As Introduced

130th General Assembly
Regular Session
2013-2014
H. B. No. 409


Representatives Barnes, Patmon 


A BILL
To enact section 4561.61 of the Revised Code to 1
create the Commercial Airline and Air Freight 2
Commission.3


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

       Section 1. That section 4561.61 of the Revised Code be 4
enacted to read as follows:5

       Sec. 4561.61.  (A) There is hereby created the commercial 6
airline and air freight commission, consisting of the following 7
members:8

       (1) Three members of the senate appointed by the president of 9
the senate, not more than two of whom shall be members of the same 10
political party;11

       (2) Three members of the house of representatives appointed 12
by the speaker of the house of representatives, not more than two 13
of whom shall be members of the same political party;14

       (3) A member nominated by each passenger airline company and 15
each air freight company that does business in this state, all of 16
whom shall be appointed by the governor.17

       (B) The members appointed by the governor shall be residents 18
of this state. The governor shall make all initial appointments to 19
the commission not later than July 1, 2014. Those members shall 20
serve terms ending June 30, 2016. Thereafter, members appointed by 21
the governor shall serve two-year terms commencing on the first 22
day of July and ending on the thirtieth day of June.23

       The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of 24
representatives shall make their initial appointments to the 25
commission not later than July 1, 2014. Those members shall serve 26
on the commission for the remainder of the general assembly during 27
which the senator or representative is appointed. Thereafter, the 28
members appointed by the president of the senate and the speaker 29
of the house of representatives shall serve a term of the 30
remainder of the general assembly during which the senator or 31
representative is appointed.32

       All members shall hold office from the date of appointment 33
until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. If a 34
commission member dies or resigns, or if a senator or 35
representative who is a member of the commission ceases to be a 36
senator or representative, the vacancy shall be filled in the same 37
manner as provided in division (A) of this section. Any member who 38
is appointed by the governor to fill a vacancy occurring prior to 39
the end of the term for which the member's predecessor was 40
appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term, and 41
any member who is appointed by the president of the senate or the 42
speaker of the house of representatives to fill a vacancy 43
occurring prior to the end of the term for which the member's 44
predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of 45
that term. A member of the commission is eligible for 46
reappointment. The governor, the president of the senate, and the 47
speaker of the house of representatives at any time may remove 48
their respective appointees to the commission for misfeasance, 49
nonfeasance, or malfeasance in office.50

       Serving as an appointed member of the commission under 51
division (A)(1) or (2) of this section does not constitute grounds 52
for resignation from the senate or the house of representatives 53
under section 101.26 of the Revised Code.54

       The president of the senate shall designate one of the 55
president's initial appointees as chairperson for the remainder of 56
the general assembly during which the member was appointed, and 57
the speaker of the house of representatives shall designate one of 58
the speaker's initial appointees as vice-chairperson for the 59
remainder of the general assembly during which the member was 60
appointed. Thereafter, the president of the senate and the speaker 61
of the house of representatives shall alternate designating the 62
chairperson and vice-chairperson of the commission.63

       (C) The commission shall study the policies that are needed 64
to achieve the goal of sustaining and expanding commercial 65
passenger airline and air freight service, including international 66
service, into and from the airports of this state. The commission 67
also shall study what role, if any, the awarding of incentives to 68
commercial passenger airline and air freight companies should have 69
in achieving that goal. The commission shall submit its first 70
report, including its findings and recommendations, to the 71
governor, the president of the senate, and the speaker of the 72
house of representatives not later than March 31, 2015. 73
Thereafter, the commission shall meet at the call of the 74
chairperson and shall submit updated reports on the policies 75
described in this division at such times as determined necessary 76
by the chairperson of the commission. All updated reports shall be 77
submitted to the governor, the president of the senate, and the 78
speaker of the house of representatives.79