OH HB626

Requires the Administrative Director of the Ohio Supreme Court to develop and provide a free court reminder program to every municipal, county, and common pleas court, enabling text or email notifications to all criminal and traffic defendants of scheduled court appearances

Mandates three reminders before each court appearance (with at least one sent the day before), written in plain language including date, time, location, consequences for nonappearance, and contact information, with defendants able to select their preferred language

Requires courts to send at least one notice within one day after a missed appearance informing the defendant how to resolve it, including how to remove any warrant issued

Directs courts to automatically enroll defendants who provide contact information, allow opt-out, partner with law enforcement and public defenders to collect contact details during intake, and track detailed data on program enrollment, message delivery, and failure-to-appear rates for publication by the Supreme Court

Appropriates $6,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund in FY 2026 and $1,000,000 in FY 2027 to implement the Automated Court Appearance Reminder Program