As Adopted by the Senate

128th General Assembly
Regular Session
2009-2010
Am. H. J. R. No. 2


Representatives Sayre, Ruhl 

Cosponsors: Representatives Adams, J., Adams, R., Amstutz, Bacon, Balderson, Batchelder, Blair, Boose, Brown, Bubp, Burke, Carney, Coley, Combs, Daniels, DeBose, Derickson, Dodd, Domenick, Dyer, Evans, Goodwin, Grossman, Hackett, Hall, Heard, Hite, Hottinger, Huffman, Jones, Jordan, Lehner, Letson, Luckie, Maag, Mandel, Martin, McClain, McGregor, Mecklenborg, Morgan, Murray, Newcomb, Oelslager, Okey, Phillips, Pryor, Slesnick, Snitchler, Stautberg, Stebelton, Szollosi, Uecker, Wachtmann, Wagner, Weddington, Yuko, Zehringer 

Senators Buehrer, Carey, Gibbs, Gillmor, Grendell, Hughes, Schaffer, Strahorn, Wilson, Morano, Seitz, Patton, Faber, Niehaus, Harris, Cates 



A JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing to enact Section 1 of Article XIV of the 1
Constitution of the State of Ohio to create the 2
Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. 3

       Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, 4
three-fifths of the members elected to each house concurring 5
herein, that there shall be submitted to the electors of the 6
state, in the manner prescribed by law at the general election to 7
be held on November 3, 2009, a proposal to enact Section 1 of 8
Article XIV of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to read as 9
follows: 10

ARTICLE XIV
11

1.  (A) There is hereby created the Ohio Livestock 12
Care Standards Board for the purpose of establishing standards 13
governing the care and well-being of livestock and poultry in 14
this state. In carrying out its purpose, the Board shall 15
endeavor to maintain food safety, encourage locally grown and 16
raised food, and protect Ohio farms and families. The Board 17
shall be comprised of the following thirteen members:18

       (1) The director of the state department that regulates 19
agriculture who shall be the chairperson of the Board;20

       (2) Ten members appointed by the Governor with the advice and 21
consent of the Senate. The ten members appointed by the Governor 22
shall be residents of this state and shall include the following:23

       (a) One member representing family farms;24

       (b) One member who is knowledgeable about food safety in this 25
state;26

       (c) Two members representing statewide organizations that 27
represent farmers;28

       (d) One member who is a veterinarian who is licensed in this 29
state;30

       (e) The State Veterinarian in the state department that 31
regulates agriculture;32

       (f) The dean of the agriculture department of a college or 33
university located in this state;34

       (g) Two members of the public representing Ohio consumers;35

       (h) One member representing a county humane society that is 36
organized under state law.37

       (3) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of 38
Representatives who shall be a family farmer;39

       (4) One member appointed by the President of the Senate who 40
shall be a family farmer.41

       Not more than seven members appointed to the Board at any 42
given time shall be of the same political party.43

       (B) The Board shall have exclusive authority to establish 44
standards governing the care and well-being of livestock and 45
poultry in this state, subject only to the authority of the 46
General Assembly. In establishing those standards, the Board 47
shall consider factors that include, but are not limited to, 48
agricultural best management practices for such care and 49
well-being, biosecurity, disease prevention, animal morbidity 50
and mortality data, food safety practices, and the protection 51
of local, affordable food supplies for consumers.52

       (C) The state department that regulates agriculture shall 53
have the authority to administer and enforce the standards 54
established by the Board.55

       (D) The General Assembly may enact laws that it deems 56
necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, to 57
facilitate the execution of the duties of the Board and the state 58
department that regulates agriculture under this section, and to 59
set the terms of office of the Board members and conditions for 60
the Board members' service on the Board.61

       (E) This section shall be liberally construed in favor of its 62
purposes and no other provision of the Constitution shall impair 63
or limit the power granted by this section.64

       (F) If any part of this section is held invalid, the 65
remainder of this section shall not be affected by that holding 66
and shall continue in full force and effect.67

EFFECTIVE DATE
68

       If adopted by a majority of the electors voting on this 69
proposal at the general election held November 3, 2009, the 70
enactment of Section 1 of Article XIV of the Constitution of the 71
State of Ohio takes effect immediately. 72