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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio requires public construction contracts to explicitly note any alterations to standard industry forms
Last action · September 17, 2026: EffectiveSponsors: Louis W. Blessing, III and 17 others
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What This Bill Does
Senate Bill 262 requires public authorities and other parties utilizing industry standard construction management and design-build contract forms to explicitly mark any alterations by striking through, underlining, or cross-referencing changes. Failure to properly indicate these changes renders the alterations void and defaults the contract to the original standard language.
Contractors and public entities bidding on or managing public improvement projects face legal invalidation of any non-standard contract clauses that fail to follow mandatory marking rules.
- Senate Bill 262 was sponsored by Senator Louis W. Blessing, III in the 136th General Assembly of Ohio. context
- Public improvement contracts in Ohio are heavily regulated by Title 15 of the Revised Code to ensure competitive bidding and transparent contract execution. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Public authorities
Public authorities must modify how they draft construction contracts and note any deviations from industry standard forms or face having alterations voided.
Construction managers at risk
Construction managers at risk must adhere to new contract form requirements and participate in updated proposal and pricing evaluations.
Design-build firms
Design-build firms are subject to revised evaluation procedures, contract form rules, and pricing proposal guidelines for public projects.
Contractors and subcontractors
Contractors and subcontractors are protected by rules preventing subcontracts from being paid at a lower rate than the prime contractor receives and establishing delay cost change orders.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a public authority changes an industry standard construction form without marking the edits?
Within what timeframe must a public improvement contract be awarded and executed after bids open?
What is the minimum percentage rate at which partial payments for labor must be made to contractors?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
12 actions- Sep 17, 2026EnrolledEffective
- Jun 18, 2026EnrolledSigned By The Governor
- Jun 12, 2026EnrolledSent To The Governor
- Jun 10, 2026SenateFloorConcurred in House amendments
- Jun 3, 2026HouseCommitteeReported - Amended (Judiciary)
- Jun 3, 2026HouseFloorPassed
Show 6 earlier actions
- Mar 18, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to Judiciary
- Mar 10, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced
- Mar 4, 2026SenateFloorPassed
- Feb 18, 2026SenateCommitteeReported (General Government)
- Oct 1, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to General Government
- Sep 16, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced
Version history & redline
6 versions on fileVoting Record
Favorable Passage
Total
33
- Yes
- 33
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (11)
Show 4 earlier roll calls
Favorable Passage
Total
10
- Yes
- 8
- No
- 2
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (13)
Favorable Passage
Total
93
- Yes
- 63
- No
- 30
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (10)
Favorable Passage
Total
31
- Yes
- 31
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
Favorable Passage
Total
10
- Yes
- 10
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 13 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Stricter Enforcement of Standard Contract Forms
The legislation shifts accountability in public construction by automatically voiding unindicated modifications to standard industry contract templates.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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