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 |
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 |