130th Ohio General Assembly
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Sub. S. B. No. 258As Passed by the Senate
As Passed by the Senate

124th General Assembly
Regular Session
2001-2002
Sub. S. B. No. 258


SENATORS Austria, Goodman, Randy Gardner, Jacobson, Hottinger, Fingerhut, Amstutz, Coughlin, Robert Gardner, Harris, Herington, Nein, Roberts, Spada, Mumper, White, Mallory, Prentiss, Blessing, DiDonato



A BILL
To amend section 149.43 and to enact sections 109.578, 505.381, 737.081, 737.221, and 4765.301 of the Revised Code to permit background checks on firefighters and EMT's and to exempt from the Public Records Law specified residential and familial information of a member of a fire department.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That section 149.43 be amended and sections 109.578, 505.381, 737.081, 737.221, and 4765.301 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 109.578. (A) On receipt of a request pursuant to section 505.381, 737.081, 737.221, or 4765.301 of the Revised Code, a completed form prescribed pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, and a set of fingerprint impressions obtained in the manner described in division (C)(2) of this section, the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation shall conduct a criminal records check in the manner described in division (B) of this section to determine whether any information exists that indicates that the person who is the subject of the request previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any of the following:
(1) A felony;
(2) A violation of section 2909.03 of the Revised Code;
(3) A violation of an existing or former law of this state, any other state, or the United States that is substantially equivalent to any of the offenses listed in division (A)(1) or (2) of this section.
(B) The superintendent shall conduct any criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section as follows:
(1) The superintendent shall review or cause to be reviewed any relevant information gathered and compiled by the bureau under division (A) of section 109.57 of the Revised Code that relates to the person who is the subject of the request, including any relevant information contained in records that have been sealed under section 2953.32 of the Revised Code.
(2) If the request received by the superintendent asks for information from the federal bureau of investigation, the superintendent shall request from the federal bureau of investigation any information it has with respect to the person who is the subject of the request and shall review or cause to be reviewed any information the superintendent receives from that bureau.
(C)(1) The superintendent shall prescribe a form to obtain the information necessary to conduct a criminal records check from any person for whom a criminal records check is requested pursuant to section 505.381, 737.081, 737.221, or 4765.301 of the Revised Code. The form that the superintendent prescribes pursuant to this division may be in a tangible format, in an electronic format, or in both tangible and electronic formats.
(2) The superintendent shall prescribe standard impression sheets to obtain the fingerprint impressions of any person for whom a criminal records check is requested pursuant to section 505.381, 737.081, 737.221, or 4765.301 of the Revised Code. Any person for whom a records check is requested pursuant to any of those sections shall obtain the fingerprint impressions at a county sheriff's office, a municipal police department, or any other entity with the ability to make fingerprint impressions on the standard impression sheets prescribed by the superintendent. The office, department, or entity may charge the person a reasonable fee for making the impressions. The standard impression sheets the superintendent prescribes pursuant to this division may be in a tangible format, in an electronic format, or in both tangible and electronic formats.
(3) Subject to division (D) of this section, the superintendent shall prescribe and charge a reasonable fee for providing a criminal records check requested under section 505.381, 737.081, 737.221, or 4765.301 of the Revised Code. The person making the criminal records request shall pay the fee prescribed pursuant to this division.
(4) The superintendent may prescribe methods of forwarding fingerprint impressions and information necessary to conduct a criminal records check. The methods shall include, but are not limited to, an electronic method.
(D) A determination whether any information exists that indicates that a person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any offense listed or described in division (A) of this section and that the superintendent made with respect to information considered in a criminal records check in accordance with this section is valid for the person who is the subject of the criminal records check for a period of one year from the date upon which the superintendent makes the determination. During the period in which the determination in regard to a person is valid, if another request under this section is made for a criminal records check for that person, the superintendent shall provide the information that is the basis for the superintendent's initial determination at a lower fee than the fee prescribed for the initial criminal records check.
(E) As used in this section, "criminal records check" means any criminal records check conducted by the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation in accordance with division (B) of this section.
Sec. 149.43.  (A) As used in this section:
(1) "Public record" means records kept by any public office, including, but not limited to, state, county, city, village, township, and school district units, and records pertaining to the delivery of educational services by an alternative school in Ohio kept by a nonprofit or for profit entity operating such alternative school pursuant to section 3313.533 of the Revised Code. "Public record" does not mean any of the following:
(a) Medical records;
(b) Records pertaining to probation and parole proceedings;
(c) Records pertaining to actions under section 2151.85 and division (C) of section 2919.121 of the Revised Code and to appeals of actions arising under those sections;
(d) Records pertaining to adoption proceedings, including the contents of an adoption file maintained by the department of health under section 3705.12 of the Revised Code;
(e) Information in a record contained in the putative father registry established by section 3107.062 of the Revised Code, regardless of whether the information is held by the department of job and family services or, pursuant to section 3111.69 of the Revised Code, the office of child support in the department or a child support enforcement agency;
(f) Records listed in division (A) of section 3107.42 of the Revised Code or specified in division (A) of section 3107.52 of the Revised Code;
(g) Trial preparation records;
(h) Confidential law enforcement investigatory records;
(i) Records containing information that is confidential under section 2317.023 or 4112.05 of the Revised Code;
(j) DNA records stored in the DNA database pursuant to section 109.573 of the Revised Code;
(k) Inmate records released by the department of rehabilitation and correction to the department of youth services or a court of record pursuant to division (E) of section 5120.21 of the Revised Code;
(l) Records maintained by the department of youth services pertaining to children in its custody released by the department of youth services to the department of rehabilitation and correction pursuant to section 5139.05 of the Revised Code;
(m) Intellectual property records;
(n) Donor profile records;
(o) Records maintained by the department of job and family services pursuant to section 3121.894 of the Revised Code;
(p) Peace officer, firefighter, or EMT residential and familial information;
(q) In the case of a county hospital operated pursuant to Chapter 339. of the Revised Code, information that constitutes a trade secret, as defined in section 1333.61 of the Revised Code;
(r) Information pertaining to the recreational activities of a person under the age of eighteen;
(s) Records provided to, statements made by review board members during meetings of, and all work products of a child fatality review board acting under sections 307.621 to 307.629 of the Revised Code, other than the report prepared pursuant to section 307.626 of the Revised Code;
(t) Records provided to and statements made by the executive director of a public children services agency or a prosecuting attorney acting pursuant to section 5153.171 of the Revised Code other than the information released under that section;
(u) Test materials, examinations, or evaluation tools used in an examination for licensure as a nursing home administrator that the board of examiners of nursing home administrators administers under section 4751.04 of the Revised Code or contracts under that section with a private or government entity to administer;
(v) Records the release of which is prohibited by state or federal law.
(2) "Confidential law enforcement investigatory record" means any record that pertains to a law enforcement matter of a criminal, quasi-criminal, civil, or administrative nature, but only to the extent that the release of the record would create a high probability of disclosure of any of the following:
(a) The identity of a suspect who has not been charged with the offense to which the record pertains, or of an information source or witness to whom confidentiality has been reasonably promised;
(b) Information provided by an information source or witness to whom confidentiality has been reasonably promised, which information would reasonably tend to disclose the source's or witness's identity;
(c) Specific confidential investigatory techniques or procedures or specific investigatory work product;
(d) Information that would endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement personnel, a crime victim, a witness, or a confidential information source.
(3) "Medical record" means any document or combination of documents, except births, deaths, and the fact of admission to or discharge from a hospital, that pertains to the medical history, diagnosis, prognosis, or medical condition of a patient and that is generated and maintained in the process of medical treatment.
(4) "Trial preparation record" means any record that contains information that is specifically compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or in defense of, a civil or criminal action or proceeding, including the independent thought processes and personal trial preparation of an attorney.
(5) "Intellectual property record" means a record, other than a financial or administrative record, that is produced or collected by or for faculty or staff of a state institution of higher learning in the conduct of or as a result of study or research on an educational, commercial, scientific, artistic, technical, or scholarly issue, regardless of whether the study or research was sponsored by the institution alone or in conjunction with a governmental body or private concern, and that has not been publicly released, published, or patented.
(6) "Donor profile record" means all records about donors or potential donors to a public institution of higher education except the names and reported addresses of the actual donors and the date, amount, and conditions of the actual donation.
(7) "Peace officer, firefighter, or EMT residential and familial information" means either of the following:
(a) Any information maintained in a personnel record of a peace officer, firefighter, or EMT that discloses any of the following:
(i) The address of the actual personal residence of a peace officer, firefighter, or EMT, except for the state or political subdivision in which the peace officer, firefighter, or EMT resides;
(ii) Information compiled from referral to or participation in an employee assistance program;
(iii) The social security number, the residential telephone number, any bank account, debit card, charge card, or credit card number, or the emergency telephone number of, or any medical information pertaining to, a peace officer, firefighter, or EMT;
(iv) The name of any beneficiary of employment benefits, including, but not limited to, life insurance benefits, provided to a peace officer, firefighter, or EMT by the peace officer's, firefighter's, or EMT's employer;
(v) The identity and amount of any charitable or employment benefit deduction made by the peace officer's, firefighter's, or EMT's employer from the peace officer's, firefighter's, or EMT's compensation unless the amount of the deduction is required by state or federal law;
(vi) The name, the residential address, the name of the employer, the address of the employer, the social security number, the residential telephone number, any bank account, debit card, charge card, or credit card number, or the emergency telephone number of the spouse, a former spouse, or any child of a peace officer, firefighter, or EMT.
(b) Any record that identifies a person's occupation as a peace officer, firefighter, or EMT other than statements required to include the disclosure of that fact under the campaign finance law.
As used in divisions (A)(7) and (B)(5) of this section, "peace officer" has the same meaning as in section 109.71 of the Revised Code and also includes the superintendent and troopers of the state highway patrol; it does not include the sheriff of a county or a supervisory employee who, in the absence of the sheriff, is authorized to stand in for, exercise the authority of, and perform the duties of the sheriff.
As used in divisions (A)(7) and (B)(5) of this section, "firefighter" means any regular, paid or volunteer, member of a lawfully constituted fire department of a municipal corporation, township, fire district, or village.
As used in divisions (A)(7) and (B)(5) of this section, "EMT" means EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, and paramedics that provide emergency medical services for a public emergency medical service organization. "Emergency medical service organization," "EMT-basic," "EMT-I," and "paramedic" have the same meanings as in section 4765.01 of the Revised Code.
(8) "Information pertaining to the recreational activities of a person under the age of eighteen" means information that is kept in the ordinary course of business by a public office, that pertains to the recreational activities of a person under the age of eighteen years, and that discloses any of the following:
(a) The address or telephone number of a person under the age of eighteen or the address or telephone number of that person's parent, guardian, custodian, or emergency contact person;
(b) The social security number, birth date, or photographic image of a person under the age of eighteen;
(c) Any medical record, history, or information pertaining to a person under the age of eighteen;
(d) Any additional information sought or required about a person under the age of eighteen for the purpose of allowing that person to participate in any recreational activity conducted or sponsored by a public office or to use or obtain admission privileges to any recreational facility owned or operated by a public office.
(B)(1) Subject to division (B)(4) of this section, all public records shall be promptly prepared and made available for inspection to any person at all reasonable times during regular business hours. Subject to division (B)(4) of this section, upon request, a public office or person responsible for public records shall make copies available at cost, within a reasonable period of time. In order to facilitate broader access to public records, public offices shall maintain public records in a manner that they can be made available for inspection in accordance with this division.
(2) If any person chooses to obtain a copy of a public record in accordance with division (B)(1) of this section, the public office or person responsible for the public record shall permit that person to choose to have the public record duplicated upon paper, upon the same medium upon which the public office or person responsible for the public record keeps it, or upon any other medium upon which the public office or person responsible for the public record determines that it reasonably can be duplicated as an integral part of the normal operations of the public office or person responsible for the public record. When the person seeking the copy makes a choice under this division, the public office or person responsible for the public record shall provide a copy of it in accordance with the choice made by the person seeking the copy.
(3) Upon a request made in accordance with division (B)(1) of this section, a public office or person responsible for public records shall transmit a copy of a public record to any person by United States mail within a reasonable period of time after receiving the request for the copy. The public office or person responsible for the public record may require the person making the request to pay in advance the cost of postage and other supplies used in the mailing.
Any public office may adopt a policy and procedures that it will follow in transmitting, within a reasonable period of time after receiving a request, copies of public records by United States mail pursuant to this division. A public office that adopts a policy and procedures under this division shall comply with them in performing its duties under this division.
In any policy and procedures adopted under this division, a public office may limit the number of records requested by a person that the office will transmit by United States mail to ten per month, unless the person certifies to the office in writing that the person does not intend to use or forward the requested records, or the information contained in them, for commercial purposes. For purposes of this division, "commercial" shall be narrowly construed and does not include reporting or gathering news, reporting or gathering information to assist citizen oversight or understanding of the operation or activities of government, or nonprofit educational research.
(4) A public office or person responsible for public records is not required to permit a person who is incarcerated pursuant to a criminal conviction or a juvenile adjudication to inspect or to obtain a copy of any public record concerning a criminal investigation or prosecution or concerning what would be a criminal investigation or prosecution if the subject of the investigation or prosecution were an adult, unless the request to inspect or to obtain a copy of the record is for the purpose of acquiring information that is subject to release as a public record under this section and the judge who imposed the sentence or made the adjudication with respect to the person, or the judge's successor in office, finds that the information sought in the public record is necessary to support what appears to be a justiciable claim of the person.
(5) Upon written request made and signed by a journalist on or after December 16, 1999, a public office, or person responsible for public records, having custody of the records of the agency employing a specified peace officer, firefighter, or EMT shall disclose to the journalist the address of the actual personal residence of the peace officer, firefighter or EMT and, if the peace officer's, firefighter's or EMT's spouse, former spouse, or child is employed by a public office, the name and address of the employer of the peace officer's, firefighter's, or EMT's spouse, former spouse, or child. The request shall include the journalist's name and title and the name and address of the journalist's employer and shall state that disclosure of the information sought would be in the public interest.
As used in division (B)(5) of this section, "journalist" means a person engaged in, connected with, or employed by any news medium, including a newspaper, magazine, press association, news agency, or wire service, a radio or television station, or a similar medium, for the purpose of gathering, processing, transmitting, compiling, editing, or disseminating information for the general public.
(C) If a person allegedly is aggrieved by the failure of a public office to promptly prepare a public record and to make it available to the person for inspection in accordance with division (B) of this section, or if a person who has requested a copy of a public record allegedly is aggrieved by the failure of a public office or the person responsible for the public record to make a copy available to the person allegedly aggrieved in accordance with division (B) of this section, the person allegedly aggrieved may commence a mandamus action to obtain a judgment that orders the public office or the person responsible for the public record to comply with division (B) of this section and that awards reasonable attorney's fees to the person that instituted the mandamus action. The mandamus action may be commenced in the court of common pleas of the county in which division (B) of this section allegedly was not complied with, in the supreme court pursuant to its original jurisdiction under Section 2 of Article IV, Ohio Constitution, or in the court of appeals for the appellate district in which division (B) of this section allegedly was not complied with pursuant to its original jurisdiction under Section 3 of Article IV, Ohio Constitution.
(D) Chapter 1347. of the Revised Code does not limit the provisions of this section.
(E)(1) The bureau of motor vehicles may adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to reasonably limit the number of bulk commercial special extraction requests made by a person for the same records or for updated records during a calendar year. The rules may include provisions for charges to be made for bulk commercial special extraction requests for the actual cost of the bureau, plus special extraction costs, plus ten per cent. The bureau may charge for expenses for redacting information, the release of which is prohibited by law.
(2) As used in divisions (B)(3) and (E)(1) of this section:
(a) "Actual cost" means the cost of depleted supplies, records storage media costs, actual mailing and alternative delivery costs, or other transmitting costs, and any direct equipment operating and maintenance costs, including actual costs paid to private contractors for copying services.
(b) "Bulk commercial special extraction request" means a request for copies of a record for information in a format other than the format already available, or information that cannot be extracted without examination of all items in a records series, class of records, or data base by a person who intends to use or forward the copies for surveys, marketing, solicitation, or resale for commercial purposes. "Bulk commercial special extraction request" does not include a request by a person who gives assurance to the bureau that the person making the request does not intend to use or forward the requested copies for surveys, marketing, solicitation, or resale for commercial purposes.
(c) "Commercial" means profit-seeking production, buying, or selling of any good, service, or other product.
(d) "Special extraction costs" means the cost of the time spent by the lowest paid employee competent to perform the task, the actual amount paid to outside private contractors employed by the bureau, or the actual cost incurred to create computer programs to make the special extraction. "Special extraction costs" include any charges paid to a public agency for computer or records services.
(3) For purposes of divisions (E)(1) and (2) of this section, "commercial surveys, marketing, solicitation, or resale" shall be narrowly construed and does not include reporting or gathering news, reporting or gathering information to assist citizen oversight or understanding of the operation or activities of government, or nonprofit educational research.
Sec. 505.381. (A) The fire chief of a township or fire district may request the superintendent of BCII to conduct a criminal records check with respect to any person who is under consideration for appointment or employment as a permanent, full-time paid firefighter or any person who is under consideration for appointment as a volunteer firefighter.
(B)(1) The fire chief of the township or fire district may request that the superintendent of BCII obtain information from the federal bureau of investigation as a part of the criminal records check requested pursuant to division (A) of this section.
(2) A fire chief authorized by division (A) of this section to request a criminal records check shall provide to each person for whom the fire chief intends to request a criminal records check a copy of the form prescribed pursuant to division (C)(1) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code and a standard impression sheet to obtain fingerprint impressions prescribed pursuant to division (C)(2) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code, obtain the completed form and impression sheet from the person, and forward the completed form and impression sheet to the superintendent of BCII at the time the criminal records check is requested.
(3) Any person subject to a criminal records check who receives a copy of the form and a copy of the impression sheet pursuant to division (B)(2) of this section and who is requested to complete the form and provide a set of fingerprint impressions shall complete the form or provide all the information necessary to complete the form and shall provide the impression sheet with the impressions of the person's fingerprints. If a person fails to provide the information necessary to complete the form or fails to provide impressions of the person's fingerprints, the appointing authority shall not appoint or employ the person as a permanent, full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter.
(C)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(2) of this section, an appointing authority shall not appoint or employ a person as a permanent, full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter if the fire chief has requested a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section and the criminal records check indicates that the person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any of the following:
(a) A felony;
(b) A violation of section 2909.03 of the Revised Code;
(c) A violation of an existing or former law of this state, any other state, or the United States that is substantially equivalent to any of the offenses described in division (C)(1)(a) or (b) of this section.
(2) Notwithstanding division (C)(1) of this section, an appointing authority may appoint or employ a person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter if all of the following apply:
(a) The fire chief has requested a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section.
(b) The criminal records check indicates that the person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any of the offenses described in division (C)(1) of this section.
(c) The person meets rehabilitation standards established in rules adopted under division (F) of this section.
(3) If a fire chief requests a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section, an appointing authority may appoint or employ a person as a permanent, full-time paid firefighter or volunteer firefighter conditionally until the criminal records check is completed and the fire chief receives the results. If the results of the criminal records check indicate that, pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, the person subject to the criminal records check does not qualify for appointment or employment, the fire chief shall release the person from appointment or employment.
(D) The fire chief shall pay to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation the fee prescribed pursuant to division (C)(3) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code for each criminal records check conducted in accordance with that section. The fire chief may charge the applicant who is subject to the criminal records check a fee for the costs the fire chief incurs in obtaining the criminal records check. A fee charged under this division shall not exceed the amount of fees the fire chief pays for the criminal records check. If a fee is charged under this division, the fire chief shall notify the applicant at the time of the applicant's initial application for appointment or employment of the amount of the fee and that, unless the fee is paid, the applicant will not be considered for appointment or employment.
(E) The appointing authority shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to implement this section. The rules shall include rehabilitation standards a person who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to an offense listed in division (C)(1) of this section must meet for the appointing authority to appoint or employ the person as a permanent, full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter.
(F) A fire chief who intends to request a criminal records check for an applicant shall inform the applicant, at the time of the person's initial application for appointment or employment, that the applicant is required to provide a set of impressions of the applicant's fingerprints and that the fire chief requires a criminal records check to be conducted and satisfactorily completed in accordance with section 109.578 of the Revised Code.
(G) As used in this section:
(1) "Appointing authority" means any person or body that has the authority to hire, appoint, or employ permanent, full-time paid firefighters and volunteer firefighters under section 505.39 of the Revised Code.
(2) "Criminal records check" has the same meaning as in section 109.578 of the Revised Code.
(3) "Superintendent of BCII" has the same meaning as in section 2151.86 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 737.081. (A) The fire chief of a city fire department may request the superintendent of BCII to conduct a criminal records check with respect to any person who is under consideration for appointment or employment as a full-time paid firefighter or any person who is under consideration for appointment as a volunteer firefighter.
(B)(1) The fire chief of the city fire department may request that the superintendent of BCII obtain information from the federal bureau of investigation as a part of the criminal records check requested pursuant to division (A) of this section.
(2) A fire chief authorized by division (A) of this section to request a criminal records check shall provide to each person for whom the fire chief intends to request a criminal records check a copy of the form prescribed pursuant to division (C)(1) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code and a standard impression sheet to obtain fingerprint impressions prescribed pursuant to division (C)(2) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code, obtain the completed form and impression sheet from the person, and forward the completed form and impression sheet to the superintendent of BCII at the time the criminal records check is requested.
(3) Any person subject to a criminal records check who receives a copy of the form and a copy of the impression sheet pursuant to division (B)(2) of this section and who is requested to complete the form and provide a set of fingerprint impressions shall complete the form or provide all the information necessary to complete the form and shall provide the impression sheet with the impressions of the person's fingerprints. If a person fails to provide the information necessary to complete the form or fails to provide impressions of the person's fingerprints, the appointing authority shall not appoint or employ the person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter.
(C)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(2) of this section, an appointing authority shall not appoint or employ a person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter if the fire chief has requested a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section and the criminal records check indicates that the person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any of the following:
(a) A felony;
(b) A violation of section 2909.03 of the Revised Code;
(c) A violation of an existing or former law of this state, any other state, or the United States that is substantially equivalent to any of the offenses described in division (C)(1)(a) or (b) of this section.
(2) Notwithstanding division (C)(1) of this section, an appointing authority may appoint or employ a person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter if all of the following apply:
(a) The fire chief has requested a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section.
(b) The criminal records check indicates that the person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any of the offenses described in division (C)(1) of this section.
(c) The person meets rehabilitation standards established in rules adopted under division (F) of this section.
(3) If a fire chief requests a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section, an appointing authority may appoint or employ a person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or volunteer firefighter conditionally until the criminal records check is completed and the fire chief receives the results. If the results of the criminal records check indicate that, pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, the person subject to the criminal records check is disqualified from appointment or employment, the fire chief shall release the person from appointment or employment.
(D) The fire chief shall pay to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation the fee prescribed pursuant to division (C)(3) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code for each criminal records check conducted in accordance with that section. The fire chief may charge the applicant who is subject to the criminal records check a fee for the costs the fire chief incurs in obtaining the criminal records check. A fee charged under this division shall not exceed the amount of fees the fire chief pays for the criminal records check. If a fee is charged under this division, the fire chief shall notify the applicant at the time of the applicant's initial application for appointment or employment of the amount of the fee and that, unless the fee is paid, the applicant will not be considered for appointment or employment.
(E) The appointing authority shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to implement this section. The rules shall include rehabilitation standards a person who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to an offense listed in division (C)(1) of this section must meet for the appointing authority to appoint or employ the person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter.
(F) A fire chief who intends to request a criminal records check for an applicant shall inform each applicant, at the time of the person's initial application for appointment or employment, that the applicant is required to provide a set of impressions of the person's fingerprints and that the fire chief requires a criminal records check to be conducted and satisfactorily completed in accordance with section 109.578 of the Revised Code.
(G) As used in this section:
(1) "Appointing authority" means any person or body that has the authority to hire, appoint, or employ permanent, full-time paid firefighters and volunteer firefighters under section 737.08 of the Revised Code.
(2) "Criminal records check" has the same meaning as in section 109.578 of the Revised Code.
(3) "Superintendent of BCII" has the same meaning as in section 2151.86 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 737.221. (A) The fire chief of a village fire department may request the superintendent of BCII to conduct a criminal records check with respect to any person who is under consideration for appointment or employment as a full-time paid firefighter or any person who is under consideration for appointment as a volunteer firefighter.
(B)(1) The fire chief of the village fire department may request that the superintendent of BCII obtain information from the federal bureau of investigation as a part of the criminal records check requested pursuant to division (A) of this section.
(2) A fire chief authorized by division (A) of this section to request a criminal records check shall provide to each person for whom the fire chief intends to request a criminal records check a copy of the form prescribed pursuant to division (C)(1) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code and a standard impression sheet to obtain fingerprint impressions prescribed pursuant to division (C)(2) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code, obtain the completed form and impression sheet from the person, and forward the completed form and impression sheet to the superintendent of BCII at the time the criminal records check is requested.
(3) Any person subject to a criminal records check who receives a copy of the form and a copy of the impression sheet pursuant to division (B)(2) of this section and who is requested to complete the form and provide a set of fingerprint impressions shall complete the form or provide all the information necessary to complete the form and shall provide the impression sheet with the impressions of the person's fingerprints. If a person fails to provide the information necessary to complete the form or fails to provide impressions of the person's fingerprints, the appointing authority shall not appoint or employ the person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter.
(C)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(2) of this section, an appointing authority shall not appoint or employ a person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter if the fire chief has requested a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section and the criminal records check indicates that the person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any of the following:
(a) A felony;
(b) A violation of section 2909.03 of the Revised Code;
(c) A violation of an existing or former law of this state, any other state, or the United States that is substantially equivalent to any of the offenses described in division (C)(1)(a) or (b) of this section.
(2) Notwithstanding division (C)(1) of this section, an appointing authority may appoint or employ a person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter if all of the following apply:
(a) The fire chief has requested a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section.
(b) The criminal records check indicates that the person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any of the offenses described in division (C)(1) of this section.
(c) The person meets rehabilitation standards established in rules adopted under division (F) of this section.
(3) If a fire chief requests a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section, an appointing authority may appoint or employ a person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or volunteer firefighter conditionally until the criminal records check is completed and the fire chief receives the results. If the results of the criminal records check indicate that, pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, the person subject to the criminal records check is disqualified from appointment or employment, the fire chief shall release the person from appointment or employment.
(D) The fire chief shall pay to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation the fee prescribed pursuant to division (C)(3) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code for each criminal records check conducted in accordance with that section. The fire chief may charge the applicant who is subject to the criminal records check a fee for the costs the fire chief incurs in obtaining the criminal records check. A fee charged under this division shall not exceed the amount of fees the fire chief pays for the criminal records check. If a fee is charged under this division, the fire chief shall notify the applicant at the time of the applicant's initial application for appointment or employment of the amount of the fee and that, unless the fee is paid, the applicant will not be considered for appointment or employment.
(E) The appointing authority shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to implement this section. The rules shall include rehabilitation standards a person who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to an offense listed in division (C)(1) of this section must meet for the appointing authority to appoint or employ the person as a permanent full-time paid firefighter or a volunteer firefighter.
(F) A fire chief who intends to request a criminal records check for an applicant shall inform each applicant, at the time of the person's initial application for appointment or employment, that the applicant is required to provide a set of impressions of the person's fingerprints and that the fire chief requires a criminal records check to be conducted and satisfactorily completed in accordance with section 109.578 of the Revised Code.
(G) As used in this section:
(1) "Appointing authority" means any person or body that has the authority to hire, appoint, or employ permanent, full-time paid firefighters and volunteer firefighters under section 737.22 of the Revised Code.
(2) "Criminal records check" has the same meaning as in section 109.578 of the Revised Code.
(3) "Superintendent of BCII" has the same meaning as in section 2151.86 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4765.301. (A) An appointing authority may request the superintendent of BCII to conduct a criminal records check with respect to any person who is under consideration for appointment or employment as an emergency medical technician-basic, an emergency medical technician-intermediate, or an emergency medical technician-paramedic.
(B)(1) The appointing authority may request that the superintendent of BCII obtain information from the federal bureau of investigation as a part of the criminal records check requested pursuant to division (A) of this section.
(2) An appointing authority authorized by division (A) of this section to request a criminal records check shall provide to each person for whom the appointing authority intends to request a criminal records check a copy of the form prescribed pursuant to division (C)(1) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code and a standard impression sheet to obtain fingerprint impressions prescribed pursuant to division (C)(2) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code, obtain the completed form and impression sheet from the person, and forward the completed form and impression sheet to the superintendent of BCII at the time the criminal records check is requested.
(3) Any person subject to a criminal records check who receives a copy of the form and a copy of the impression sheet pursuant to division (B)(2) of this section and who is requested to complete the form and provide a set of fingerprint impressions shall complete the form or provide all the information necessary to complete the form and shall provide the impression sheet with the impressions of the person's fingerprints. If a person fails to provide the information necessary to complete the form or fails to provide impressions of the person's fingerprints, the appointing authority shall not appoint or employ the person as an emergency medical technician-basic, an emergency medical technician-intermediate, or an emergency medical technician-paramedic.
(C)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(2) of this section, an appointing authority shall not appoint or employ a person as an emergency medical technician-basic, an emergency medical technician-intermediate, or an emergency medical technician-paramedic if the appointing authority has requested a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section and the criminal records check indicates that the person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any of the following:
(a) A felony;
(b) A violation of section 2909.03 of the Revised Code;
(c) A violation of an existing or former law of this state, any other state, or the United States that is substantially equivalent to any of the offenses described in division (C)(1)(a) or (b) of this section.
(2) Notwithstanding division (C)(1) of this section, an appointing authority may appoint or employ a person as an emergency medical technician-basic, an emergency medical technician-intermediate, or an emergency medical technician-paramedic if all of the following apply:
(a) The appointing authority has requested a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section.
(b) The criminal records check indicates that the person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any of the offenses described in division (C)(1) of this section.
(c) The person meets rehabilitation standards established in rules adopted under division (F) of this section.
(3) If an appointing authority requests a criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section, the appointing authority may appoint or employ a person as an emergency medical technician-basic, an emergency medical technician-intermediate, or an emergency medical technician-paramedic conditionally until the criminal records check is completed and the appointing authority receives the results. If the results of the criminal records check indicate that, pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, the person subject to the criminal records check is disqualified from appointment or employment, the appointing authority shall release the person from appointment or employment.
(D) The appointing authority shall pay to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation the fee prescribed pursuant to division (C)(3) of section 109.578 of the Revised Code for each criminal records check conducted in accordance with that section. The appointing authority may charge the applicant who is subject to the criminal records check a fee for the costs the appointing authority incurs in obtaining the criminal records check. A fee charged under this division shall not exceed the amount of fees the appointing authority pays for the criminal records check. If a fee is charged under this division, the appointing authority shall notify the applicant at the time of the applicant's initial application for appointment or employment of the amount of the fee and that, unless the fee is paid, the applicant will not be considered for appointment or employment.
(E) The appointing authority shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to implement this section. The rules shall include rehabilitation standards a person who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to an offense listed in division (C)(1) of this section must meet for the appointing authority to appoint or employ the person as an emergency medical technician-basic, an emergency medical technician-intermediate, or an emergency medical technician-paramedic.
(F) An appointing authority that intends to request a criminal records check for an applicant shall inform each applicant, at the time of the person's initial application for appointment or employment, that the applicant is required to provide a set of impressions of the person's fingerprints and that the appointing authority requires a criminal records check to be conducted and satisfactorily completed in accordance with section 109.578 of the Revised Code.
(G) As used in this section:
(1) "Appointing authority" means any person or body that has the authority to hire, appoint, or employ emergency medical technicians-basic, emergency medical technicians-intermediate, or emergency medical technicians-paramedic.
(2) "Criminal records check" has the same meaning as in section 109.578 of the Revised Code.
(3) "Superintendent of BCII" has the same meaning as in section 2151.86 of the Revised Code.
Section 2. That existing section 149.43 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.
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