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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio House Bill 299 Requires Licensure of Statewide Initiative Petition Circulators
Last action · May 28, 2025: Referred to General GovernmentSponsors: Brian Lorenz and 6 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio House Bill 299 requires individuals who circulate s to hold a valid circulator license issued by the Secretary of State. The bill establishes application requirements, including a notarized form, and mandates that circulators write their license number on petition statements. The legislation also invalidates any for a statewide initiative if the circulator lacks a valid license.
Petition circulators seeking to place proposed laws or constitutional amendments before Ohio voters must complete a state licensing process and include their unique license number on petition papers.
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.
statewide initiative petition circulators
Circulators must apply for and obtain a license from the Secretary of State and include their license number on petition papers.
Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is required to process license applications, issue licenses, maintain a registry, and revoke licenses when necessary.
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
Who is required to obtain a circulator license under House Bill 299?
How long is a circulator license valid?
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- May 28, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to General Government
- May 20, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced
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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Introduction of Mandatory Circulator Licensure
The bill shifts the regulatory framework for statewide initiative petitions by requiring circulators to undergo an official application and licensing process with the Secretary of State.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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