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HB53 • 2026

Designate John Rankin Day

Designate John Rankin Day

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Tex Fischer
Last action
Official status
As Introduced
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Designate John Rankin Day

To enact section 5.295 of the Revised Code to designate February 4th as John Rankin Day, and to require a statue of John Rankin to be erected on the statehouse grounds.

What This Bill Does

  • To enact section 5.295 of the Revised Code to designate February 4th as John Rankin Day, and to require a statue of John Rankin to be erected on the statehouse grounds.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. Ohio Legislature

    As Introduced

Official Summary Text

To enact section 5.295 of the Revised Code to designate February 4th as John Rankin Day, and to require a statue of John Rankin to be erected on the statehouse grounds.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
H. B. No. 53

2025-2026

Representatives Fischer, Pizzulli

Cosponsors: Representatives Bird,
Brennan, Jarrells, Williams, Brewer, Sigrist, Deeter, Ritter,
Dovilla, Odioso, Schmidt

A
BILL

To
enact section 5.295 of the Revised Code
to
designate February 4th as John Rankin Day, and to require a statue of
John Rankin to be erected on the statehouse grounds.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
That
section 5.295 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
5.295.
The
fourth day of February is designated as "John Rankin Day,"
in honor of the American abolitionist, minister, and educator who was
born that day in 1793. Settling in Ripley, Ohio, in 1822, he was an
early anti-slavery writer, a conductor on the underground railroad,
and a major contributor to Ohio's legacy of freedom.

Section
2.
Notwithstanding
any contrary provision in section 105.41 of the Revised Code or in
any rule or procedure adopted by the Capitol Square Review and
Advisory Board, the Board shall designate, not later than October 1,
2025, a prominent place on the lawn or other outside grounds of
Capitol Square for the erection of a permanent memorial to John
Rankin, (1793-1886), the abolitionist, minister, and educator who was
a conductor of the underground railroad in Ohio. The Ohio History
Connection and the Board shall work together to invite, accept, and
evaluate proposals for the concept, design, and erection of such a
memorial, and shall jointly select from among the proposals the
memorial to be designed and erected at the place designated by the
Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board for that purpose. Site
preparation, utility placement, and other preliminary construction
activities shall be paid for with public funds. Planning for and
designing and erecting the memorial shall be paid for with only
private contributions. The Capitol Square Foundation shall accept
private contributions for those purposes, and shall deposit the
contributions into the John Rankin Memorial Fund.