HB 172 Summary

• Prohibits persons publishing criminal record information from soliciting or accepting fees to remove, correct, modify, or refrain from publishing such information; violations are first-degree misdemeanors with civil remedies available to victims.

• Allows persons found not guilty or with dismissed charges to apply for expungement of official records if the charge resulted from being a victim of human trafficking.

• Permits persons convicted of prostitution-related offenses (sections 2907.24, 2907.241, 2907.25) to apply for expungement if their participation resulted from being a human trafficking victim.

• Authorizes courts to accept intervention in lieu of conviction for offenders charged with crimes while victims of compelling prostitution, with eligibility requirements and a minimum one-year abstinence period from drugs and alcohol.

• Creates the Perry County Municipal Court effective January 1, 2018, with one full-time judgeship elected in 2017 by petition nomination only; abolishes the Perry County County Court and transfers all pending cases and employees to the new municipal court.