To enact section 3701.142 of the Revised Code to require the Director of Health to establish pilot programs in seven counties for the purpose of providing door-to-door health checks by nurses or other health professionals in neighborhoods or areas that have traditionally lacked access to health care providers or services and to make an appropriation for the biennium beginning on July 1, 2007.

Section 1. That section 3701.142 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3701.142.  (A) The director of health shall conduct pilot programs in seven counties for the purpose of providing door-to-door health checks by nurses or other health professionals in neighborhoods or areas that have traditionally lacked access to health care providers or services. The programs shall be commenced not later than November 1, 2007, and continue until December 31, 2008.

(B) The health checks may consist of the following:

(1) Blood pressure assessments;

(2) Reviewing orders regarding prescribed medications, including proper dosages and frequency of administration;

(3) Referrals to health care and social service providers;

(4) General information regarding health topics;

(5) Any other services determined to be appropriate by the director of health.

(C) The counties selected by the director of health for participation in the pilot programs shall meet the following criteria:

(1) Three counties must have populations of two hundred fifty thousand or more;

(2) Two counties must have populations less than two hundred fifty thousand but fifty thousand or more;

(3) Two counties must have populations less than fifty thousand.

(D) The director of health shall collect and evaluate the data identified in rules adopted under division (E) of this section and prepare a report, not later than December 1, 2008, that makes findings regarding the effectiveness of the pilot programs in helping individuals access health care services and information and recommendations regarding whether the programs should be continued or expanded to include additional counties. The director of health shall submit the report to the governor, president and minority leader of the senate, speaker and minority leader of the house of representatives, and chairperson of the commission on minority health.

(E) The director of health shall adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that are necessary and proper to implement this section. The rules must include requirements regarding the qualifications of nurses or other health professionals who may provide health checks under the programs and the data that must be collected to measure the effectiveness of the programs in helping individuals access health care services and information.

Section 2. 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. The appropriations made in this act are in addition to any other appropriations made for the FY 2008-2009 biennium.

Appropriations

General Revenue Fund

AUTISM PILOT PROGRAM

The foregoing appropriation item 440-435, Health Check Pilot Program, shall be used for the establishment and administration of the Health Check Pilot Program.

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 such appropriations.

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