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HJR5 • 2026

CA: Prohibit slavery, involuntary servitude as criminal penalty

CA: Prohibit slavery, involuntary servitude as criminal penalty

Crime
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Dontavius L. Jarrells
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.

CA: Prohibit slavery, involuntary servitude as criminal penalty

Proposing to amend Section 6 of Article I of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to prohibit slavery or involuntary servitude in Ohio for the punishment of crime.

What This Bill Does

  • Proposing to amend Section 6 of Article I of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to prohibit slavery or involuntary servitude in Ohio for the punishment of crime.

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

Proposing to amend Section 6 of Article I of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to prohibit slavery or involuntary servitude in Ohio for the punishment of crime.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
H. J. R. No. 5

2025-2026

Representatives
Jarrells, Sims

Cosponsors:
Representatives Grim, Upchurch, Synenberg, Cockley, Lawson-Rowe,
Denson, Piccolantonio, Sigrist, Brewer, Somani, Brownlee, Isaacsohn,
Lett, Brent, White, E., McNally, Hall, D., Brennan, Baker, Rader,
Tims, Abdullahi, Plummer, Troy, Miller, J., Russo, Humphrey, Thomas,
C., Robinson, Sweeney, LaRe

A
J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N

Proposing
to amend Section 6 of Article I of the Constitution of the State of
Ohio
to
prohibit slavery or involuntary servitude in Ohio for the punishment
of crime.

Be
it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio,
three-fifths of the members elected to each house concurring herein,
that there shall be submitted to the electors of the state, in the
manner prescribed by law at the general election to be held on
November 4, 2025, a proposal to amend Section 6 of Article I of the
Constitution of the State of Ohio to read as follows:

ARTICLE
I

Section
6.
There
shall
never

be

no

slavery
in this state; nor involuntary servitude
,
unless for the punishment of crime
.

Upon
conviction of a crime, an Ohio court or a probation or parole agency
may order the convicted person to engage in education, counseling,
treatment, community service, or other alternatives to incarceration,
as part of sentencing for the crime, in accordance with programs that
have been in place historically or that may be developed in the
future, to provide accountability, reformation, protection of
society, or rehabilitation.

EFFECTIVE
DATE

If
adopted by a majority of the electors voting on this proposal,
Section 6 of Article I of the Constitution of the State of Ohio
amended by this proposal shall take effect immediately and the
existing version of Section 6 of Article I of the Constitution of the
State of Ohio is repealed from such effective date.