As Reported by the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee

124th General Assembly
Regular Session
2001-2002
H. B. No. 539


REPRESENTATIVES Raga, Husted, Evans, Schmidt, Faber, Clancy, Fessler, Willamowski, Latta, Webster, Hollister, Roman, Brown, Aslanides, Carmichael, Collier, Schaffer, Rhine, Jolivette, Lendrum, Allen, Peterson, Latell, Buehrer, Young, Hagan, Grendell, Seitz, Flowers, Schuring, Seaver, Hartnett, Ogg, D. Miller, Wilson, Niehaus, Calvert, Boccieri, Redfern, Carey, Hoops, Britton, Sferra, Coates, Carano, Kilbane, Salerno, Cates, Gilb, Kearns, Flannery, Setzer, DeWine, Schneider, Womer Benjamin, Trakas, Otterman, DeBose

SENATORS Robert Gardner, Jordan, Coughlin, Mumper



A BILL
To enact sections 5301.072 and 5311.191 of the Revised1
Code to declare as against public policy and as2
unenforceable deed restrictions and condominium,3
homeowner, neighborhood, and civic association4
rules, regulations, bylaws, and other governing5
documents to the extent they prohibit the display6
of or the placement of flagpoles for the display of7
the United States flag in certain manners.8


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

       Section 1. That sections 5301.072 and 5311.191 of the Revised9
Code be enacted to read as follows:10

       Sec. 5301.072. (A) No covenant, condition, or restriction set11
forth in a deed, and no rule, regulation, bylaw, or other12
governing document or agreement of a homeowners, neighborhood,13
civic, or other association, shall prohibit or be construed to14
prohibit the placement on any property of a flagpole that is to be15
used for the purpose of displaying, or shall prohibit or be16
construed to prohibit the display on any property of, the flag of17
the United States if the flag is displayed in accordance with any18
of the following:19

       (1) The patriotic customs set forth in 4 U.S.C.A. 5-10, as20
amended, governing the display and use of the flag of the United21
States;22

       (2) The consent of the property's owner or of any person23
having lawful control of the property;24

       (3) The recommended flagpole standards set forth in "Our25
Flag," published pursuant to S.C.R. 61 of the 105th Congress, 1st26
Session (1998);27

       (4) Any federal law, proclamation of the president of the28
United States or the governor, section of the Revised Code, or29
local ordinance or resolution.30

       (B) A covenant, condition, restriction, rule, regulation,31
bylaw, governing document, or agreement or a construction of any32
of these items that violates division (A) of this section is33
against public policy and unenforceable in any court of this state34
to the extent it violates that division.35

       Sec. 5311.191. (A) No declaration, bylaw, rule, regulation,36
or agreement of a condominium property or construction of any of37
these items by the board of managers of its unit owners38
association shall prohibit the placement of a flagpole that is to39
be used for the purpose of displaying, or shall prohibit the40
display of, the flag of the United States on or within the limited41
common areas and facilities of a unit owner or on the immediately42
adjacent exterior of the building in which the unit of a unit43
owner is located, if the flag is displayed in accordance with any44
of the following:45

       (1) The patriotic customs set forth in 4 U.S.C.A. 5-10, as46
amended, governing the display and use of the flag of the United47
States;48

       (2) The recommended flagpole standards set forth in "Our49
Flag," published pursuant to S.C.R. 61 of the 105th Congress, 1st50
Session (1998);51

       (3) Any federal law, proclamation of the president of the52
United States or the governor, section of the Revised Code, or53
local ordinance or resolution.54

       (B) A declaration, bylaw, rule, regulation, or agreement or55
the construction of any of these items that violates division (A)56
of this section is against public policy and unenforceable in any57
court of this state to the extent it violates that division.58

       Section 2. This act does not affect any legally binding59
covenant, condition, or restriction set forth in a deed recorded60
before the effective date of this act; any legally binding61
declaration or bylaw of a condominium property recorded before the62
effective date of this act; or, to the extent it is contractually63
or otherwise legally binding on the effective date of this act,64
any rule, regulation, other type of bylaw, governing document, or65
agreement referred to in section 5301.072 or 5311.191 of the66
Revised Code, as enacted by this act, that is in existence on that67
date.68