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| To enact sections 122.97 and 122.971 of the Revised | 1 |
| Code to create the SiteOhio certification program | 2 |
| within the Department of Development to certify | 3 |
| and market eligible commercial, industrial, and | 4 |
| manufacturing sites and facilities. | 5 |
| Section 1. That sections 122.97 and 122.971 of the Revised | 6 |
| Code be enacted to read as follows: | 7 |
| Sec. 122.97. (A) As used in this section: | 8 |
| (1) "Eligible applicant" means a person or a political | 9 |
| subdivision. | 10 |
| (2) "Eligible project" means a project that, upon completion, | 11 |
| will be a site and facility primarily intended for commercial, | 12 |
| industrial, or manufacturing use. "Eligible projects" do not | 13 |
| include sites and facilities intended primarily for residential, | 14 |
| retail, or government use. | 15 |
| (3) "Person" has the same meaning as in section 5701.01 of | 16 |
| the Revised Code. | 17 |
| (4) "Political subdivision" means a municipal corporation, | 18 |
| township, county, school district, or any other body corporate and | 19 |
| politic responsible for governmental activities in a geographic | 20 |
| area smaller than that of the state. | 21 |
| (5) "SiteOhio certification program" means the program | 22 |
| created under this section. | 23 |
| (B) There is hereby created the SiteOhio certification | 24 |
| program to certify and market eligible projects in the state. The | 25 |
| program shall be administered by the department of development. | 26 |
| (C) An eligible applicant may apply to the director of | 27 |
| development on forms prescribed by the director for the director | 28 |
| to certify an eligible project. In addition to the application, | 29 |
| the applicant shall submit any additional materials required by | 30 |
| the director. The director shall establish scoring criteria, | 31 |
| scoring instruments, and materials for use by the department of | 32 |
| development in reviewing applications under the SiteOhio | 33 |
| certification program. The scoring criteria, scoring instruments, | 34 |
| and materials shall be published and made available with the | 35 |
| application. | 36 |
| Subject to any limitations imposed under division (E)(2) of | 37 |
| this section, the director shall approve an application and | 38 |
| certify the applicant's eligible project if the applicant meets | 39 |
| all of the scoring criteria established by the director. | 40 |
| (D) After the director of development certifies an eligible | 41 |
| project, the project shall be listed on the department's web site. | 42 |
| The director shall market certified eligible projects to | 43 |
| interested persons. | 44 |
| (E) The director of development shall adopt rules under | 45 |
| Chapter 119. of the Revised Code necessary to implement and | 46 |
| operate the SiteOhio certification program. The rules may provide | 47 |
| for eligible applicants for certification to be charged fees to | 48 |
| cover administrative costs incurred by the department in the | 49 |
| administration of this section. Any fees collected under this | 50 |
| section shall be credited to the SiteOhio administration fund. The | 51 |
| director may do either of the following: | 52 |
| (1) Contract with one or more persons to administer all or | 53 |
| part of the SiteOhio certification program. | 54 |
| (2) Limit the number of eligible projects the director | 55 |
| certifies according to the available resources and capabilities of | 56 |
| the department. | 57 |
| Sec. 122.971. There is hereby created in the state treasury | 58 |
| the SiteOhio administration fund. Money collected from the fees | 59 |
| remitted by applicants for certification under section 122.97 of | 60 |
| the Revised Code shall be credited to the fund. The director of | 61 |
| development shall use the fund to pay the department's | 62 |
| administrative expenses for administering the SiteOhio | 63 |
| certification program under section 122.97 of the Revised Code. | 64 |