To amend sections 1923.02, 2950.99, 5321.03, and 5321.051; to amend, for the purpose of adopting a new section number as indicated in parentheses, section 2950.035 (2950.036); and to enact section 2950.035 of the Revised Code to prohibit a sex offender or a child-victim offender from residing within 2,000 feet of the residence of the victim and from loitering within 1,000 feet of the residence of the victim.
HB102 expands Ohio’s restrictions on where certain sex offenders and child-victim offenders may live and where they may be present. The bill creates a new Revised Code section prohibiting a covered offender from knowingly establishing a residence or occupying residential premises within 2,000 feet of the victim’s residence, and from knowingly loitering within 1,000 feet of the victim’s residence. It also authorizes injunctive relief actions by property owners, lessees, and local prosecutors to enforce those restrictions, without requiring proof of irreparable harm.
The bill also amends landlord-tenant law to make these victim-proximity restrictions grounds for eviction or termination of a rental agreement in certain circumstances. It adds corresponding provisions to the eviction statute and landlord/tenant statutes so landlords may bring forcible entry and detainer actions against tenants or occupants who fall within the new prohibited categories, and it provides immunity from civil damages for landlords who choose not to terminate in some situations. In addition, the bill updates criminal penalties for certain sex-offender registration violations and makes a separate change barring persons in a restricted offender category from volunteering in positions with extensive contact with minor children, with violations subject to injunctive relief or criminal penalties depending on the conduct.
HB102 would materially expand the state’s sex-offender residency and loitering restrictions and would add new eviction-related grounds under Ohio landlord-tenant and forcible entry and detainer law. It would affect Revised Code sections 1923.02, 5321.03, and 5321.051 by allowing landlords to remove tenants or occupants who are sex offenders or child-victim offenders when they live within the specified distance of a victim’s residence or, in some cases, near schools and child-care-related facilities. It also creates a new enforcement mechanism in Chapter 2950 and revises penalty provisions in section 2950.99, affecting offenders, landlords, property owners, and local prosecutors.
The available voting history suggests strong support for the bill. It received favorable passage in the House Public Safety Committee by an 8-2 vote and then passed the House overwhelmingly, 89-2. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate broader public arguments, but the vote totals show the measure was generally well received among House members.
The main policy tension in HB102 is between victim protection and the scope of restrictions imposed on offenders and housing providers. Supporters appear to favor stronger geographic buffers, eviction authority, and enforcement tools to protect victims from unwanted proximity and contact. Potential concerns include the breadth of the 2,000-foot residency ban and 1,000-foot loitering restriction, the practical effects on housing availability, and the bill’s impact on landlords who may be required to act on registry information and occupancy status. The narrow 8-2 committee vote indicates some disagreement, likely over the reach and enforceability of the new restrictions, even though the full House vote was overwhelmingly favorable.