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Am. S. B. No. 258 As Enrolled
(129th General Assembly)
(Amended Senate Bill Number 258)
AN ACT
To enact section 5502.53 of the Revised Code to
create the Statewide Blue Alert Program.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio:
SECTION 1. That section 5502.53 of the Revised Code be
enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 5502.53. (A) As used in this section:
"Cable system" has the meaning defined in section 2913.04 of
the Revised Code.
"Law enforcement agency" means an organization or unit made
up of law enforcement officers as defined in section 2901.01 of
the Revised Code.
(B) There is created the statewide blue alert program that
consists of a statewide system for the rapid dissemination of
information to speed the apprehension of persons suspected of
killing or seriously injuring law enforcement officers and to aid
in the location of missing law enforcement officers. The governor
shall organize the program as a coordinated effort among the
governor's office, the department of public safety, the attorney
general, law enforcement agencies, the state's public and
commercial television and radio broadcasters, the state's cable
systems, and others as considered necessary by the governor.
(C) A statewide blue alert shall be activated if all of the
following activation criteria are met:
(1) A local law enforcement agency confirms that a law
enforcement officer has been seriously injured or killed, and a
suspect has not been apprehended, or that a law enforcement
officer is missing while on duty under circumstances warranting
concern for the law enforcement officer's safety.
(2) There is sufficient descriptive information about the
suspect or the circumstances surrounding a law enforcement
officer's injury, death, or disappearance to indicate that
activation of the alert may help locate a suspect or a missing law
enforcement officer.
Nothing in this division prevents the activation of a local
or regional emergency alert program that may impose different
criteria for the activation of a local or regional emergency
alert.
(D) A radio broadcast station, television broadcast station,
or cable system participating in the statewide blue alert program,
and a director, officer, employee, or agent of a station or system
participating in the program, is immune from liability for damages
for any loss allegedly caused by or resulting from the station's
or system's broadcast or cablecast of, or failure to broadcast or
cablecast, any information pursuant to the statewide blue alert
program.
(E) The statewide blue alert program shall be operated in
such a manner that it complements and does not conflict with
similar federal alert programs.
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