The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio enacts the Mental Health and Community Wellness Act to overhaul competency laws and fund a Lucas County facility
Last action · February 4, 2026: Referred to JudiciarySponsors: Josh Williams and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
Ohio modifies criminal competency and procedures, requires prosecutors to file for civil confinement of defendants found incompetent for felonies or violent misdemeanors, and appropriates $26 million for a new correctional treatment facility in Lucas County.
Defendants facing felony or violent misdemeanor charges who are found incompetent to stand trial must be subjected to prosecutor-filed proceedings, while $26 million from the General Revenue Fund is transferred to construct a specialized correctional treatment facility in Lucas County.
- Ohio's competency to stand trial laws govern how courts evaluate and handle criminal defendants who may lack the mental capacity to understand proceedings against them. context
- Community-based correctional facilities in Ohio provide secure housing, substance abuse treatment, and mental health programming as alternatives to traditional prison sentences. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Defendants found incompetent to stand trial
Defendants facing felony or violent misdemeanor charges are subject to mandatory civil commitment filings and specialized treatment protocols.
Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
The department is tasked with establishing the pilot program, acquiring medications, hiring specialized staff, and constructing the new Lucas County facility.
Prosecutors
Prosecutors are required to file civil commitment affidavits in probate court for defendants charged with felonies or violent misdemeanors who are found incompetent to stand trial.
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 happens when a defendant is found incompetent to stand trial for a felony?
How much money is appropriated for the new correctional facility?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 4, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to Judiciary
- Dec 8, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →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.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Fund Transfer for Facility Construction
The bill pairs a statutory overhaul of competency laws with a direct $26 million cash transfer from the General Revenue Fund to establish a specialized correctional facility in Lucas County.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools