As Introduced

129th General Assembly
Regular Session
2011-2012
S. B. No. 24


Senator Tavares 



A BILL
To enact section 5101.345 of the Revised Code to 1
create the Ohio Family Stability Commission and to 2
repeal section 5101.345 of the Revised Code four 3
years after the effective date of that section. 4


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

       Section 1. That section 5101.345 of the Revised Code be 5
enacted to read as follows: 6

       Sec. 5101.345.  (A) There is hereby created in the department 7
of job and family services the Ohio family stability commission. 8
The commission shall consist of twenty-five members, four of whom 9
shall be members of the general assembly and twenty-one of whom 10
shall be government agency representatives, private citizens, or 11
elected officials other than members of the general assembly. Two 12
of the four general assembly members shall be appointed by the 13
president of the senate and shall be members of different 14
political parties. The other two general assembly members shall be 15
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and shall 16
be members of different political parties. The remaining 17
twenty-one members who are government agency representatives, 18
private citizens, or elected officials shall be appointed by the 19
governor in accordance with the following: 20

       (1) Two shall have expertise in out-of-wedlock births;21

        (2) Two shall have expertise in marital divorce;22

       (3) One shall have expertise in education;23

       (4) One shall have expertise in employment;24

       (5) One shall have expertise in child support;25

       (6) One shall have expertise in child custody;26

       (7) One shall have expertise in child abuse and neglect;27

       (8) One shall have expertise in domestic violence;28

       (9) Two shall have expertise in the judicial system;29

       (10) Two shall have expertise in criminal justice;30

       (11) Two shall have expertise in faith-based initiatives;31

       (12) Two shall have expertise in fatherhood programs;32

       (13) Two shall have expertise in philanthropic or nonprofit 33
management;34

       (14) One shall have expertise in mass media or 35
communications. 36

       The members of the commission shall serve at the pleasure of 37
their appointing authorities. Vacancies shall be filled in the 38
manner provided for original appointments. Members shall serve 39
without compensation, except to the extent that serving on the 40
commission is considered part of their regular duties of 41
employment.42

       (B) The commission shall be staffed by personnel of the 43
department of job and family services. This division does not 44
require the department to employ personnel who the department 45
otherwise would not have employed.46

       (C)(1) During its first year of operation, the commission 47
shall conduct research and formulate recommendations to the 48
general assembly, appropriate state agencies, and other 49
appropriate entities concerning societal issues that impact the 50
stability of families in this state. The recommendations shall 51
provide the general assembly, appropriate state agencies, and 52
other appropriate entities with strategies, both legal and 53
otherwise, for addressing the issues.54

       At a minimum, the commission's research and recommendations 55
shall address all of the following:56

       (a) The divorce rate in this state and measures and 57
strategies for reducing the divorce rate;58

       (b) The birth rate among unmarried individuals in this state 59
and measures and strategies for reducing the number of births 60
occurring outside of marriage;61

       (c) The rate of domestic violence, including child abuse, in 62
this state and measures and strategies for reducing that rate;63

       (d) Issues concerning child custody and child support.64

       (2) During its second year of operation, the commission shall 65
work with the general assembly, appropriate state agencies, and 66
other appropriate entities to implement the recommendations 67
formulated under division (C)(1) of this section;68

       (3) During its third year of operation, the commission shall 69
continue to work toward implementation of the recommendations 70
formulated under division (C)(1) of this section and begin 71
monitoring their implementation. The commission shall issue a 72
report to the general assembly at the end of its third year of 73
operation regarding the status of the implementation of the 74
recommendations.75

       (4) During its fourth year of operation, the commission shall 76
conduct activities ensuring the continued implementation and, if 77
applicable, the enforcement of the recommendations formulated 78
under division (C)(1) of this section. The commission shall issue 79
a report to the general assembly at the end of its fourth year of 80
operation regarding the status of the implementation of the 81
recommendations.82

       (D) After the issuance of its report under division (C)(4) of 83
this section, the commission shall cease to exist.84

       Section 2. Section 5101.345 of the Revised Code is hereby 85
repealed effective the first day of the forty-ninth month after 86
the effective date of this act. 87