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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio HB 751 establishes civil lawsuit rights for endowment benefactors over rule violations
Last action · March 18, 2026: Referred to JudiciarySponsors: Adam Mathews and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
House Bill 751 allows a benefactor or benefactor representative to notify the Ohio Attorney General and subsequently file a civil lawsuit if an institution violates a restriction in a higher education endowment agreement. The bill sets a six-year statute of limitations from the discovery of a breach, requires specific parties to be named in the complaint, and prohibits plaintiffs from recovering financial damages or attorney fees.
Donors and designated representatives gain direct legal standing to seek declaratory or when university endowments or related institutions breach the management or spending restrictions of an agreement, operating under a strict ban on personal monetary awards.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Benefactors
Donors receive explicit statutory rights to notify the attorney general of endowment breaches and file civil complaints after 180 days.
State institutions of higher education
Universities benefiting from endowment funds are subject to new civil actions for declaratory and equitable relief if endowment restrictions are violated.
Office of the Attorney General
The attorney general must be served in related judicial proceedings, receives violation notices, and is named as a party in all endowment restriction lawsuits.
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
Can a donor collect money damages if a university breaches an endowment agreement?
When can a donor file a lawsuit regarding a breached endowment?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Mar 18, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to Judiciary
- Mar 10, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →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
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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