COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO) — A new Ohio law will expand the types of vehicles that can be involved in vehicular homicide and vehicular assault charges, adding vehicles including certain golf carts, motorized bicycles, mopeds, motor scooters and all-purpose vehicles. House Bill 533, sponsored by Sta te Rep. Kevin Miller, R-Newark, was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on July 7 and takes effect October 6, 2026. The Ohio Legislature says the measure amends state law to expand the list of vehicles that can be used to commit vehicular homicide or vehicular assault. The law does not create new vehicular homicide or vehicular assault offenses. Instead, it changes the existing statutes by adding vehicles that previously were not specifically included in the language of those laws. Under the new law, the vehicular homicide and vehicular assault statutes will cover a broader range of vehicles, including under-speed vehicles, which can include certain golf carts; motorized bicycles and mopeds; motor-driven cycles and motor scooters; and all-purpose vehicles. The statutes will continue to cover vehicles already included under Ohio law, such as motor vehicles, motorcycles, utility vehicles, mini-trucks, snowmobiles, locomotives, watercraft and aircraft. The change addresses a gap identified in existing law involving vehicles that can legally operate on certain Ohio roadways but were not expressly included in the state’s vehicular homicide and assault statutes. The Ohio Legislative Service Commission specifically identified golf carts as an example of an under-speed vehicle affected by the change. Once the law takes effect, someone operating one of the newly covered vehicles could face a vehicular homicide charge if a crash results in another person’s death and the circumstances meet the requirements already established under Ohio law. Those circumstances can include certain operating a vehicle under the influence violations, reckless conduct, negligence and specified traffic violations. The same expansion applies to vehicular assault. If a person operating one of the covered vehicles causes serious physical harm to another person under circumstances specified in the statute, the conduct can qualify for a vehicular assault charge. The circumstances covered by the existing vehicular assault law include certain OVI-related offenses, reckless operation and specified speeding violations, including speeding in a construction zone. The Ohio Legislature’s official bill summary describes HB 533 as a measure to “revise the list of vehicles that can commit vehicular homicide.” The bill passed the Ohio House 97-0 on March 18, 2026, and the Senate approved it 33-0 on June 10. DeWine signed it July 7, with an effective date of October 6. The legislation was sponsored by Miller and received bipartisan support in both chambers. The Senate’s final vote included 33 yes votes and no votes against the measure. The distinction is important because the law does not mean every crash involving a golf cart, scooter, moped or other newly covered vehicle automatically becomes a vehicular homicide or assault case. Rather, prosecutors would still have to establish the elements required under the applicable Ohio statute, including the required conduct and, for vehicular homicide, the resulting death or, for vehicular assault, serious physical harm. The change also does not mean every type of electric bicycle or scooter automatically falls into one of the new categories. Ohio law separately defines the vehicle classifications used by the statute, meaning whether a particular vehicle falls within one of the covered categories can depend on how that vehicle is defined under state law. The Legislative Service Commission’s analysis says the bill adds four broad categories to the existing list: under-speed vehicles, motorized bicycles or mopeds, motor-driven cycles or motor scooters, and all-purpose vehicles. The legislation followed hearings in both the Ohio House and Senate. Testimony in support came from Miller as well as representatives of the Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. The new law takes effect October 6, meaning the expanded vehicle classifications will apply to conduct occurring after the law becomes effective, subject to the normal application of Ohio criminal law. For Ohio drivers and operators of smaller motorized vehicles, the practical change is that the type of vehicle involved in a fatal or serious-injury crash will no longer, by itself, exclude the incident from the state’s vehicular homicide or vehicular assault statutes. The post Ohio Law Expands Vehicular Homicide, Assault Charges to Golf Carts, Scooters and More appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less