Committee adopts technical amendments to move-over bill, tables $5 million grant proposal

The House Judiciary Committee on first consideration amended House Bill 132 to clarify enforcement of the state’s move-over requirement and to align vehicular-assault penalties with vehicular-manslaughter levels.

Representative Williams moved amendment 0845, which clarifies that a driver who cannot move over must reduce speed below the posted limit; the committee accepted the amendment without objection. Vice Chair Swearingen then moved a technical amendment (0977) to align penalties, moving vehicular assault to a base third-degree misdemeanor with an enhanced second-degree misdemeanor penalty; that amendment was also accepted without objection.

Representative Sennenberg proposed a separate amendment (5979) that would have allocated $5,000,000 from the Department of Public Safety to fund local pilot grants and programs aimed at increasing compliance with the move-over law and identifying local solutions. Representative Williams moved to table the funding amendment to avoid adding a fiscal note and a re-referral to the Finance Committee. The clerk called the roll; the motion to table passed on a roll call (8 yes, 4 no, 1 excused) and the amendment was tabled.

After the committee business, the committee heard testimony from Sharon Montgomery, a traffic victims’ advocate who recounted a 2000 crash in which her husband died and criticized prosecutorial discretion that can keep serious traffic harms out of court. Montgomery said several Ohio municipalities (Gahanna, Reynoldsburg, Grove City and Westerville) have adopted stronger local penalties and urged a comprehensive review of traffic-related offenses and victim support, including consideration of a task force.

The committee concluded the fourth hearing on HB132 following the testimony and the tabled funding amendment. Future consideration may return to technical language and the funding proposal depending on sponsor action and fiscal analysis.