The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio HB 796 mandates that inmates and prisoners be housed according to biological sex
Last action · May 13, 2026: Referred to Public SafetySponsor: Josh Williams
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio House Bill 796 requires that city infirmary inmates, local jail inmates, and state prison prisoners be separated and housed in accordance with their . The measure amends existing sections of the Revised Code governing the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and municipal facilities to enforce these housing criteria. The bill is currently under review in the House Public Safety Committee.
Correctional facilities, city infirmaries, and the state prison system must alter housing assignments to comply with mandates, affecting facility management and inmate placement across Ohio.
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.
jail inmates
Jail inmates must be separated and housed strictly in accordance with their biological sex.
Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
The department is responsible for ensuring state prisoners are housed according to biological sex and must enforce minimum jail standards.
political subdivisions operating jails
Local operators must ensure that jail inmates are separated by biological sex.
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 does HB 796 require for jail and prison inmates?
Does the bill change how minor offenders are housed?
Can jails get a variance from minimum standards?
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 13, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to Public Safety
- Mar 25, 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- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
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