As Reported by the Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee

128th General Assembly Regular Session 2009-2010

H. B. No. 349

Representatives Weddington, Maag 

Cosponsors: Representatives Letson, Harris, Derickson, Gerberry, Stewart, Belcher, Williams, B., Blessing, Bolon, Brown, Domenick, Dyer, Foley, Goyal, Harwood, Heard, Hite, Koziura, Luckie, Lundy, Mallory, McGregor, Newcomb, Phillips, Pillich, Sayre, Skindell, Sykes, Szollosi, Ujvagi, Williams, S., Winburn, Yuko 

Senators Morano, Miller, R., Smith 

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A BILL

To amend sections 5101.34, 5101.341, and 5101.342 of

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the Revised Code to revise the membership,

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staffing, and duties of the Ohio Commission on

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Fatherhood.

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

Section 1. That sections 5101.34, 5101.341, and 5101.342 of	5
the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:	6

Sec. 5101.34.  (A) There is hereby created in the department	7
of job and family services the Ohio commission on fatherhood. The	8
commission shall consist of the following members:	9

(1)(a) Four members of the house of representatives appointed	10
by the speaker of the house, not more than two of whom are members	11
of the same political party. Two of the members must be from	12
legislative districts that include a county or part of a county	13
that is among the one-third of counties in this state with the	14
highest number per capita of households headed by females.	15

(b) Two members of the senate appointed by the president of	16
the senate, each from a different political party. One of the	17
members must be from a legislative district that includes a county	18
or part of a county that is among the one-third of counties in	19
this state with the highest number per capita of households headed	20
by females.	21

(2) The governor, or the governor's designee;

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(3) One representative of the judicial branch of government	23
appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court;	24

(4) The directors of health, job and family services,	25
rehabilitation and correction, alcohol and drug addiction	26
services, and youth services and the superintendent of public	27
instruction, or their designees;	28

(5) The assistant director of job and family services in	29
charge of the office of child support created under section	30
3125.02 of the Revised Code, or the assistant director's designee;	31

(6) One representative of the Ohio family and children first	32
cabinet council created under section 121.37 of the Revised Code	33
appointed by the chairperson of the council;	34

(6) Five(7) Seven representatives of the general public	35
appointed by the governor. These members shall have extensive	36
experience in issues related to fatherhood.	37

(B) The appointing authorities of the Ohio commission on	38
fatherhood shall make initial appointments to the commission	39
within thirty days after September 29, 1999. Of the initial	40
appointments to the commission made pursuant to divisions (A)(3),	41
(5), and (6) of this section, three of the members shall serve a	42
term of one year and four shall serve a term of two years.	43
Members so appointed subsequentlypursuant to divisions (A)(3),	44
(6), and (7) of this section shall serve two-year terms. A	45
member appointed pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section shall	46
serve on the commission until the end of the general assembly	47
from which the member was appointed or until the member ceases to	48
serve in the chamber of the general assembly in which the member	49
serves at the time of appointment, whichever occurs first. The	50
governor or the governor's designee shall serve on the commission	51
until the governor ceases to be governor. The directors and,	52
superintendent, and assistant director or their designees shall	53
serve on the commission until they cease, or the director or,	54
superintendent, or assistant director a designee represents	55
ceases, to be director or, superintendent, or assistant director.	56
Each member shall serve on the commission from the date of	57
appointment until the end of the term for which the member was	58
appointed. Members may be reappointed.	59

Vacancies shall be filled in the manner provided for original	60
appointments. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring	61
prior to the expiration date of the term for which the member's	62
predecessor was appointed shall serve on the commission for the	63
remainder of that term. A member shall continue to serve on the	64
commission subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term	65
until the member's successor is appointed or until a period of	66
sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first. Members shall	67
serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary	68
expenses.	69

Sec. 5101.341. (A) The Ohio commission on fatherhood	70
annually shall elect a chairperson from among its members. The	71

The commission shall employ an executive director and may	72
employ other staff as necessary for the commission to perform its	73
duties under section 5101.342 of the Revised Code. The executive	74
director and commission staff shall be in the unclassified civil	75
service and shall serve at the commission's pleasure. The	76
commission shall specify the duties and compensation of the	77
executive director and commission staff. The department of job and	78
family services shall provide other staff and other support	79
services for the commission.	80

(B) The commission may accept gifts, grants, donations,	81
contributions, benefits, and other funds from any public agency or	82
private source to carry out any or all of the commission's duties.	83
The funds shall be deposited into the Ohio commission on	84
fatherhood fund, which is hereby created in the state treasury.	85
All gifts, grants, donations, contributions, benefits, and other	86
funds received by the commission pursuant to this division shall	87
be used solely to support the operations of the commission.	88

Sec. 5101.342.  The Ohio commission on fatherhood shall do	89
bothall of the following:	90

(A) Organize a state summit on fatherhood once every four	91
yearstwo-year period that begins on the first day of an	92
odd-numbered calendar year and ends on the last day of the next	93
succeeding even-numbered calendar year;	94

(B)(1) Prepare a report each year that identifies resources	95
available toIdentify and fund fatherhood-related programs and	96
explores the creation of initiatives operated by government	97
agencies and private, nonprofit entities, including initiatives	98
that seek to do the following:	99

(a) Build the parenting skills of fathers;

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(b) Provide employment-related services for low-income,	101
noncustodial fathers;	102

(c) Prevent premature fatherhood;

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(d) Provide services to fathers who are inmates in or have	104
just been released from imprisonment in a state correctional	105
institution, as defined in section 2967.01 of the Revised Code, or	106
in any other detention facility, as defined in section 2921.01 of	107
the Revised Code, so that they are able to maintain or reestablish	108
their relationships with their families;	109

(e) Reconcile fathers with their families;

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(f)(1) Increase public awareness of the critical role fathers	111
play;	112

(2) Augment father-readiness by preventing premature	113
fatherhood, building parenting skills, and providing	114
employment-related services for low-income fathers;	115

(3) Promote and enhance father-child bonding, family	116
reconciliation, and fathers' involvement in schools by educating	117
the public about such topics as childbirth, paternity	118
establishment, child support, custody, visitation, incarceration,	119
and re-entry into family life and society following incarceration;	120

(4) Develop fathers' relationship skills to strengthen their	121
capacity for success in parenting, employment, and marriage.	122

(2) The commission shall submit each(C) Prepare an annual	123
report prepared pursuant to division (B)(1) ofthat evaluates the	124
fatherhood-related initiatives funded under this section and	125
submit a copy of each report to the president and minority leader	126
of the senate, speaker and minority leader of the house of	127
representatives, governor, and chief justice of the supreme court.	128
The first report is due not later than one year after the last of	129
the initial appointments to the commission is made under section	130
5101.341 of the Revised Code.	131

Section 2. That existing sections 5101.34, 5101.341, and	132
5101.342 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.	133

Section 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 5101.34	134
of the Revised Code establishing two-year terms for the members of	135
the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood, the two additional	136
representatives of the general public to be appointed by the	137
Governor under that section, as amended by this act, shall be	138
appointed to serve for initial terms as follows:	139

(A) One of the members shall serve for a term ending July 31,	140
2011.	141

(B) One of the members shall serve for a term ending July 31,	142
2012.	143