Ohio 136th General Assembly Status: Introduced Bipartisan · 9 R · 4 D cosponsors

HB 973 — Create emergency vehicle access routes across railroads

Last action — Introduced

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced July 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 34% · moderate confidence

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 13 sponsors

    2 primary, 11 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (9 R · 4 D) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill creates designated access routes for emergency vehicles across railroads.

This bill amends several sections of the law to establish specific routes that allow emergency vehicles to cross railroads safely. It aims to improve emergency response times by ensuring access for emergency vehicles.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This means quicker access for emergency services, which can be crucial for worker safety in emergencies.

Summary

To amend sections 307.203, 5589.20, 5589.22, 5589.23, 5589.24, and 5589.99; to amend, for the purpose of adopting new section numbers as indicated in parentheses, sections 5589.20 (5589.40), 5589.22 (5589.42), 5589.23 (5589.43), and 5589.24 (5589.44); to enact section 5589.41; and to repeal sections 5589.21 and 5589.211 of the Revised Code to create designated access routes across railroads for emergency vehicles.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Introduced

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 11 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (11)

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 121 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety transportation
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 973 do?
To amend sections 307.203, 5589.20, 5589.22, 5589.23, 5589.24, and 5589.99; to amend, for the purpose of adopting new section numbers as indicated in parentheses, sections 5589.20 (5589.40), 5589.22 (5589.42), 5589.23 (5589.43), and 5589.24 (5589.44); to enact section 5589.41; and to repeal sections 5589.21 and 5589.211 of the Revised Code to create designated access routes across railroads for emergency vehicles.
Who sponsors HB 973?
HB 973 is sponsored by Josh Williams (Republican), Jodi Salvo (Republican), Monica Robb Blasdel (Republican), Kevin Ritter (Republican), Tristan Rader (Democratic), Joseph A. Miller, III (Democratic), Brian Lorenz (Republican), Mark Johnson (Republican), Kellie Deeter (Republican), Sean P. Brennan (Democratic), Rachel B. Baker (Democratic), Thomas Hall (Republican), and Justin Pizzulli (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 973?
This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced July 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 973?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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