Jacob's Law Passes House Vote, Moves to Senate

COLUMBUS – The Ohio House of Representatives voted to pass House Bill 161, also known as Jacob’s Law, Wednesday. The legislation will add individuals who have been convicted of crimes against children to the state’s Violent Offender Registry. 

State Representative Brian Lampton (R-Beavercreek) introduced the legislation after Jacob Barker, a Dayton resident, was killed in August of 2015 by Justin Payne. Payne was previously convicted of endangering a child in 2011 after he fractured a baby’s skull and broke her ribs and ankles. Jacob’s birth mother was dating Payne at the time of her son’s death. Neither she, nor Jacob’s birth father, knew of Payne’s previous conviction.

“This legislation is critical for parents as they look for every possible tool available to them in order to protect their children,” said Lampton. “Jacob was a young boy who was tragically taken from his family by the hands of someone with a violent past that was unknown to Jacob’s family.”

Jacob’s Law would add any person 18 years of age or older who is charged with domestic violence or permitting child abuse against a child under the age of 14 to the Violent Offender Registry. Under this bill, anyone may go to their local county sheriff’s office to run a check on someone entering the family dynamic to see not only convictions for violent offenses, but specifically crimes committed against children

Lampton worked alongside the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to draft the legislation.

You can watch Lampton’s House Floor speech here. 

House Bill 161 will now head to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.