HB 602 amends Revised Code section 123.30 to restrict the flags that state agencies may display on their grounds or in their buildings to the U.S. flag, the Ohio state flag, the POW/MIA flag, and pre-approved state-agency logo flags.
The bill revives nearly identical language that Gov. Mike DeWine line-item-vetoed from the FY26-27 state operating budget (HB 96) in June 2025, having warned at the time that the restriction stripped governors of authority to honor military branches, local governments, or other "worthy public causes."
The bill's practical effect is a Pride flag ban on state property. No Ohio state agency could fly the Pride flag, Transgender Pride flag, or any other flag recognizing the LGBTQIA+ community on state grounds during Pride Month or in response to community events — regardless of the preferences of the governor or individual agency directors.
Sponsors introduced HB 602 in November 2025 after an incident at the Statehouse involving a Somali flag. Advocates note the bill's real-world reach extends far beyond that single episode and disproportionately silences symbolic LGBTQ+ recognition on public buildings.