Senate hears sponsor testimony on bill limiting restrictions on off‑duty officers carrying firearms (Senate Bill 279)

Senator Johnson presented sponsor testimony for Senate Bill 279, which would remove references in the Ohio Revised Code that permit restrictions on off‑duty law‑enforcement officers carrying firearms and would create civil remedies — including punitive damages and civil penalties — for businesses, state agencies or political subdivisions that discourage officers from carrying.

Johnson said the bill is intended to ensure off‑duty officers remain empowered to act in emergencies and cited an Ohio Attorney General interpretation that public establishments cannot prohibit or restrict officers. He said the firearms in question are those the officers already are authorized and qualified to carry under their departments' standards.

Committee members pressed for data and for information about accountability and existing departmental policies. Senator Blackshear asked whether there is evidence carrying off duty reduces crime; Johnson said he had no data at hand and described the proposal as commonsensical. Senator DeMora asked whether the sponsor had consulted police organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Police or the Buckeye Sheriffs Association; Johnson said he had not but was open to discussion. Senators raised concerns that some police departments adopt stricter departmental policies for safety reasons and asked whether the bill would preempt local department decisions.

A committee member asked about a referenced monetary penalty; the transcript shows a question referencing a $10,000 fine in the bill text. Johnson answered that law enforcement who are negligent or intoxicated would be subject to existing negligence provisions and that current Ohio codes would address misconduct. The bill received a first hearing; no committee vote was recorded.