OH SB353

Amends Ohio bail and pretrial release laws to require courts consider validated risk assessment tools when setting bail for domestic violence, sexually oriented offenses, and crimes of violence offenses.

Establishes mandatory appearance before a judge for certain serious offenses (felonies, sexually oriented offenses, domestic violence crimes) unless waived for misdemeanors; requires judges to first consider non-monetary bail conditions before setting financial bail.

Requires law enforcement to adopt cite-and-release policies for misdemeanors and fifth-degree felonies that are not crimes of violence, and mandates prosecutors screen cases before initial appearance for appropriate charging and diversion eligibility.

Creates a statewide bail data collection system requiring courts to report arrest dates, outcomes, risk assessment tools used, risk scores, and bail amounts to the Ohio Supreme Court for analysis and research purposes.

Directs the Ohio Supreme Court to form a committee within 30 days to evaluate and publish a list of recommended risk assessment tools validated using Ohio data, with periodic review and revalidation of tools.