In February, Congress passed a bipartisan bill that aims to prevent private companies from using forced arbitration – a mediation process between survivors and perpetrators conducted outside the legal system – to manage sexual misconduct claims. The bill has been heralded as a sign of progress for survivors of sexual harassment and other forms of sexual misconduct within the workplace, and a direct result of the #MeToo movement.

Earlier this month, Congress took additional steps reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). A bipartisan group of Senators announced that they had reached an agreement to reauthorize VAWA, which lapsed in 2018. This is a critical step in the effort to reauthorize VAWA, as attempts in recent years have stalled in the Senate.

Since its inception in 1994, each reauthorization of VAWA has ushered in new innovations and expansions in funding to build upon existing protections and programs that serve survivors and communities.

Sponsors: Representative Miranda, Representative Galonski

Committee: House Criminal Justice

HB 266 would eliminate the statute of limitations of § 2907.02 Rape, remove the spousal exemption from § 2907.02 Rape, and extend the statute of limitations for civil child sexual abuse claims from 12 years to the date the survivor reaches the age of 55.

Eliminate sex crime spousal exceptions; permit spousal testimony

Sponsors: Representative Lanese, Representative Boggs

Committee: House Criminal Justice

Click here for OAESV's Fact Sheet.

Declare racism a public health crisis 

House Sponsors:

Senate Sponsors:

Committees: House State and Local Government Committee, Senate Health Committee

Click here for more information.

Sponsors: Representative Lipps, Representative Kelly

Committee: Senate Primary and Secondary Education

Status: Passed House, Referred to Senate Primary & Secondary Education Committee

Current law does not mandate education addressing the pervasive problems of sexual abuse and sexual violence. Erin's Law would require sexual abuse prevention education in grades K-6, add sexual violence prevention education in grades 7-12, and require additional training for school personnel. Ohio is a regional outlier, as Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York have all passed Erin's Law. Erin's Law curriculum first appeared in public schools in 2009, and Ohio's legislation meets our individual state's needs for district expertise in crafting compliant lessons.

Our Erin's Law library can be accessed here.

Remove the cap on damages for noneconomic loss when a victim of rape or assault brings a tort action 

Sponsors: Representative Boggs, Representative Russo

Committee: House Civil Justice Committee

This bill would remove limitations on the amount of compensatory damages for noneconomic loss in tort actions brought by a victim of rape, felonious assault, aggravated assault, assault, or negligent assault.

Senate Sponsors: Senators Fedor and Kunze

House Sponsors: Representatives Galonski and Richardson

Committee: House Criminal Justice Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee

This bill would allow victims of human trafficking to expunge certain criminal records related to their human trafficking victimization.

Our factsheet for these bills can be accessed here.

Sponsors: Representative Sobecki, Representative Lepore-Hagan 

Committee: House Civil Justice Committee

This bill aims to enhance protections for tenant-survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence by allowing survivors the option to terminate rental agreements and prohibiting a variety of retaliatory actions from landlords against tenant-survivors, among other protections.

For more information on the link between sexual violence and housing, check out this resource from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

Sponsors: Representative Powell, Representative Hall

Committee: House Families, Aging, & Human Services Committee

Ohio House Bill 480 was introduced on November 2, 2021. If passed, it would ban all abortions in Ohio — going further than the Texas anti-abortion law that was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on November 1st. OAESV is concerned because, just like Texas’s Senate Bill 8, the Ohio bill has no exceptions for rape or incest. Survivors deserve to have control over what happens to their bodies in the aftermath of rape or incest.

OAESV's next Monthly Legislative Update call is next Friday, March 4th.

Please click the image below to access registration.

This year, OAESV is hosting our signature advocacy event on April 27, 2022. Being able to come together as a collective voice for change is powerful. This is an amazing opportunity to build community, take action, and talk directly with lawmakers to elevate the voices of survivors in Ohio.

Registration for this event is coming soon!

Wear your advocacy on your sleeve by purchasing our exclusive t-shirt! We have various colors and styles available. Order today, and have your shirt(s) mailed directly to your door in time for Advocacy Day and SAAM!

Click the image below to snag your own!

Help support our work. At OAESV we provide many services, including training for advocates and preventionists, technical assistance for local programs, systems advocacy, public policy work, and much more.