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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio House Bill 946 restricts charitable bail organizations and empowers the attorney general to levy $10,000 fines
Last action · May 20, 2026: Referred to JudiciarySponsor: Cindy Abrams
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio House Bill 946 prohibits s from posting bond for individuals charged with violent crimes or felonies with a prior violent crime conviction, or those with a history of missing two or more court appearances. The legislation authorizes the Ohio Attorney General to investigate violations, initiate civil actions, seek injunctions, and collect a $10,000 civil fine per violation for deposit into the reparations fund.
s face restrictions on which defendants they can assist and mandatory financial penalties for non-compliance, while the state gains enforcement and investigative powers regarding bail practices.
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.
Charitable bail organizations
Charitable bail organizations face explicit prohibitions on posting bond for defendants with violent charges, felony histories of violence, or multiple failure-to-appear records, and are subject to $10,000 civil fines and injunctions for violations.
Ohio Attorney General
The attorney general gains explicit statutory authority to investigate civil violations, initiate civil actions, prosecute cases, and deposit collected fines into the reparations fund.
Criminal defendants in Ohio
Defendants charged with violent offenses, felons with prior violent convictions, or individuals with a history of missing two or more court appearances are disqualified from receiving bail assistance from charitable bail organizations.
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
Which defendants are barred from receiving bail from a charitable organization under House Bill 946?
What penalties does a charitable bail organization face for violating the restrictions?
Who is responsible for enforcing the rules and investigating violations?
What happens to the money collected from civil fines?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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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- May 20, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to Judiciary
- May 19, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced
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.
Establishment of Attorney General Oversight on Bail Organizations
The bill shifts enforcement authority by empowering the attorney general to initiate civil actions specifically for violations involving charitable bail organizations.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz50Current news / social attention level
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