OH HB314

Amends Ohio Revised Code section 149.43 to allow public offices to bring court actions to limit or deny public records requests that appear intended to harass the office or disrupt its essential functions based on volume or repeated nature of requests

Exempts journalists, pro se litigants seeking records for their own cases, state agencies, public colleges/universities, public defenders, and government attorneys from the harassment restriction provisions

Permits public offices to hire private contractors to respond to voluminous public records requests, including making required redactions, with contractor costs passed on to the requester

Allows public offices to require requesters believed to be public defenders to provide documentary evidence that requested records relate to their official duties, while protecting attorney-client privileged materials from disclosure requirements

Adds "public defender" definition to include attorneys employed by public defender offices or appointed under section 120.33 of the Revised Code