To create a state grant program within the Department of Development to fund the operations of an African-American Chamber of Commerce in the six most populous Ohio cities and to make an appropriation.

Section 1. All items in this section are hereby appropriated as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the credit of the General Revenue Fund. For all appropriations made in this act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 2008 and those in the second column are for fiscal year 2009.

Appropriations

General Revenue Fund

AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GRANT PROGRAM

The foregoing appropriation item 195-XXX, African-American Chamber of Commerce Grant Program, shall be used to make grants to not more than one applicant in each of the cities of Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, and Dayton to fund operations of an African-American Chamber of Commerce. The maximum amount available to each eligible applicant shall not exceed $75,000.

Applications for grants under this program shall be submitted to the Director of Development. At a minimum, each eligible applicant shall be a membership-based organization qualifying for federal income tax exemption under section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code, with the purpose of the applicant being a source for African-American-owned businesses to obtain information on contracting opportunities with federal, state, or local governments; assisting these businesses in obtaining information about becoming certified as a minority business enterprise under Ohio law; assisting African-American-owned businesses with obtaining legal and accounting services; and referring such businesses to other businesses that provide marketing, public relations, and other technical services.

Section 2. Within the limits set forth in this act, the Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation made in this act, and shall determine the form and manner in which appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from appropriations contained in this act shall be accounted for as though made in the main operating appropriations act of the 127th General Assembly.

The appropriations made in this act are subject to all provisions of the main operating appropriations act of the 127th General Assembly that are generally applicable to the appropriations.

Section 3. The uncodified sections of law contained in this act, and the items of law of which the uncodified sections of law contained in this act are composed, are not subject to the referendum. Therefore, under Ohio Constitution, Article II, Section 1d and section 1.471 of the Revised Code, the uncodified sections of law contained in this act, and the items of law of which the uncodified sections of law contained in this act are composed, go into immediate effect when this act becomes law.