S.B. No. 274 - Pretrial Release and Risk Assessment Summary

• Courts must use validated risk assessment tools when setting bail for domestic violence, sexual offenses, and offenses of violence cases involving family or household members.

• Courts may set nonmonetary bail conditions as an alternative to monetary bail amounts, with judges considering public safety and defendant appearance likelihood.

• Courts must collect data on bail amounts, pretrial release recommendations, risk assessment tool results, and defendant compliance for Supreme Court monitoring purposes.

• Ohio Supreme Court must create a list of validated risk assessment tools within one year and establish standards for bail setting procedures, with compliance deadline of January 1, 2021.

• Expands bail hearing requirements and considerations for cases involving domestic violence, sexually oriented offenses, and crimes of violence to include mental health, weapons access, and threat assessment factors.