Substitute Senate Bill No. 31 - Summary

• Amends Ohio's Public Records Law to expand exemptions protecting residential and familial information of designated public service workers to include emergency services telecommunicators, certain Ohio National Guard members engaged in remotely piloted aircraft, special forces operations, or cybersecurity, federal judges, and regional physician advisory board members.

• Establishes contact tracing requirements mandating that participation in contagious disease tracing and monitoring efforts be voluntary, require written consent before each step, prohibit penalties for refusal including withholding medical treatment, and protect tracing records as confidential.

• Requires the Bureau of Workers' Compensation and Industrial Commission to disclose claimant names, addresses, and telephone numbers to journalists upon written request, subject to journalist verification and public interest statement requirements.

• Clarifies that records created during contact tracing processes are not public records and remain subject to health privacy protections under Ohio law.

• Presents Section 149.45 of the Revised Code without amendment to confirm harmonization with recent amendments regarding personal information redaction from public internet records.