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| To enact sections 4112.31, 4112.32, and 4112.33 of | 1 |
| the Revised Code to establish a New African | 2 |
| Immigrants Commission to advocate for the | 3 |
| development and implementation of policies and | 4 |
| programs to address the needs of the State's | 5 |
| sub-Saharan African population. | 6 |
| Section 1. That sections 4112.31, 4112.32, and 4112.33 of the | 7 |
| Revised Code be enacted to read as follows: | 8 |
| Sec. 4112.31. The new African immigrants commission shall: | 9 |
| (A) Gather and disseminate information and conduct hearings, | 10 |
| conferences, investigations, and special studies on problems and | 11 |
| programs concerning sub-Saharan African people; | 12 |
| (B) Secure appropriate recognition of the accomplishments and | 13 |
| contributions of sub-Saharan African people to this state; | 14 |
| (C) Stimulate public awareness of the problems of sub-Saharan | 15 |
| African people by conducting a program of public education; | 16 |
| (D) Develop, coordinate, and assist other public and private | 17 |
| organizations that serve sub-Saharan African people, including the | 18 |
| conducting of training programs for community leadership and | 19 |
| service project staff; | 20 |
| (E) Advise the governor, general assembly, and state | 21 |
| departments and agencies of the nature, magnitude, and priorities | 22 |
| of the problems of sub-Saharan African people; | 23 |
| (F) Advise the governor, general assembly, and state | 24 |
| departments and agencies on, and assist in the development and | 25 |
| implementation of, comprehensive and coordinated policies, | 26 |
| programs, and procedures focusing on the special problems and | 27 |
| needs of sub-Saharan African people, especially in the fields of | 28 |
| education, employment, energy, health, housing, welfare, and | 29 |
| recreation; | 30 |
| (G) Propose new programs concerning sub-Saharan African | 31 |
| people to public and private agencies and evaluate for such | 32 |
| agencies existing programs or prospective legislation concerning | 33 |
| sub-Saharan African people; | 34 |
| (H) Review and approve grants to be made from federal, state, | 35 |
| or private funds which are administered or subcontracted by the | 36 |
| office of new African immigrant affairs; | 37 |
| (I) Review and approve the annual report prepared by the | 38 |
| office of new African immigrant affairs; and | 39 |
| (J) Create an interagency council consisting of the following | 40 |
| persons or their authorized representatives: one member of the | 41 |
| senate appointed by the president of the senate; one member of the | 42 |
| house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of | 43 |
| representatives; the directors of administrative services, | 44 |
| agriculture, education, development, health, highway safety, job | 45 |
| and family services, liquor control, mental health, mental | 46 |
| retardation and developmental disabilities, natural resources, | 47 |
| rehabilitation and correction, youth services, transportation, | 48 |
| environmental protection, and budget and management; the | 49 |
| chairperson of the Ohio civil rights commission, the | 50 |
| administrators of the bureau of workers' compensation and the | 51 |
| rehabilitation services commission, and an additional member of | 52 |
| the governor's cabinet appointed by the governor. The new African | 53 |
| immigrants commission, by rule, may designate other state officers | 54 |
| or their representatives to be members of the council. The | 55 |
| director of the commission shall be the chairperson of the | 56 |
| council. | 57 |
| The interagency council shall provide and coordinate the | 58 |
| exchange of information relative to the needs of sub-Saharan | 59 |
| African people and promote the delivery of state services to such | 60 |
| people. The council shall meet at the call of the chairperson. | 61 |
| Sec. 4112.32. There is hereby created the new African | 62 |
| immigrants commission consisting of eleven members appointed by | 63 |
| the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. The | 64 |
| speaker of the house of representatives shall recommend to the | 65 |
| governor two persons for appointment to the commission, the | 66 |
| president of the senate shall recommend to the governor two such | 67 |
| persons, and the minority leaders of the house and senate shall | 68 |
| each recommend to the governor one such person. The governor shall | 69 |
| make initial appointments to the commission. Of the initial | 70 |
| appointments made to the commission, three shall be for a term | 71 |
| ending October 7, 2009, four shall be for a term ending October 7, | 72 |
| 2010, and four shall be for a term ending October 7, 2011. | 73 |
| Thereafter, terms of office shall be for three years, each term | 74 |
| ending on the same day of the same month of the year as did the | 75 |
| term which it succeeds. Each member shall hold office from the | 76 |
| date of appointment until the end of the term for which the member | 77 |
| was appointed. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the | 78 |
| original appointment. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy | 79 |
| occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the | 80 |
| member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the | 81 |
| remainder of such term. Any member shall continue in office | 82 |
| subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the | 83 |
| member's successor takes office, or until a period of sixty days | 84 |
| has elapsed, whichever occurs first. At the first organizational | 85 |
| meeting of the commission, the original eleven members shall draw | 86 |
| lots to determine the length of the term each member shall serve. | 87 |
| All members of the commission shall be of sub-Saharan African | 88 |
| origin, and shall be American citizens or lawful, permanent, | 89 |
| resident aliens. Members shall be from urban, suburban, and rural | 90 |
| geographical areas representative of sub-Saharan African people | 91 |
| with a numerical and geographical balance of the sub-Saharan | 92 |
| African population throughout the state. | 93 |
| The commission shall meet not less than six times per | 94 |
| calendar year. The commission shall elect a chairperson, | 95 |
| vice-chairperson, and other officers from among its members as it | 96 |
| considers advisable. Six members constitute a quorum. The | 97 |
| commission shall adopt rules governing its procedures. No action | 98 |
| of the commission is valid without the concurrence of six members. | 99 |
| Each member shall be compensated for work as a member for | 100 |
| each day that the member is actually engaged in the performance of | 101 |
| work as a member. No member shall be compensated for more than one | 102 |
| day each month. In addition, each member shall be reimbursed for | 103 |
| all actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of | 104 |
| official business. | 105 |
| Sec. 4112.33. The office of new African immigrant affairs is | 106 |
| hereby created. The office shall be accountable to the new African | 107 |
| immigrants commission. The chief administrator of the office shall | 108 |
| be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the commission. | 109 |
| The director, with the approval of the commission, shall | 110 |
| appoint such employees as are necessary to carry out the duties of | 111 |
| the office. The employees shall serve at the pleasure of the | 112 |
| director. | 113 |
| The office shall compile and provide information to the | 114 |
| commission about, and advise it on, solutions to the problems of | 115 |
| sub-Saharan African people. The office shall execute the tasks | 116 |
| assigned to it by the commission which shall include, but not be | 117 |
| limited to, the following: | 118 |
| (A) Serve as a clearinghouse to review and comment on all | 119 |
| proposals to meet the needs of sub-Saharan African people that are | 120 |
| submitted to it by public and private agencies; | 121 |
| (B) Apply for and accept grants and gifts from governmental | 122 |
| and private sources to be administered by the office or | 123 |
| subcontracted to local agencies; | 124 |
| (C) Monitor and evaluate all programs subcontracted to local | 125 |
| agencies by the commission; | 126 |
| (D) Endeavor to assure that sub-Saharan African people have | 127 |
| access to decision-making bodies in all state and local | 128 |
| governmental departments and agencies; | 129 |
| (E) Submit a full written annual report of its activities, | 130 |
| accomplishments, and recommendations to the commission; | 131 |
| (F) Establish advisory committees on special subjects as | 132 |
| needed to facilitate and maximize community participation in the | 133 |
| operation of the commission; and | 134 |
| (G) Establish with state and local governments and private | 135 |
| business and industry relationships that promote and assure equal | 136 |
| opportunity for sub-Saharan African people in government, | 137 |
| education, and employment. | 138 |
| Advisory committees shall be composed of persons representing | 139 |
| community organizations and charitable institutions, public | 140 |
| officials, and such other persons as the office determines. | 141 |