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Reps. Brownlee, Thomas Introduce Community and Police Protection Act

February 10, 2026
Karen Brownlee News

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COLUMBUS – State Reps. Karen Brownlee (D-Symmes Twp) and Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) today introduced the Community and Police Protection Act to ensure safety and transparency for all parties involved in arrest proceedings. The Community and Police Protection Act (House Bill 691) mandates that local, state, and Federal law enforcement may not conceal their faces during arrests for the sole purpose of concealing their identities. Not only is this measure a safety necessity for individuals facing arrest, but it also reinforces trust in local and Federal law enforcement agencies.

“Safety is a community contract. Over the past several months, there has been an unprecedented attempt by our federal government to dismantle local safety norms through the masking and lack of visual ID of ICE agents. Ultimately, this creates dangerous scenarios in daily life for both citizens and law enforcement,” said Rep. Brownlee. “The Community and Police Protection Act calls for transparency and accountability from ICE or other federal agents to protect the years of trust and community built between citizens and local law enforcement.  I refuse to stand by as this trust is eroded before our very eyes.”

“What we have seen from ICE agents in Minnesota is dangerous not only for community members, but for law enforcement as a whole. When armed agents conceal their identities while claiming to be police, they undermine the rule of law and put lives at risk,” said Rep. Thomas. “That behavior erodes the trust that local law enforcement has spent years building with their communities, trust that was severely damaged after the murder of George Floyd and took real work to restore. The Community and Police Protection Act is about preventing that kind of harm in Ohio. Transparency protects the public, and it protects officers who are doing their jobs the right way.”

The bill grants an exception to:

  • Masks worn to prevent smoke inhalation;
  • Face coverings utilized by special forces or undercover agents; and
  • Surgical masks worn to prevent transmission of airborne viruses.
     

HB 691 will be assigned to a committee in the coming weeks.