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SB 295OHIOSession 136State BillSigned into law

Enacted

Ohio Revises Competency Restoration Timelines for Defendants in Criminal Cases

Original title: Regards the timeline for restoring competency in criminal cases

Last action · February 20, 2026: Signed By The GovernorSponsors: Nathan H. Manning and 30 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Does

Ohio Senate Bill 295 changes the maximum time limits allowed for restoring a criminal defendant's , extending the period for the most serious offenses such as aggravated murder to three years while adjusting timelines for other felony and misdemeanor cases, and takes effect immediately as an emergency measure.

Why it matters

The law alters how long individuals accused of crimes can be committed to state psychiatric facilities for competency restoration treatment before charges must be dismissed or proceedings initiated.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Criminal defendants found incompetent to stand trial

Defendants face extended maximum periods of court-ordered psychiatric treatment and confinement for competency restoration depending on the severity of the charged offense.

Directly affected

Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

The department is responsible for providing or overseeing treatment facilities and submitting required progress reports to trial courts regarding committed individuals.

Directly affected

County prosecutors

Prosecutors receive notices regarding defendant movements, discharges, or changes in commitment status and retain burdens of proof at continued commitment hearings.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the new maximum timeline for restoring competency in a murder case?

The maximum timeline for competency restoration treatment is extended to three years if the most serious charge is aggravated murder, murder, or an offense of violence carrying a death or life sentence.

Does this law apply to defendants whose cases are already pending?

Yes, the amendments apply retroactively to all defendants found incompetent to stand trial prior to the effective date whose competency restoration is ongoing or whose case remains pending.

What happens if a defendant refuses to take prescribed medication during restoration?

The statutory time period for competency treatment is (paused) during any period when the defendant lacks capacity to consent or refuses treatment, or while a petition for involuntary medication is pending.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

12 actions

Feb 20, 2026Enrolled
Signed By The Governor
Feb 20, 2026Enrolled
Effective Emergency Act
Feb 18, 2026HouseCommittee
Reported - Amended (Judiciary)
Feb 18, 2026HouseFloor
Passed
Feb 18, 2026SenateFloor
Concurred in House amendments
Feb 18, 2026Enrolled
Sent To The Governor

Show 6 earlier actions

Nov 19, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to Judiciary
Nov 18, 2025HouseIntroduced
Introduced
Nov 12, 2025SenateCommittee
Reported - Amended (Judiciary)
Nov 12, 2025SenateFloor
Passed
Oct 22, 2025SenateCommittee
Referred to Judiciary
Oct 21, 2025SenateIntroduced
Introduced

Version history & redline

6 versions on file

Comparing As Passed by the House → As Enrolled

removed addedOfficial text

sb295_04_PH As Passed by the House 136th General Assembly Regular Session Am. S. B. No. 295 2025-2026 Senators Manning, Patton Cosponsors: Senators Cirino, Gavarone, Reineke, Romanchuk, Schaffer, Smith Representatives Mathews, A., Abrams, Brennan, Click, Demetriou, Fischer, Hall, D., Hall, T., Hiner, John, Manning, Mathews, T., Miller, J., Mullins, Odioso, Plummer, Stewart, Thomas, D., Thomas, J., Troy, Williams, Willis, Young To amend sections 2945.38, 2945.39, and 2945.401 of the Revised Code relative to the timeline for restoration of competency in criminal cases and to declare an emergency. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO: Section 1. That sections 2945.38, 2945.39, and 2945.401 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows: Sec. 2945.38. (A) If the issue of a defendant's competence to stand trial is raised and if the court, upon conducting the hearing provided for in section 2945.37 of the Revised Code, finds that the defendant is competent to stand trial, the defendant shall be proceeded against as provided by law. If the court finds the defendant competent to stand trial and the defendant is receiving psychotropic drugs or other medication, the court may authorize the continued administration of the drugs or medication or other appropriate treatment in order to maintain the defendant's competence to stand trial, unless the defendant's attending physician advises the court against continuation of the drugs, other medication, or treatment. (B)(1)(a)(i) If the defendant has been charged with a felony offense or a misdemeanor offense of violence for which the prosecutor has not recommended the procedures under division (B)(1)(a)(vi) of this section and if, after taking into consideration all relevant reports, information, and other evidence, the court finds that the defendant is incompetent to stand trial and that there is a substantial probability that the defendant will become competent to stand trial within one year 55,854 more removed characters - read the previous versionsb295_05_EN (136th General Assembly) (Amended Senate Bill Number 295) AN ACT To amend sections 2945.38, 2945.39, and 2945.401 of the Revised Code relative to the timeline for restoration of competency in criminal cases and to declare an emergency. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio: Section 1. That sections 2945.38, 2945.39, and 2945.401 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows: Sec. 2945.38. (A) If the issue of a defendant's competence to stand trial is raised and if the court, upon conducting the hearing provided for in section 2945.37 of the Revised Code, finds that the defendant is competent to stand trial, the defendant shall be proceeded against as provided by law. If the court finds the defendant competent to stand trial and the defendant is receiving psychotropic drugs or other medication, the court may authorize the continued administration of the drugs or medication or other appropriate treatment in order to maintain the defendant's competence to stand trial, unless the defendant's attending physician advises the court against continuation of the drugs, other medication, or treatment. (B)(1)(a)(i) If the defendant has been charged with a felony offense or a misdemeanor offense of violence for which the prosecutor has not recommended the procedures under division (B)(1)(a)(vi) of this section and if, after taking into consideration all relevant reports, information, and other evidence, the court finds that the defendant is incompetent to stand trial and that there is a substantial probability that the defendant will become competent to stand trial within one year the time specified in division (C) of this section if the defendant is provided with a course of treatment, the court shall order the defendant to undergo treatment. (ii) If the defendant has been charged with a felony offense and if, after taking into consideration all relevant reports, information, and other evidence, the court finds that the defendant 56,047 more added characters - read this version

Redline computed from the official version text (record lane).View this version →

Voting Record

Motion succeededSenate2/18/2026Ohio LegislatureOfficial roll call ↗

Adopted

Total

Yes: 30
No: 0
Present: 0
Not voting: 0
Abstain: 0

How they voted (31)

Al CutronaParty not recordedyes

Jane TimkenParty not recordedyes

Al LandisParty not recordedyes

Kent SmithParty not recordedyes

Willis BlackshearParty not recordedyes

Catherine IngramParty not recordedyes

Thomas PattonParty not recordedyes

Rob McColleyParty not recordedyes

Andrew BrennerParty not recordedyes

Theresa GavaroneParty not recordedyes

Nickie AntonioParty not recordedyes

George LangParty not recordedyes

Terry JohnsonParty not recordedyes

Brian ChavezParty not recordedyes

Stephen A. HuffmanParty not recordedyes

Paula Hicks-HudsonParty not recordedyes

Susan ManchesterParty not recordedyes

Mark RomanchukParty not recordedyes

Shane WilkinParty not recordedyes

Tim SchafferParty not recordedyes

Hearcel CraigParty not recordedyes

Jerry CirinoParty not recordedyes

Michele ReynoldsParty not recordedyes

Kyle KoehlerParty not recordedyes

7 more members

Beth ListonParty not recordedyes

Sandra O'BrienParty not recordedyes

William P. DeMoraParty not recordedyes

Nathan H. ManningParty not recordedyes

Kristina RoegnerParty not recordedyes

Casey WeinsteinParty not recordedyes

Bill ReinekeParty not recordedyes

Show 4 earlier roll calls

Motion succeededHouse2/18/2026Ohio LegislatureOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable Passage

Total

Yes: 12
No: 0
Present: 0
Not voting: 0
Abstain: 0

How they voted (12)

Eric SynenbergParty not recordedyes

D.J. SwearingenParty not recordedyes

Scott OelslagerParty not recordedyes

Ismail MohamedParty not recordedyes

Adam MathewsParty not recordedyes

Brian StewartParty not recordedyes

Desireè TimsParty not recordedyes

Phil PlummerParty not recordedyes

Jim ThomasParty not recordedyes

Mike OdiosoParty not recordedyes

Beryl PiccolantonioParty not recordedyes

Josh WilliamsParty not recordedyes

Motion succeededHouse2/18/2026Ohio LegislatureOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable Passage

Total

Yes: 10
No: 0
Present: 0
Not voting: 0
Abstain: 0

How they voted (10)

Brian LorenzParty not recordedyes

Ismail MohamedParty not recordedyes

Roy KlopfensteinParty not recordedyes

Johnathan NewmanParty not recordedyes

Riordan McClainParty not recordedyes

Elgin RogersParty not recordedyes

Michele GrimParty not recordedyes

Bernard WillisParty not recordedyes

Jack DanielsParty not recordedyes

Kevin MillerParty not recordedyes

Motion succeededSenate11/12/2025Ohio LegislatureOfficial roll call ↗

Passed

Total

Yes: 31
No: 0
Present: 0
Not voting: 0
Abstain: 0

How they voted (30)

Brian ChavezParty not recordedyes

Nathan H. ManningParty not recordedyes

Shane WilkinParty not recordedyes

George LangParty not recordedyes

Jane TimkenParty not recordedyes

Thomas PattonParty not recordedyes

William P. DeMoraParty not recordedyes

Kyle KoehlerParty not recordedyes

Andrew BrennerParty not recordedyes

Tim SchafferParty not recordedyes

Beth ListonParty not recordedyes

Jerry CirinoParty not recordedyes

Paula Hicks-HudsonParty not recordedyes

Susan ManchesterParty not recordedyes

Nickie AntonioParty not recordedyes

Kent SmithParty not recordedyes

Hearcel CraigParty not recordedyes

Bill ReinekeParty not recordedyes

Sandra O'BrienParty not recordedyes

Mark RomanchukParty not recordedyes

Al LandisParty not recordedyes

Willis BlackshearParty not recordedyes

Casey WeinsteinParty not recordedyes

Terry JohnsonParty not recordedyes

6 more members

Al CutronaParty not recordedyes

Theresa GavaroneParty not recordedyes

Michele ReynoldsParty not recordedyes

Catherine IngramParty not recordedyes

Kristina RoegnerParty not recordedyes

Stephen A. HuffmanParty not recordedyes

Motion succeededSenate11/12/2025Ohio LegislatureOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable Passage

Total

Yes: 7
No: 0
Present: 0
Not voting: 0
Abstain: 0

How they voted (6)

Al CutronaParty not recordedyes

Nathan H. ManningParty not recordedyes

Theresa GavaroneParty not recordedyes

Kent SmithParty not recordedyes

Michele ReynoldsParty not recordedyes

Paula Hicks-HudsonParty not recordedyes

Full roll-call analysis →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift99% confidence

Retroactive Extension of Competency Timelines

The General Assembly explicitly applied the expanded three-year restoration window retroactively to all pending cases, directly addressing expiring timelines on active court dockets.

General Assembly

Connected Entities

Nathan H. Manning, General Assembly, Mark Hiner and 10 more

PersonNathan H. Manning“State Senator, District 13”Map →

OrganizationGeneral Assembly“Legislative body enacting the bill”Map →

PersonMark Hiner“Cosponsor of the legislation”Map →

PersonGary Click“Cosponsor of the legislation”Map →

PersonTex Fischer“Cosponsor of the legislation”Map →

PersonThomas Patton“State Senator, District 24”Map →

PersonGayle Manning“Cosponsor of the legislation”Map →

PersonMarilyn John“Cosponsor of the legislation”Map →

PersonSean Brennan“Cosponsor of the legislation”Map →

PersonCindy Abrams“Cosponsor of the legislation”Map →

PersonSteve Demetriou“Cosponsor of the legislation”Map →

PersonDerrick Hall“Cosponsor of the legislation”Map →

PersonThomas Hall“Cosponsor of the legislation”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.legislature.ohio.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance80
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level

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What This Bill Does

Who It Affects

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

News Coverage

Where This Stands

Procedural history

Version history & redline

Voting Record

Lobbying Activity

Full breakdown

Sponsors

Discoveries

Retroactive Extension of Competency Timelines

Connected Entities

Sources

Analysis Score

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