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| To create the Ohio Beekeepers Task Force. | 1 |
| Section 1. (A) There is hereby created in the Department of | 2 |
| Agriculture the Ohio Beekeepers Task Force consisting of the | 3 |
| following members: | 4 |
| (1) Two members of the standing committee of the House of | 5 |
| Representatives that is primarily responsible for considering | 6 |
| agricultural matters appointed by the Governor, each from a | 7 |
| different political party; | 8 |
| (2) Two members of the standing committee of the Senate that | 9 |
| is primarily responsible for considering agricultural matters | 10 |
| appointed by the Governor, each from a different political party; | 11 |
| (3) The Chief of the Division of Plant Industry in the | 12 |
| Department of Agriculture or the Chief's designee; | 13 |
| (4) The Director of Natural Resources or the Director's | 14 |
| designee; | 15 |
| (5) Two representatives of the Ohio State Beekeepers | 16 |
| Association appointed by the Association; | 17 |
| (6) The Director of The Ohio State University Extension or | 18 |
| the Director's designee; | 19 |
| (7) An apiculture specialist of The Ohio State University | 20 |
| Extension appointed by the Director of The Ohio State University | 21 |
| Extension; | 22 |
| (8) The Chair of The Ohio State University Department of | 23 |
| Entomology or the Chair's designee; | 24 |
| (9) A representative of the Ohio Produce Growers and | 25 |
| Marketing Association appointed by the Association; | 26 |
| (10) A representative of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Bee | 27 |
| and Honey Committee appointed by the Federation; | 28 |
| (11) A representative of the Ohio Farmers Union appointed by | 29 |
| the Union; | 30 |
| (12) A representative of the County Commissioners Association | 31 |
| of Ohio appointed by the Association. | 32 |
| (B) The members shall be appointed not later than sixty days | 33 |
| after the effective date of this section. The Task Force shall | 34 |
| hold its first meeting not later than ninety days after the | 35 |
| effective date of this section. | 36 |
| (C) The Governor shall select a chairperson and | 37 |
| vice-chairperson from among the members of the Task Force. The | 38 |
| chairperson may appoint a secretary. | 39 |
| (D) The members of the Task Force shall receive no | 40 |
| compensation for their services. | 41 |
| (E) Not later than ten months after the effective date of | 42 |
| this section, the Ohio Beekeepers Task Force shall submit a report | 43 |
| to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the | 44 |
| House of Representatives, and the Ohio State Beekeepers | 45 |
| Association. The report shall do all of the following: | 46 |
| (1) Provide an overview of the characteristics of the | 47 |
| honeybee crisis in Ohio; | 48 |
| (2) Examine and provide an overview of and conclusions | 49 |
| regarding whether pollinator shortages are affecting crop | 50 |
| pollination in Ohio; | 51 |
| (3) Review and provide an overview of the Ohio Honeybee | 52 |
| Emergency Action Plan; | 53 |
| (4) Review and provide a summary of the federal initiatives | 54 |
| regarding Ohio's bee population and of all of the Department of | 55 |
| Agriculture's and the Ohio State Beekeepers Association's | 56 |
| programs concerning Ohio's bee population; | 57 |
| (5) Provide an overview of the five-year goals of the | 58 |
| Department of Agriculture concerning honeybees, including | 59 |
| recommendations for the restoration of Ohio's bee population; | 60 |
| (6) Examine and describe the funding that is available for | 61 |
| honeybee programs and issues affecting honeybees; | 62 |
| (7) Any other issues that the Task Force considers | 63 |
| appropriate. | 64 |
| (F) Not later than ninety days following the submission of | 65 |
| the report, the Task Force shall meet and respond to any question | 66 |
| from a person who received the report. The Task Force shall cease | 67 |
| to exist upon submitting its response to all questions from | 68 |
| persons who received the report. | 69 |