governing the procedures for notifying the
next of kin of any person who is found dead or is pronounced dead at the scene
of a motor vehicle accident or who suffers a serious, life-threatening injury
in a motor vehicle accident.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That section 4501.80 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as
follows:
Sec. 4501.80. (A) EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WHOSE LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS INVESTIGATE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS SHALL DEVELOP AND
ADOPT, AND, UPON THE ADOPTION, SHALL UTILIZE, A WRITTEN POLICY GOVERNING THE
PROCEDURES FOR NOTIFYING THE NEXT OF KIN OF ANY PERSON WHO IS FOUND DEAD OR IS
PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT OR WHO SUFFERS A
SERIOUS, LIFE-THREATENING INJURY IN A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND WHO THE
INVESTIGATING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER REASONABLY DETERMINES IN ALL PROBABILITY
WILL NOT BE ABLE TO NOTIFY THE PERSON'S NEXT OF KIN WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME
AFTER THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
(B) ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WITHIN A COUNTY THAT ARE
REQUIRED BY DIVISION (A) OF THIS SECTION TO DEVELOP, ADOPT, AND
UTILIZE A WRITTEN POLICY SHALL CONFER PRIOR TO ADOPTING THEIR POLICIES AND
SHALL MAKE EVERY REASONABLE ATTEMPT TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICIES THAT ARE
ADOPTED ARE CONSISTENT WITH EACH OTHER. EVERY POLICY SHALL ADDRESS THE
PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED IN THE CASE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT AT WHICH MORE
THAN ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RESPONDS, TO ENSURE THAT THE NOTIFICATION
REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION IS MADE.
(C) THE NOTIFICATION UNDER THIS SECTION OF THE NEXT OF KIN OF
PERSONS WHO ARE KILLED OR INJURED IN MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS IS HEREBY DEEMED
TO BE A GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTION FOR PURPOSES OF CHAPTER 2744. of the Revised Code.
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