To amend sections 101.27, 117.12, 154.01, 306.30, 306.35, 306.43, 717.02, 1548.061, 2935.03, 3503.11, 3704.14, 4501.01, 4503.10, 4503.102, 4503.103, 4503.21, 4505.08, 4506.01, 4506.09, 4506.11, 4507.01, 4507.061, 4507.13, 4507.21, 4507.52, 4508.02, 4511.01, 4511.031, 4511.09, 4511.091, 4511.092, 4511.093, 4511.094, 4511.11, 4511.13, 4511.131, 4511.132, 4511.18, 4511.204, 4511.21, 4511.211, 4511.214, 4511.432, 4511.46, 4511.48, 4511.512, 4511.61, 4511.62, 4511.64, 4511.65, 4511.68, 4511.701, 4511.712, 4511.76, 4513.071, 4513.38, 4513.41, 4517.02, 4517.24, 4519.401, 4955.50, 4955.51, 5501.20, 5501.41, 5501.441, 5512.07, 5513.01, 5515.01, 5515.02, 5515.99, 5517.02, 5517.021, 5521.01, 5525.03, 5525.04, 5525.08, 5525.14, 5525.16, 5537.02, 5571.01, and 5747.502; to enact sections 117.56, 1548.062, 4503.183, 4503.211, 4505.072, 4511.15, 4511.765, 4923.12, 4955.52, 4955.53, 4955.55, 4955.57, 5501.041, 5501.421, 5515.10, 5517.012, and 5517.08; and to repeal sections 4506.072, 4507.021, 4507.063, 4507.511, 4511.351, 4511.491, and 5501.60 of the Revised Code and to amend Sections 200.20, 200.30 as subsequently amended, 243.10, and 243.20 of H.B. 2 of the 135th General Assembly and Section 755.20 of H.B. 23 of the 135th General Assembly to make appropriations for programs related to transportation for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027, and to provide authorization and conditions for the operation of those programs.
HB54 is Ohio’s transportation budget bill for the 2026–2027 biennium. It appropriates funding for the Department of Transportation, the Public Works Commission, and related transportation programs, including highway construction and maintenance, planning and research, public transportation, rail grade crossings, aviation, local transportation improvement projects, roadwork development tied to economic development, and debt service on transportation-related bonds and leases. The bill also authorizes cash transfers, reappropriations, and bond issuance to support these programs, and it includes several uncodified provisions governing how transportation funds may be used during the biennium.
Beyond appropriations, the bill makes a broad set of statutory changes affecting Ohio’s transportation laws. It updates definitions and traffic rules in the motor vehicle code, including provisions on bicycles, electric bicycles, low-speed micromobility devices, low-speed vehicles, mini-trucks, utility vehicles, pedestrian right-of-way, traffic signals, railroad crossings, distracted driving, and the use of electronic wireless communications devices while driving. It also adds or revises rules for municipal energy conservation contracts, private-road stop signs and speed limits in residential communities, abandoned utility structures in highway rights-of-way, and transportation procurement and contractor qualification procedures. Several existing sections are repealed, and new sections are enacted to support these changes.
The bill’s overall impact is to renew and expand the state’s transportation funding framework while modernizing a wide range of traffic and infrastructure-related statutes. It increases or continues funding for core highway operations, safety, maintenance, transit support, airport and rail programs, and local infrastructure grants, while also giving the Department of Transportation flexibility to manage appropriations, emergency work, and project delivery. It further affects local governments, contractors, utilities, transit entities, and road users by changing compliance requirements, enforcement rules, and eligibility standards across multiple chapters of the Revised Code.
The general sentiment reflected in the voting history is strongly favorable and largely bipartisan. The bill passed the House and Senate with overwhelming margins, including unanimous or near-unanimous committee and floor votes in both chambers. That pattern suggests broad agreement on the need to fund transportation infrastructure and on most of the policy changes included in the measure.
There is little visible contention in the available record, but the few dissenting votes indicate some limited disagreement. Because no committee transcript is available, the specific objections are not documented here. Based on the bill’s contents, likely points of debate could include the scope of DOT authority, the use of bond financing and cash transfers, changes to traffic enforcement and distracted driving rules, and the treatment of micromobility devices, private-road regulation, and contractor qualification requirements.
HB54 amends numerous sections of the Revised Code governing transportation finance, highway administration, traffic regulation, rail safety, public works, and related procurement and permitting rules. It appropriates billions of dollars from the Highway Operating Fund and other funds, authorizes bond issuance and cash transfers, and sets conditions for spending on highways, transit, aviation, rail crossings, local roadwork, and economic development-related road improvements. It also creates or revises statutory authority for DOT contracting, abandoned utility structure removal, private residential road controls, and several traffic-safety enforcement provisions, thereby affecting state agencies, local governments, contractors, utilities, and motorists.