---
type: "Bill"
title: "Regards emergency Joshua Alert system for certain missing kids"
description: "To amend section 5502.522 of the Revised Code to clarify the statewide emergency alert system in cases of missing autistic or developmentally disabled children and to name the alert the Joshua Alert."
jurisdiction: "us/states/oh"
legislature: "Ohio General Assembly"
session: "136"
identifier: "HB 359"
citation: "Ohio HB 359 (136)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Child Welfare", "Crimes", "Corrections", "and Law Enforcement", "Health and Human Services", "Juvenile Justice", "Juvenile and Family Law", "Law Enforcement", "Mental Health and Disabilities"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cecil Thomas", "Jennifer Gross"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 12
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2025-06-12T04:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2026-09-17T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3c4ba776-f724-4a43-bec4-506396f7c6e4"
source_url: "https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb359/"
source_hash: "8013a85de1e963d3787790f628385b0c4f2ccfc5e857182a0666bb764cf34edc"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-oh"]
---

# Ohio HB 359 (136) — Regards emergency Joshua Alert system for certain missing kids

To amend section 5502.522 of the Revised Code to clarify the statewide emergency alert system in cases of missing autistic or developmentally disabled children and to name the alert the Joshua Alert.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **As Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb359/00_IN/pdf/)
2. **As Passed by the House** (committee substitute) — [source](https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb359/02_PH/pdf/)
3. **As Passed by the Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb359/04_PS/pdf/)
4. **As Reported by the House Children and Human Services Committee** (committee substitute) — [source](https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb359/01_RH/pdf/)
5. **As Reported by the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee** (committee substitute) — [source](https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb359/03_RS/pdf/)
6. **As Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb359/05_EN/pdf/)

## Votes

- Reported — **6–0** (fail) · upper
- Passed — **31–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported — **13–0** (fail) · lower
- Passed — **95–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Cecil Thomas — primary (person)
- Jennifer Gross — primary (person)
- Beth Lear — cosponsor (person)
- Brian Lorenz — cosponsor (person)
- C. Allison Russo — cosponsor (person)
- Crystal Lett — cosponsor (person)
- Eric Synenberg — cosponsor (person)
- Erika White — cosponsor (person)
- Gary Click — cosponsor (person)
- Ismail Mohamed — cosponsor (person)
- Jean Schmidt — cosponsor (person)
- Jodi Salvo — cosponsor (person)
- Johnathan Newman — cosponsor (person)
- Kellie Deeter — cosponsor (person)
- Mark Johnson — cosponsor (person)
- Mike Odioso — cosponsor (person)
- Sean P. Brennan — cosponsor (person)
- Sedrick Denson — cosponsor (person)
- Terrence Upchurch — cosponsor (person)
- Tex Fischer — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-06-12T04:00:00+00:00** Introduced `introduction`
- **2025-06-18T04:00:00+00:00** Referred to committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-10-29T04:00:00+00:00** Reported - Amended
- **2025-11-12T05:00:00+00:00** Passed `passage`
- **2025-11-18T05:00:00+00:00** Introduced `introduction`
- **2025-11-19T05:00:00+00:00** Referred to committee `referral-committee`
- **2026-04-21T04:00:00+00:00** Reported
- **2026-06-03T04:00:00+00:00** Passed `passage`
- **2026-06-12T04:00:00+00:00** Sent To The Governor `passage`
- **2026-06-18T04:00:00+00:00** Signed By The Governor `became-law`
- **2026-09-17T04:00:00+00:00** Effective `became-law`
- **2026-09-17T04:00:00+00:00** Effective 9/17/26 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3c4ba776-f724-4a43-bec4-506396f7c6e4`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Ohio legislature records).