As Introduced 1
123rd General Assembly 4
Regular Session S. B. No. 120 5
1999-2000 6
SENATOR WATTS 8
_________________________________________________________________ 10
A B I L L
To amend sections 5.23, 4503.571, 5901.02, 5901.07, 12
and 5902.02 and to enact sections 3301.25 and 13
5902.10 of the Revised Code to require members of 14
county veterans service commissions and county
veterans service officers to file a copy of their 15
discharge certificates with the Governor's Office 16
of Veterans Affairs; to designate November 10 of 17
each year as "Veterans Educate Today's Students 18
Day"; to require the Department of Education to
distribute to school libraries a book and 19
videotape relating to the Ohio Veterans Plaza; to 20
require the payment of the existing additional 21
$10 fee in connection with a Purple Heart special
license plate only when a license plate is issued 22
and to eliminate the payment of the additional 23
fee when the Purple Heart special license plate 24
is renewed; and to require that Ohio burgees
placed in the Ohio Veterans Plaza be flown 25
continuously from each May 6 to December 8. 26
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO: 28
Section 1. That sections 5.23, 4503.571, 5901.02, 5901.07, 30
and 5902.02 be amended and sections 3301.25 and 5902.10 of the 31
Revised Code be enacted to read as follows: 32
Sec. 5.23. (A) The twelfth day of February, known as 41
Lincoln's birthday, the twenty-second day of February, known as 43
Washington's birthday, the thirtieth day of May, known as 44
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Memorial day, and the eleventh day of November, known as
Veterans' day, shall be commemorated in the schools. 45
(B) THE TENTH DAY OF NOVEMBER IS DESIGNATED AS "VETERANS 47
EDUCATE TODAY'S STUDENTS DAY" OR "V.E.T.S. DAY." EACH ELEMENTARY 49
AND SECONDARY SCHOOL IN THIS STATE IS ENCOURAGED TO COMMEMORATE 50
AND OBSERVE THIS DAY BY INVITING VETERANS, ON OR ABOUT THIS DAY,
TO VISIT THE SCHOOL AND DISCUSS THEIR MILITARY EXPERIENCES WITH 51
THE STUDENTS OF THE SCHOOL. 52
Sec. 3301.25. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL DISTRIBUTE 54
TO THE LIBRARY OF EACH SECONDARY SCHOOL IN THIS STATE A COPY OF 55
THE BOOK "LETTERS HOME: THE LETTERS OF THE OHIO VETERANS PLAZA" 60
AND A VIDEOTAPE OF THE OHIO VETERANS PLAZA DEDICATION. 61
Sec. 4503.571. Any person who has been awarded the purple 70
heart may apply to the registrar of motor vehicles for the 71
registration of one passenger car, noncommercial motor vehicle, 72
recreational vehicle, or other vehicle of a class approved by the 73
registrar that the person owns or leases. The application shall 74
be accompanied by such documentary evidence in support of the 75
award as the registrar may require. The application may be 76
combined with a request for a special reserved license plate 77
under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code. 78
Upon receipt of an application for registration of a motor 80
vehicle under this section and the required taxes and fees, and 81
UPON presentation of the required supporting evidence of the 82
award of the purple heart, the registrar shall issue to the 84
applicant the appropriate motor vehicle registration and a set of 85
license plates and a validation sticker, or a validation sticker 86
alone when required by section 4503.191 of the Revised Code. 87
In addition to the letters and numbers ordinarily inscribed 89
thereon ON THE LICENSE PLATES, the license plates shall be 91
inscribed with the words "PURPLE HEART." The license plates 92
shall bear county identification stickers that identify the
county of registration by name or number. 93
The license plates and validation stickers shall be issued 95
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upon payment of the regular license fee required by section 96
4503.04 of the Revised Code, payment of any local motor vehicle 97
license tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, 98
payment of an additional fee of ten dollars ONLY WHEN A LICENSE 99
PLATE IS ISSUED, and compliance with all other applicable laws 100
relating to the registration of motor vehicles. If the 101
application is combined with a request for a special reserved
license plate under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised 102
Code, the license plates and validation sticker shall be issued 103
upon payment of the fees and taxes referred to in this section 104
and the additional fee prescribed under section 4503.40 or 105
4503.42 of the Revised Code. The additional fee of ten dollars 106
shall be for the purpose of compensating the bureau of motor
vehicles for additional services required in the issuing of 108
license plates under this section and shall be transmitted by the 109
registrar to the treasurer of state for deposit into the state 110
treasury to the credit of the state bureau of motor vehicles fund 111
created by section 4501.25 of the Revised Code. NO ADDITIONAL 112
FEE SHALL BE CHARGED WHEN A VALIDATION STICKER ALONE IS ISSUED. 113
No person who is not a recipient of the purple heart shall 115
willfully and falsely represent that the person is a recipient of 116
a purple heart for the purpose of obtaining license plates under 117
this section. No person shall own a motor vehicle bearing 118
license plates under this section unless the person is eligible 119
to be issued such THOSE license plates. 120
Sec. 5901.02. In each county there shall be a commission 129
known as "the veterans service commission" composed of five 130
persons. Such THOSE persons shall be residents of the county and 132
shall be appointed to five-year terms by a judge of the court of 133
common pleas. At the time of his appointment or reappointment to 135
the commission, no commission member shall be an employee of the
commission or hold an elective or other appointive office of the 136
county served by the commission. 137
Each person on MEMBER OF the commission shall be an 139
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honorably discharged or honorably separated veteran. WITHIN 141
SIXTY DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF APPOINTMENT, EACH MEMBER OF THE 142
COMMISSION SHALL FILE THE MEMBER'S FORM DD214, DISCHARGE 143
CERTIFICATE, AND AN AUTHORIZATION FOR RELEASE OF INFORMATION 144
CONTAINED IN THE FORM, WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS. Appointments to the commission shall be made from lists 146
of recommended persons, in the manner specified in the following 148
paragraph. One person shall be a representative recommended by 149
the American Legion; one person shall be a representative 150
recommended by the Veterans of Foreign Wars; one person shall be 151
a representative recommended by the Disabled American Veterans; 152
one person shall be a representative recommended by the AMVETS,; 153
and one person shall be a representative recommended by the 154
Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. or the Vietnam 155
Veterans of America. If any such organization has no post or 156
chapter located in the county, the appointment shall be made from 157
lists of recommended persons submitted by posts or chapters of 158
any other congressionally chartered veterans organizations 159
located in the county. If no such other organizations have posts 160
or chapters located in the county, the judge DESCRIBED IN THE
FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH may appoint any qualified veteran to 162
represent the veteran community.
On or before the fifteenth day of October of each year, the 164
judge of the court of common pleas who is responsible for making 165
appointments to the commission shall notify each post or chapter, 166
of each organization within the county from which the member may 167
or must be appointed that it may submit a list containing three 168
recommendations of persons who are eligible for appointment. If
the judge does not receive any recommendations within sixty days 169
after providing the required notification, he THE JUDGE may 170
appoint any qualified veteran to represent the veteran community. 172
The judge shall make the appointment on or before the fifteenth 173
day of January of each year. Vacancies occurring on the
commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original 174
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appointments.
Beginning in the year 2000, appointments to the commission 176
shall be made as follows: 177
(A) Appointments for members to represent the American 179
Legion shall be made for terms to commence in years ending in 180
zero and five.
(B) Appointments for members to represent the veterans 183
VETERANS of Foreign Wars shall be made for terms to commence in 184
years ending in one and six.
(C) Appointments for members to represent the Disabled 186
American Veterans shall be made for terms to commence in years 187
ending in two and seven.
(D) Appointments for members to represent the AMVETS shall 189
be made for terms to commence in years ending in three and eight. 190
(E) Appointments for members to represent the Military 192
Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. or the Vietnam Veterans 193
of America shall be made for terms to commence in years ending in 194
four and nine.
The terms immediately preceding the initial appointments 196
made under divisions (A) to (E) of this section may be for 197
periods of less than five years.
Sec. 5901.07. The veterans service commission shall employ 206
one or more county veterans service officers, one of whom may act 207
as executive director. Each SERVICE officer shall be a veteran. 208
WITHIN SIXTY DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF INITIAL EMPLOYMENT, EACH 209
SERVICE OFFICER SHALL FILE A COPY OF THE OFFICER'S FORM DD214, 210
DISCHARGE CERTIFICATE, AND AN AUTHORIZATION FOR RELEASE OF 211
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE FORM, WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF 212
VETERANS AFFAIRS. Each SERVICE OFFICER shall be employed in the 213
classified service and is exempt from civil service examination. 214
The duties of these SERVICE officers are to SHALL advise and 216
assist present and former members of the armed forces of the 218
United States, veterans, and their spouses, surviving spouses, 219
children, parents, and dependents in presenting claims or 220
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obtaining rights or benefits under any law of the United States 221
or of this state.
The commission shall employ each service officer on a part- 224
or full-time basis and fix his THE OFFICER'S compensation. No 225
county commissioner or member of the veterans service commission 226
shall be employed as a service officer. The 227
THE commission shall employ the necessary clerks, 230
stenographers, and other personnel to assist the service officer 231
OFFICERS in the performance of duties and SHALL fix their 232
compensation. Each of these employees shall be a veteran or, if 233
a qualified veteran is not available, the spouse, surviving 234
spouse, child, or parent of a veteran. Each OF THESE EMPLOYEES 235
shall be employed in the classified service and is exempt from 237
civil service examination. The
THE board of county commissioners, upon the recommendation 240
or approval of the VETERANS SERVICE commission, may provide 241
suitable office space, supplies, and office and incidental 242
expenses for each service officer. The compensation of the EACH 243
service officer and of any employee and any expenses incurred 244
under this section shall be paid out of funds appropriated to the 245
commission, as provided in section 5901.11 of the Revised Code. 246
Sec. 5902.02. The duties of the director of the governor's 255
office of veterans affairs shall include the following: 256
(A) Furnishing the veterans service commissions of all 258
counties of the state copies of the state laws, rules, and 259
legislation relating to the operation of the commissions and 260
their offices; 261
(B) Upon application, assisting the general public in 263
obtaining records of vital statistics pertaining to veterans or 264
their dependents; 265
(C) Promulgating ADOPTING rules pursuant to Chapter 119. 267
of the Revised Code pertaining to minimum qualifications for 268
hiring, certifying, and accrediting county veterans service 269
officers and pertaining to their required duties; 270
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(D) Promulgating ADOPTING rules pursuant to Chapter 119. 272
of the Revised Code for the education, training, certification, 273
and duties of veterans service commissioners; 274
(E) Developing and monitoring programs and agreements 276
enhancing employment and training for veterans in single or 277
multiple county areas; 278
(F) Developing and monitoring programs and agreements to 280
enable county veterans service commissions to address 281
homelessness, indigency, and other veteran-related issues 282
individually or jointly; 283
(G) Developing and monitoring programs and agreements to 285
enable state agencies, individually or jointly, that provide 286
services to veterans, including the Ohio veterans' home and the 287
Ohio bureau of employment services, to address homelessness, 289
indigency, employment, and other veteran-related issues; 290
(H) Establishing and providing statistical reporting 292
formats and procedures for county veterans service commissions; 293
(I) Publishing annually, promulgating change notices for, 295
and distributing a listing of county veterans service officers, 296
county veterans service commissioners, state directors of 297
veterans affairs, and national and state service officers of 298
accredited veterans organizations and their state headquarters. 299
The listing shall include the expiration dates of commission 300
members' terms of office and the organizations they represent; 301
the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of county veterans 302
service officers and state directors of veterans affairs; and the 303
addresses and telephone numbers of the Ohio offices and 304
headquarters of state and national veterans service 305
organizations. 306
(J) Publishing, by the first day of April of each 308
odd-numbered year, a directory of Ohio THE laws OF THIS STATE 310
dealing with veterans, as enacted through the conclusion of the 311
previous session of the general assembly, and distributing the 312
publication to each county veterans service office and the state 313
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headquarters of each congressionally chartered veterans 314
organization in the state; 315
(K) Establishing a veterans advisory committee to advise 317
and assist the governor's office of veterans affairs in its 318
duties. Members shall include a state representative of 319
congressionally chartered veterans organizations referred to in 320
section 5901.02 of the Revised Code, a representative of any 321
other congressionally chartered state veterans organization that 322
has at least one veterans service commissioner in the state, 323
three representatives of the Ohio state association of county 324
veterans service commissioners, who shall have a combined vote of 325
one, three representatives of the state association of county 326
veterans service officers, who shall have a combined vote of one, 327
one representative of the county commissioners association of 328
Ohio, who shall be a county commissioner not from the same county 329
as any of the other county representatives, and a representative 330
of the office of the attorney general. The governor's office of 331
veterans affairs shall submit to the advisory committee proposed 333
rules for the committee's operation. The committee may review 334
and revise these proposed rules prior to submitting them to the 335
joint committee on agency rule review.
(L) Promulgating ADOPTING, with the advice and assistance 337
of the veterans advisory committee, policy and procedural 339
guidelines, which THAT the veterans service commissions shall 340
adhere to in the development and implementation of rules, 343
policies, procedures, and guidelines for the administration of 344
Chapter 5901. of the Revised Code. The governor's office of 345
veterans affairs shall promulgate ADOPT no guidelines or rules 346
regulating the purposes, scope, duration, or amounts of financial 348
assistance provided to applicants pursuant to sections 5901.01 to 349
5901.15 of the Revised Code. The director of the governor's 350
office of veterans affairs may obtain opinions from the office of 351
the attorney general regarding rules, policies, procedures, and 352
guidelines of the veterans service commissions and may enforce 353
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compliance with Chapter 5901. of the Revised Code. 354
(M) RECEIVING COPIES OF FORM DD214, DISCHARGE 356
CERTIFICATES, AND AUTHORIZATIONS FOR RELEASE OF INFORMATION 357
CONTAINED IN THE FORMS, FROM MEMBERS OF VETERANS SERVICE 358
COMMISSIONS APPOINTED UNDER SECTION 5901.02 AND FROM COUNTY 359
VETERANS SERVICE OFFICERS EMPLOYED UNDER SECTION 5901.07 OF THE
REVISED CODE;
(N) Taking any other actions required by this chapter. 361
Sec. 5902.10. OHIO BURGEES PLACED IN THE OHIO VETERANS 363
PLAZA, LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE SENATE BUILDING, 365
SHALL BE FLOWN CONTINUOUSLY FROM THE SIXTH DAY OF MAY TO THE 366
EIGHTH DAY OF DECEMBER OF EACH YEAR. 367
Section 2. That existing sections 5.23, 4503.571, 5901.02, 369
5901.07, and 5902.02 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed. 370
Section 3. Each member of a county veterans service 372
commission appointed under section 5901.02 of the Revised Code, 373
as amended by this act, and each county veterans service officer 374
appointed under section 5901.07 of the Revised Code, as amended 375
by this act, who is serving on the effective date of this act 376
shall file, within 60 days after that date, with the Governor's 377
Office of Veterans Affairs, the member's or officer's Form DD214, 378
Discharge Certificate, and an authorization for release of 379
information contained in the form. 380