OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
S.B. 210* Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for S.B. 210’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Reported by House Government Oversight
Primary Sponsors: Sens. Sykes and Reynolds
Effective Date:
S. Ben Fogle, Attorney
SUMMARY
▪ Designates several special days, weeks, and months for awareness, honorary, and
educational purposes.
▪ Prohibits manufactured home park operators and landlords from including a restriction
in a rental agreement or otherwise prohibiting the display of a thin blue line flag or
emblem.
▪ Prohibits neighborhood, civic, homeowners, and condominium associations from
including a provision in a governing document that prohibits the display of a thin blue line
flag or emblem, subject to specified conditions.
▪ Declares such a prohibited provision to be void as against public policy.
▪ Names a portion of the bill after Police Chief Steven DiSario.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Designations
The bill designates multiple special days, weeks, and months, for awareness, honorary,
and educational purposes, as described in the table below.
* This analysis was prepared before the report of the House Government Oversight Committee appeared
in the House Journal. Note that the legislative history may be incomplete.
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Special Designations
Designation Date Other Information
Ohio Black Media Week1 Week that Recognizes the freedom of the press, information, equity,
includes March and equality.
16
Devo Day2 April 18 In honor of the new wave band Devo from Akron, which
defined the new wave sound and reflected the feelings of a
generation. Devo’s first official performance was at Kent
State University on April 18, 1973.
Black Brewers Day3 October 10 n/a
Arab American Heritage April n/a
Month4
International Women’s March 8 n/a
Day5
Women’s History Month6 March n/a
World Refugee Day7 June 20 To honor refugees around the globe and to celebrate the
strengths and courage of people who have been forced to
flee their home countries to escape conflict or persecution.
Hindu Heritage Month8 October To recognize the contributions of Hindu Americans to the
culture, education, faith, and life of Ohio.
Display of thin blue line flag or emblem
The bill enacts the Chief Steven DiSario Act, which prohibits landlord or association
restrictions that prevent the display of a thin blue line flag or emblem on a tenant’s rental
property or owner’s property when the flag or emblem is displayed in accordance with specified
1 R.C. 5.59.
2 R.C. 5.2539.
3 R.C. 5.266.
4 R.C. 5.267.
5 R.C. 5.54.
6 R.C. 5.56.
7 R.C. 5.57.
8 R.C. 5.58.
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requirements. Specifically, it prohibits (1) a manufactured home park operator or landlord from
including any such restriction in a rental agreement, or (2) a neighborhood, homeowners, or civic
association or condominium association from including such a provision in a governing document
(a deed, agreement, declaration, bylaw, rule, or regulation). Any such prohibited provision or
construction is void as against public policy.9
The bill defines “thin blue line flag” and “thin blue line emblem” as a flag or emblem
consisting of both of the following elements:
▪ A black rectangle in the upper hoist corner bearing fifty white five-pointed stars arranged
in nine offset horizontal rows;
▪ Thirteen horizontal stripes of equal height, the top and bottom stripe being black, and
alternating white and black stripes in between, except that the eighth horizontal stripe
from the top of the flag or emblem, which appears directly below the field of stars, is blue
rather than white.10
The display must be in accordance with state law, local ordinance or resolution, or a
proclamation by the Governor.11 Under existing law, similar protections are provided for the
display of the U.S. flag, national league of families POW/MIA flag, Ohio flag, and a service flag
when the service flag is displayed in a window of the residence of a member of the immediate
family of an individual serving in the U.S. armed forces.
Neighborhood, homeowners, and civic associations also are prohibited from including a
restriction in a governing document that prohibits the display of a thin blue line flag or emblem
in accordance with the consent of the property’s owner or any other person having legal control
of the property.12
Display and notice requirements
Rental property
If a tenant renting residential property or a manufactured home owner or tenant renting
a lot in a manufactured home park wishes to display a thin blue line flag on the property through
the use of a flag pole or bracket, the person must provide reasonable notice to the landlord or
park operator before installing the flag pole or bracket to discuss the following issues, if
applicable under the circumstances:
1. The placement in compliance with any local zoning restrictions, and if using a flagpole,
the required underground utility service requests;
9R.C. 4781.40(C)(2) and (8), 5301.072(A)(1) and (5) and (B), 5311.191(A) and (C), and 5321.131(A) and (D);
Section 3 of the bill.
10 R.C. 4781.40(C)(10), 5301.072(C), and 5311.191(D).
11 R.C. 4781.40(C)(2), 5301.072(A)(5), 5311.191(A)(4), and 5311.131(A)(4).
12 R.C. 5301.072(A)(5).
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2. The cost of the materials and installation;
3. The installation in a worker like manner if installed at the tenant’s request and expense;
4. Any lighting required;
5. The appropriate size of the flag and flagpole, which must be consistent with the size and
character of the building;
6. Preferred location of the bracket to insure that there will be no encroachment of the flag
or bracket onto common areas of the manufactured home park.
A landlord or park operator who does not receive the required notification is not liable
for any damages, fines, or costs associated with any issues arising from the placement of the flag
pole or the bracket by the tenant. As under current law with other flag displays, the discussions
that must occur before installing a flag pole or bracket do not exempt a tenant from a provision
in a rental agreement that requires a tenant, at the termination of the rental agreement, to
return the premises in the same condition as they were in when the tenant took possession.13
By way of background, in a manufactured home park, a person may either own the
manufactured home but rent the lot in the manufactured home park (an owner), or rent both (a
tenant).14
Property subject to an association
In addition, a property owner or resident subject to a neighborhood, homeowners, civic,
or condominium association who uses a flagpole for the purpose of displaying a thin blue line flag
must ensure that the flag and flagpole are an appropriate size, consistent with the size and
character of the buildings and common areas that are subject to the association’s requirements
or agreements.15
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduction 12-27-23
Reported, S. Gov’t Oversight 11-20-24
Passed Senate (27-1) 12-04-24
Reported, H. Gov’t Oversight ---
ANSB0210RH-135/ts
13 R.C. 4781.40(C) and 5321.131(B), (C), and (E).
14 R.C. 4781.01(T) and (U), not in the bill.
15 R.C. 5301.072(A)(1) and 5311.191(B).
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