As Passed by the Senate

127th General Assembly
Regular Session
2007-2008
Sub. H. B. No. 129


Representatives Evans, Book 

Cosponsors: Representatives Seitz, McGregor, J., Stebelton, Peterson, Yuko, Chandler, Letson, Wagoner, Garrison, Sayre, Coley, Adams, Batchelder, Combs, Daniels, DeBose, DeGeeter, Domenick, Gibbs, Hagan, J., Hagan, R., Harwood, Luckie, Patton, Szollosi, Uecker, Wagner, Webster 

Senators Seitz, Goodman, Kearney, Turner, Fedor, Harris, Morano, Padgett, Niehaus 

A BILL
To authorize for a two-year period a pilot program 1
that allows the members of the Ohio Developmental 2
Disabilities Council, the Ohio Statewide 3
Independent Living Council, the Governor's Council 4
on People with Disabilities, and the facility 5
governing board and judicial advisory board that 6
govern or advise on the STAR Community Justice 7
Center in Franklin Furnace, Ohio, to be present at 8
board meetings by teleconference or interactive 9
video teleconference, and to require reports on 10
the effects of member participation in meetings in 11
this manner.12


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1. For a period of two years immediately following 13
the effective date of this act, a pilot program is hereby 14
authorized that allows the Ohio Developmental Disabilities 15
Council, the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council, the 16
Governor's Council on People with Disabilities, and the facility 17
governing board and the judicial advisory board that are created 18
under section 2301.51 of the Revised Code and that are involved in 19
governing and advising on the STAR Community Justice Center 20
located in Franklin Furnace, Ohio, each to adopt a rule that 21
authorizes its members to be present at council or board meetings 22
open to the public by teleconference or interactive video 23
teleconference, in lieu of being present in person at those 24
meetings, in order to be considered present or to vote at those 25
meetings and for purposes of determining whether a quorum is 26
present at those meetings, provided that a minimum of three 27
members must be physically present to participate and to count 28
towards a quorum at those meetings, and provided further that 29
during the second year of the pilot program a council or board 30
shall hold at least one meeting at which members must be 31
physically present to participate and to count towards a quorum. A 32
council or board that desires to allow its members to participate 33
in meetings in this manner shall adopt a rule that does all of 34
the following:35

       (A) Authorize the participation of the council's or board's 36
members in the pilot program;37

       (B) Establish a method to authenticate the identity of a 38
member who will be present at those meetings by teleconference or 39
interactive video teleconference;40

       (C) Establish a policy regarding the distribution and 41
circulation of appropriate documents to the council or board 42
members, the public, and the media in advance of the meeting by 43
teleconference or interactive video teleconference.44

       Section 2. If a rule described in Section 1 of this act is 45
adopted by a council or either or both the facility governing 46
board or the judicial advisory board, the council or the Executive 47
Director of the STAR Community Justice Center shall each submit, 48
not later than eighteen months after the effective date of this 49
act, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority 50
Leader of the House of Representatives, the President of the 51
Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Senate a report that 52
describes the effects on the operation of the council or board of 53
member participation in council or board meetings by 54
teleconference or interactive video teleconference. The report 55
shall describe any additional costs the council or board incurred, 56
and any cost savings the council or board realized, through member 57
participation in council or board meetings in this manner. The 58
report shall include a description of the notice given of each 59
council or board meeting held during the period of the pilot 60
program, an account of attendance by board members, the public, 61
and the media at each council or board meeting held during the 62
period of the pilot program, summaries or copies of comments by 63
the public and the media concerning council or board meetings held 64
by teleconference or interactive video teleconference, a copy of 65
the minutes and an itemized list of the costs of each meeting held 66
during the period of the pilot program, and an account of local 67
media coverage of council or board meetings held by teleconference 68
or interactive video teleconference.69

        If any of the recipients of the report determines that the 70
results of the pilot program described in Section 1 of this act 71
could be profitably applied to meetings of all public bodies or 72
only to public bodies whose members must travel long distances to 73
attend meetings of the public body, the recipient may recommend 74
the relevant type of legislation for introduction.75