COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thirteen laws signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on July 7 took effect Tuesday, Oct. 6, changing requirements for drivers, public schools, emergency responders and state benefit programs. Under House Bill 492, drivers and passengers may be charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor if they refuse to provide their name, address and date of birth when an officer reasonably suspects a motor-vehicle-law violation. The offense carries a potential sentence of up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine. The law does not require people to answer other questions. It also expands and increases penalties for interfering with an officer making an arrest under Ohio’s motor vehicle code. House Bill 20 establishes a 15-foot boundary around first responders. After a warning, a person may not knowingly approach or remain within that distance while interfering with responders’ duties or threatening physical harm. A violation is generally a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. If the conduct creates a risk of physical harm to a first responder, it can become a fourth-degree felony; creating that risk to someone else can make it a fifth-degree felony. The law covers police, firefighters, emergency medical workers and probation officers. A new school requirement comes through Senate Bill 276, which directs public districts to teach students in grades 6 through 12 the so-called “success sequence”: completing high school, getting full-time work and marrying before having children. The state education department will maintain a list of curriculum resources. The law also requires districts to adopt policies for students from neighboring districts to petition to join extracurricular activities their own school does not offer. Ohio’s entry into an interstate compact will also allow school psychologists licensed in participating states to seek equivalent licenses here. House Bill 533 extends Ohio’s existing vehicular homicide and assault laws to deaths or serious injuries involving vehicles including golf carts, motorized bicycles, mopeds, motor scooters and all-purpose vehicles. The change does not create new offenses or raise penalties; it brings those vehicle types under existing statutes. Senate Bill 315 requires the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to begin moving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to chip-enabled benefit cards, a security measure aimed at reducing theft. The law also requires in-home Medicaid care providers to record clock-in and clock-out times and use GPS to verify where services are delivered. It expands the state attorney general’s and auditor’s authority to investigate Medicaid fraud allegations, requires payment suspensions in certain cases involving credible allegations submitted by those officials, increases criminal penalties for Medicaid fraud and strengthens protections for people who report suspected fraud. The laws take effect statewide, though some school provisions are tied to the 2026-27 school year. The changes span public safety, education and benefits administration, with new criminal consequences for some conduct and additional monitoring requirements for some public services.