COLUMBUS – The Ohio House of Representatives on Thursday passed House Bill 665 — sponsored by State Representatives Don Jones (R-Freeport) and Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro) — legislation to modernize the Ohio Revised Code as it refers to county fairs.

“Many sections of the Ohio Revised Code regarding county fairs haven’t been touched in nearly 70 years,” said Jones in a news release. “I was president of the Harrison County Fair Board for 9 years and I can assure you that it’s time to modernize and change the sections of the code relating to our county fairs.”

House Bill 665, although technical in nature, seeks to create financial flexibility and feasibility for agricultural societies, while also requiring transparency from the societies.

The legislation also implements safety guidelines set aside by local agricultural societies that best fit every individual fair, making every single fair across Ohio as safe as possible.

“We all need something to look forward to. And for a lot of the kids in Ohio, they look forward to the county fair every summer. This bill gives kids the opportunity to showcase the projects and skills they have been working on for months…and some even for years,” said Wilkin. “Let’s give these kids every opportunity we can to make something great out of the tough times we’ve been facing.”

House Bill 665 passed with a vote of 62-25 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.