As Introduced

127th General Assembly
Regular Session
2007-2008
S. B. No. 60


Senator Miller, R. 

Cosponsor: Senator Smith 


A BILL
To create a state grant program within the Department 1
of Development to fund the operations of an 2
African-American Chamber of Commerce in the six 3
most populous Ohio cities and to make an 4
appropriation.5


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

       Section 1. All items in this section are hereby appropriated 6
as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the 7
credit of the General Revenue Fund. For all appropriations made in 8
this act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 2008 and 9
those in the second column are for fiscal year 2009.10

DEV DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT
11

Appropriations

General Revenue Fund12

GRF 195-XXX African-American Chamber of Commerce Grant Program $ 450,000 $ 0 13
TOTAL GRF General Revenue Fund $ 450,000 $ 0 14
TOTAL ALL BUDGET FUND GROUPS $ 450,000 $ 0 15

       AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GRANT PROGRAM16

       The foregoing appropriation item 195-XXX, African-American 17
Chamber of Commerce Grant Program, shall be used to make grants to 18
not more than one applicant in each of the cities of Columbus, 19
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, and Dayton to fund 20
operations of an African-American Chamber of Commerce. The maximum 21
amount available to each eligible applicant shall not exceed 22
$75,000.23

       Applications for grants under this program shall be submitted 24
to the Director of Development. At a minimum, each eligible 25
applicant shall be a membership-based organization qualifying for 26
federal income tax exemption under section 501(c)(6) of the 27
Internal Revenue Code, with the purpose of the applicant being a 28
source for African-American-owned businesses to obtain information 29
on contracting opportunities with federal, state, or local 30
governments; assisting these businesses in obtaining information 31
about becoming certified as a minority business enterprise under 32
Ohio law; assisting African-American-owned businesses with 33
obtaining legal and accounting services; and referring such 34
businesses to other businesses that provide marketing, public 35
relations, and other technical services.36

       Section 2. Within the limits set forth in this act, the 37
Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts 38
indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation 39
made in this act, and shall determine the form and manner in which 40
appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from 41
appropriations contained in this act shall be accounted for as 42
though made in the main operating appropriations act of the 127th 43
General Assembly.44

       The appropriations made in this act are subject to all 45
provisions of the main operating appropriations act of the 127th 46
General Assembly that are generally applicable to the 47
appropriations.48

       Section 3. The uncodified sections of law contained in this 49
act, and the items of law of which the uncodified sections of law 50
contained in this act are composed, are not subject to the 51
referendum. Therefore, under Ohio Constitution, Article II, 52
Section 1d and section 1.471 of the Revised Code, the uncodified 53
sections of law contained in this act, and the items of law of 54
which the uncodified sections of law contained in this act are 55
composed, go into immediate effect when this act becomes law.56