Ohio Legal Research Guide: Legislation

Statutes

"Current" Revised Code:

• Unannotated Ohio Revised Code Online by Lawriter

Page's Ohio Revised Code Annotated (Anderson Publishing Co, 1953 -) KFO 30 1953 .P3 [Reserve, Reference, Ohio Room], available on Lexis(OH-Page's Ohio Revised Code Annotated) and LexisNexis Academic Universe (via Ohiolink)

• Baldwin's Ohio Revised Code Annotated (West Group, 1971 - ) KFO 30 1953 .A4  [Reserve, Reference, and Ohio Room], available on Westlaw, (OH-ST-ANN) . Note that Westlaw also has a searchable index to the Code available - OH-ST-IDX.

While these Revised Codes may be certified by the Ohio Secretary of State, they are not the official statutes of Ohio. The Session laws are the official statutes.

For a Chart showing the relationship between current and historical statutes and session laws: Click here

 

Historical Codes:

 

1952-1910: General Code KFO 30 1910 .A24 [Ohio Room] - The 1953 Ohio Revised Code was created by revising and renumbering the General Code. The General Code was created by revising and renumbering the Revised Statutes.

1910-1880: Revised Statutes KFO 30 1880 .D38 [Ohio Room]-The first complete codification of Ohio Laws

Before 1880: Various compilations of Ohio statutes and laws of the Northwest Territory were published, such as:

The Revised Statutes of the State of Ohio, of a General Nature, in Force August 1, 1860 / collated by Joseph R. Swan; KFO30 1860 .A4 [Ohio Room]

The Statutes of Ohio and of the Northwestern Territory : Adopted or Enacted from 1788 to 1833 Inclusive; Together with the Ordinance of 1787, the Constitutions of Ohio and of the United States / edited by Salmon P. Chase KFO30 1788 .C32 [Ohio Room]

Session Laws

 

The session laws are the official statutes of the State of Ohio. The Ohio Secretary of State certifies the language of commercially produced codes, such as Page's and Baldwin's. However, should a discrepancy arise between the language of a session law and a commercially produced Revised Code, the language of the session law prevails. See Ohio Rev. Code 1.53; Ohio Legal Research Guide by Putnam and Schaefgen, p. 68., KFO75.P88 1997.

Session laws can be used to update an Ohio Revised Code section or to find prior versions of an Ohio Revised Code section.

Official sources for session laws:

Laws of Ohio. KFO 25 .A23 [Ohio Room] Library has vol. 1- (1803 -). Uncodified laws and laws vetoed by the governor are included.

Acts of the State of Ohio (State Session Laws - Ohio)KFO 25 .A23 [Microforms] Library has v.1 - 146 (1803 - 1996)

Unofficial sources for session laws:

Acts of the State of Ohio (Ohio General Assembly web site. , 1997 - ) - Unofficial online copies of session laws.

Pages Ohio Revised Code Annotated Bulletin KFO 30 1953 .P3 [Ohio Room 1989; Reference, Reserve ], Lexis -Ohio Advanced Legislative Service.

Baldwin's Ohio Legislative Service Annotated, 1971-current,  KFO 30 1953 .A4 [Ohio Room, Reference, Reserve]., Westlaw -Ohio Legislative Service.

Ohio Capitol Connection - Click on Search to search text of acts OR Click on Legislation>Bills Enacted for a list of Acts. 1989-current

Gongwer News Service Ohio - Click on Legislation> Session Laws. 2003-current.

Bills

The Session Laws contain only bills that have passed. For CURRENTLY PENDING BILLS:

Legislative Information Search - Ohio General Assembly's web site

Lexis - Full Text Bills contains the full text of bills (excluding simple resolutions) pending in the Ohio legislature. OH Bill Tracking contains a summary and legislative chronology of all pending Ohio legislation in the current legislative session.

Westlaw - The OH-BILLTXT database contains the full text of all available bills (introduced, amended and enacted versions) from the current session of the Ohio legislature. The OH-BILLTRK database contains summaries and status information on current Ohio legislation.

Ohio Capitol Connection - a searchable electronic resource - If you know the bill number, use "Find a Bill" on the home page. To search for bills in the current session, click on Search>Bill Text.

Gongwer News Service Ohio - a searchable electronic resource - Click on "Legislation" for a list of current bills, and to search current bills.

For bills, both passed and failed, from PRIOR GENERAL ASSEMBLIES:

Ohio Capitol Connection - 1989-current

Westlaw - Ohio Bills Archives (OH-BILLS-OLD) - 1991-current, only summaries available for some bills

Legislative Information Search - Ohio General Assembly's web site - 1997-current. Can only search one General Assembly session at a time

Gongwer News Service Ohio - 2003 - current

Bills of the Ohio General Assembly - Library has 68th General Assembly (1888) -, KFO 6 .O3 [Microforms Room, Drawers ZZ63-ZZ66]

Sue Altmeyer, Electronic Services Librarian, July 3, 2007