COLUMBUS, Ohio (LifeSiteNews) — Republicans in Ohio’s House of Representatives have passed a bill aimed at strengthening the state’s law to protect children from obscene adult performances and to ensure privacy in restrooms and locker rooms.
No Democrats voted in favor of the measure.
House Bill 249, the Indecent Exposure Modernization Act was passed on Thursday, March 26, 2026. It works to safeguard children from adult harms and ensures that young people can grow up in environments that preserve their innocence,” according to a press release by the Ohio House Republican Newsroom. “It also establishes clearer legal standards to help maintain privacy and safety in spaces designated for biological females.”
The bill now heads to the Ohio Senate for consideration.
“For too long, vague legal definitions have allowed radical activists to prioritize ideology over the basic right to privacy,” explained the Center for Christian Virtue (CCV). “This ‘loophole’ was shockingly exposed in Xenia, Ohio, where a man was found not guilty of public indecency after staring at young girls while naked in a local YMCA locker room.”
“Under current law, because there is no clear definition of ‘exposure,’ no charges could be sustained. HB249 ensures that such gross injustices never happen in Ohio again,” said the CCV statement.
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The act “updates our state’s obscenity laws to criminalize obscene sexual performances in front of minors and closes loopholes that allow men to expose themselves to young girls in their private spaces,” said bill co-sponsor Rep. Josh Williams.
🚨 The Ohio House passed my bill, the Indecent Exposure Modernization Act— which updates our state’s obscenity laws to criminalize obscene sexual performances in front of minors and closes loopholes that allow men to expose themselves to young girls in their private spaces.… pic.twitter.com/cCLDr2zB8m
— Rep. Josh Williams (@JoshWilliamsOH) March 26, 2026
“It was discombobulating to listen to Democrats argue that if we ban performing acts of indecency in front of minors people will leave Ohio!” noted Rep. Gary Click, a Republican. “My response: California is that way!”
It was discombobulating to listen to Democrats argue that if we ban performing acts of indecency in front of minors people will leave Ohio! My response: California is that way! 👉🧭 #HB249 #IndecencyModernizationAct pic.twitter.com/ZxTdUv8PRi
— Rep Gary Click 🇺🇸 💯👍 (@clickforohio) March 25, 2026
The bill provides statutory definitions to currently undefined terms, closes loopholes to prohibit adult sexualized performances in public spaces in front of minors, and provides clear exemptions for nursing mothers
“House Bill 249 is about protecting kids and restoring common-sense safeguards to protect their innocence,” said Rep. Angie King, a co-sponsor of the bill. “Parents across Ohio want to know their children are safe and not exposed to adult performances or imagery. This bill closes loopholes in our law, strengthens protections for minors, and ensures that private spaces remain just that—private. Ohio must remain a place where families feel confident that their children can simply be kids.”
“When laws fall short and children are exposed to harm, it is our responsibility to act. That’s exactly what this bill does,” added King.
