To amend sections 9.37, 167.03, 305.171, 505.603, 3917.04, 4931.41, 4931.43, 4931.44, 4931.45, 4931.49, 4931.50, 4931.64, 4931.65, 4931.66, 5703.57, 5705.13, 5713.07, 5713.08, 5713.081, 5713.082, 5715.27, and 5717.02 and to enact section 148.061 of the Revised Code to vest in county auditors responsibility for reviewing and approving property tax exemption applications for some publicly owned property, to authorize legislative authorities of municipal corporations, county auditors, and boards of township trustees to adopt a direct deposit payroll policy, to clarify that a board of township trustees may offer deferred compensation plans or programs to the township's officers and employees, to authorize regional councils of government to operate a 9-1-1 public safety answering point, to revise the membership of the Ohio Business Gateway Steering Committee, to authorize counties and townships to increase the amount credited to "rainy day" reserve balance accounts to one-sixth of the expenditures made in the preceding fiscal year from the fund in which the reserve balance account is established, and to authorize a county or township to offer any qualified benefit available under a cafeteria plan, and to offer a health and wellness benefit program, to its officers and employees.

Section 1. That sections 9.37, 167.03, 305.171, 505.603, 3917.04, 4931.41, 4931.43, 4931.44, 4931.45, 4931.49, 4931.50, 4931.64, 4931.65, 4931.66, 5703.57, 5705.13, 5713.07, 5713.08, 5713.081, 5713.082, 5715.27, and 5717.02 be amended and section 148.061 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 9.37.  (A) As used in this section, "public official" means any elected or appointed officer, employee, or agent of the state, any state institution of higher education, any political subdivision, board, commission, bureau, or other public body established by law. "State institution of higher education" means any state university or college as defined in division (A)(1) of section 3345.12 of the Revised Code, community college, state community college, university branch, or technical college.

(B) Except as provided in division divisions (F) and (G) of this section, any public official may make by direct deposit of funds by electronic transfer, if the payee provides a written authorization designating a financial institution and an account number to which the payment is to be credited, any payment such public official is permitted or required by law in the performance of official duties to make by issuing a check or warrant.

(C) Such public official may contract with a financial institution for the services necessary to make direct deposits and draw lump-sum checks or warrants payable to that institution in the amount of the payments to be transferred.

(D) Before making any direct deposit as authorized under this section, the public official shall ascertain that the account from which the payment is to be made contains sufficient funds to cover the amount of the payment.

(E) If the issuance of checks and warrants by a public official requires authorization by a governing board, commission, bureau, or other public body having jurisdiction over the public official, the public official may only make direct deposits and contracts under this section pursuant to a resolution of authorization duly adopted by such governing board, commission, bureau, or other public body.

(F) Pursuant to sections 307.55, 319.16, and 321.15 of the Revised Code, a county auditor may issue, and a county treasurer may redeem, electronic warrants authorizing direct deposit for payment of county obligations in accordance with rules adopted by the director of budget and management pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(G) The legislative authority of a municipal corporation, for employees of the municipal corporation, a county auditor, for county employees, or a board of township trustees, for township employees, may adopt a direct deposit payroll policy under which all employees of the municipal corporation, all county employees, or all township employees, as the case may be, provide a written authorization designating a financial institution and an account number to which payment of the employee's compensation shall be credited under the municipal corporation's, county's, or township's direct deposit payroll policy. The direct deposit payroll policy adopted by the legislative authority of a municipal corporation, a county auditor, or a board of township trustees may exempt from the direct deposit requirement those municipal, county, or township employees who cannot provide an account number, or for other reasons specified in the policy. The written authorization is not a public record under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 148.061. In addition to the program of deferred compensation that may be offered under this chapter, a board of township trustees may offer to all of the officers and employees of the township plans or programs for deferring compensation designed for favorable tax treatment of the compensation so deferred. A plan or program shall present a reasonable number of options to the township's officers and employees for the investment of the deferred funds that will assure the desired tax treatment of the funds.

Any income deferred under a plan or program shall continue to be included as regular compensation for the purpose of computing the contributions to and benefits from each officer's or employee's retirement system, but shall not be included in the computation of any federal and state income taxes withheld on behalf of the officer or employee.

Sec. 167.03.  (A) The council shall have the power to:

(1) Study such area governmental problems common to two or more members of the council as it deems appropriate, including but not limited to matters affecting health, safety, welfare, education, economic conditions, and regional development;

(2) Promote cooperative arrangements and coordinate action among its members, and between its members and other agencies of local or state governments, whether or not within Ohio, and the federal government;

(3) Make recommendations for review and action to the members and other public agencies that perform functions within the region;

(4) Promote cooperative agreements and contracts among its members or other governmental agencies and private persons, corporations, or agencies;

(5) Operate a public safety answering point in accordance with sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code;

(6) Perform planning directly by personnel of the council, or under contracts between the council and other public or private planning agencies.

(B) The council may:

(1) Review, evaluate, comment upon, and make recommendations, relative to the planning and programming, and the location, financing, and scheduling of public facility projects within the region and affecting the development of the area;

(2) Act as an areawide agency to perform comprehensive planning for the programming, locating, financing, and scheduling of public facility projects within the region and affecting the development of the area and for other proposed land development or uses, which projects or uses have public metropolitan wide or interjurisdictional significance;

(3) Act as an agency for coordinating, based on metropolitan wide comprehensive planning and programming, local public policies, and activities affecting the development of the region or area.

(C) The council may, by appropriate action of the governing bodies of the members, perform such other functions and duties as are performed or capable of performance by the members and necessary or desirable for dealing with problems of mutual concern.

(D) The authority granted to the council by this section or in any agreement by the members thereof shall not displace any existing municipal, county, regional, or other planning commission or planning agency in the exercise of its statutory powers.

Sec. 305.171.  (A) The board of county commissioners of any county may contract for, purchase, or otherwise procure and pay all or any part of the cost of group any of the following insurance, coverage, or benefits issued by an insurance company or administered by a board of county commissioners or a contractor, for county officers and employees and their immediate dependents from the funds or budgets from which the county officers or employees are compensated for services:

(1) Group insurance policies that may provide benefits any of the following:

(a) Benefits including, but not limited to, hospitalization, surgical care, major medical care, disability, dental care, eye care, medical care, hearing aids, or prescription drugs, and that may provide sickness;

(b) Sickness and accident insurance, group;

(c) Group legal services, or group;

(d) Group life insurance, or a.

(2) Any other qualified benefit available under section 125 of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 26 U.S.C. 125;

(3) A health and wellness benefit program through which the county provides a benefit or incentive to county officers, employees, and their immediate dependents to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including, but not limited to, programs to encourage healthy eating and nutrition, exercise and physical activity, weight control or the elimination of obesity, and cessation of smoking or alcohol use.

(4) Any combination of any of the foregoing types of insurance or, coverage, for county officers and employees and their immediate dependents from the funds or budgets from which the county officers or employees are compensated for services, issued by an insurance company or benefits.

(B) The board of county commissioners also may negotiate and contract for any plan or plans of health care services with health insuring corporations holding a certificate of authority under Chapter 1751. of the Revised Code, provided that each county officer or employee shall be permitted to do both of the following:

(1) Exercise an option between a plan offered by an insurance company and a plan or plans offered by health insuring corporations under this division, on the condition that the county officer or employee shall pay any amount by which the cost of the plan chosen by the county officer or employee pursuant to this division exceeds the cost of the plan offered under division (A) of this section;

(2) Change from one of the plans to another at a time each year as determined by the board.

(C) Section 307.86 of the Revised Code does not apply to the purchase of benefits for county officers or employees under divisions (A) and (B) of this section when those benefits are provided through a jointly administered health and welfare trust fund in which the county or contracting authority and a collective bargaining representative of the county employees or contracting authority agree to participate.

(D) The board of trustees of a jointly administered trust fund that receives contributions pursuant to collective bargaining agreements entered into between the board of county commissioners of any county and a collective bargaining representative of the employees of the county may provide for self-insurance of all risk in the provision of fringe benefits, and may provide through the self-insurance method specific fringe benefits as authorized by the rules of the board of trustees of the jointly administered trust fund. The fringe benefits may include, but are not limited to, hospitalization, surgical care, major medical care, disability, dental care, vision care, medical care, hearing aids, prescription drugs, group life insurance, sickness and accident insurance, group legal services, or a combination of any of the foregoing types of insurance or coverage, for county employees and their dependents.

(E) The board of county commissioners may provide the benefits described in divisions (A) to (D) of this section through an individual self-insurance program or a joint self-insurance program as provided in section 9.833 of the Revised Code.

(F) When a board of county commissioners offers health benefits authorized under this section to a county officer or employee, the board may offer the benefits through a cafeteria plan meeting the requirements of section 125 of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 125, as amended, and, as part of that plan, may offer the county officer or employee the option of receiving a cash payment in any form permissible under such cafeteria plans. A cash payment made to a county officer or employee under this division shall not exceed twenty-five per cent of the cost of premiums or payments that otherwise would be paid by the board for benefits for the county officer or employee under a policy or plan.

(G) The board of county commissioners may establish a policy authorizing any county appointing authority to make a cash payment to any county officer or employee in lieu of providing a benefit authorized under this section if the county officer or employee elects to take the cash payment instead of the offered benefit. A cash payment made to a county officer or employee under this division shall not exceed twenty-five per cent of the cost of premiums or payments that otherwise would be paid by the board for benefits for the county officer or employee under an offered policy or plan.

(H) No cash payment in lieu of a health benefit shall be made to a county officer or employee under division (F) or (G) of this section unless the county officer or employee signs a statement affirming that the county officer or employee is covered under another health insurance or health care policy, contract, or plan, and setting forth the name of the employer, if any, that sponsors the coverage, the name of the carrier that provides the coverage, and the identifying number of the policy, contract, or plan.

(I) The legislative authority of a county-operated municipal court, after consultation with the judges, or the clerk and deputy clerks, of the municipal court, shall negotiate and contract for, purchase, or otherwise procure, and pay the costs, premiums, or charges for, group health care coverage for the judges, and group health care coverage for the clerk and deputy clerks, in accordance with section 1901.111 or 1901.312 of the Revised Code.

(J) As used in this section:

(1) "County officer or employee" includes, but is not limited to, a member or employee of the county board of elections.

(2) "County-operated municipal court" and "legislative authority" have the same meanings as in section 1901.03 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Health care coverage" has the same meaning as in section 1901.111 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 505.603.  (A) In addition to or in lieu of providing benefits to township officers and employees under section 505.60, 505.601, or 505.602 of the Revised Code, a board of township trustees may offer benefits to officers and employees through a cafeteria plan that meets the requirements of section 125 of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 125, as amended, after first adopting a policy authorizing an officer or employee to receive a cash payment in lieu of a benefit otherwise offered to township officers or employees under any of those sections, but only if the cash payment does not exceed twenty-five per cent of the cost of premiums or payments that otherwise would be paid by the board for benefits for the officer or employee under an offered policy, contract, or plan. No cash payment in lieu of a benefit shall be made pursuant to this section unless the officer or employee signs a statement affirming that the officer or employee is covered under another health insurance or health care policy, contract, or plan in the case of a health benefit, or a life insurance policy in the case of a life insurance benefit, and setting forth the name of the employer, if any, that sponsors the coverage, the name of the carrier that provides the coverage, and an identifying number of the applicable policy, contract, or plan.

(B) In addition to providing the benefits to township officers and employees under section 505.60, 505.601, or 505.602 of the Revised Code, a board of township trustees may offer a health and wellness benefit program through which the township provides a benefit or incentive to township officers, employees, and their immediate dependents to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including, but not limited to, programs to encourage healthy eating and nutrition, exercise and physical activity, weight control or the elimination of obesity, and cessation of smoking or alcohol use.

(C) The township fiscal officer may deduct from a township employee's salary or wages the amount authorized to be paid by the employee for one or more qualified benefits available under section 125 of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 26 U.S.C. 125, and under the sections listed in division (B) of this section, if the employee authorizes in writing that the township fiscal officer may deduct that amount from the employee's salary or wages, and the benefit is offered to the employee on a group basis and at least ten per cent of the township employees voluntarily elect to participate in the receipt of that benefit. The township fiscal officer may issue warrants for amounts deducted under this division to pay program administrators or other insurers for benefits authorized under this section or those sections listed in division (B) of this section.

Sec. 3917.04.  (A)(1) If any employee of a political subdivision or district of this state, or of an institution supported in whole or in part by public funds, authorizes in writing the proper officer of the political subdivision, district, or institution, of which the individual is an employee to deduct from the employee's salary or wages the premium or portion of the premium agreed to be paid by the employee to an insurer authorized to do business in the state for life, endowment, accident, health, or health and accident insurance, annuities, or hospitalization insurance, or salary savings plan, the political subdivision, district, or institution of which the individual is an employee may deduct from the employee's salary or wages the premium or portion of the premium agreed to be paid by that employee and pay it to the insurer, provided that life, endowment, accident, health, health and accident, and hospitalization insurance is offered to the employee on a group basis and also that at least ten per cent of the employees at any institution, or of any political subdivision, or in any department, agency, bureau, district, commission, or board voluntarily elect to participate in that group insurance.

Division (A)(1) of this section does not apply to employees paid by warrant of the director of budget and management.

(2) The proper officer of a political subdivision, district, or institution of which an individual is an employee may issue warrants covering salary or wage deductions that have been authorized by the employee in favor of the insurer and in the amount so authorized by the employee.

(B)(1) The department of administrative services shall only offer employees paid by warrant of the director of budget and management voluntary supplemental benefit plans that are selected through a state-administered request for proposals process. If an employee authorizes the director of administrative services, in writing, to deduct the premium or a portion of the premium agreed to be paid by the employee to a voluntary supplemental benefit plan provider from the employee's salary or wages, the director may deduct this amount from the employee's salary or wages and pay it to the provider. Only those employees enrolled in a voluntary supplemental benefit plan on or before the effective date of this amendment June 30, 2006, may continue to participate in a plan that was not selected through a state-administered request for proposals process.

(2) The director of budget and management may issue warrants covering salary or wage deductions that have been authorized by employees paid by warrant of the director in favor of the voluntary supplemental benefit plan provider in the amount authorized by those employees.

(C) A county auditor may deduct from a county employee's salary or wages the amount authorized to be paid by the employee for one or more qualified benefits available under section 125 of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 26 U.S.C. 125, and other benefits authorized under section 305.171 of the Revised Code, if the employee authorizes in writing that the county auditor may deduct that amount from the employee's salary or wages, and the benefit is offered to the employee on a group basis and at least ten per cent of the county employees voluntarily elect to participate in the receipt of that benefit.

The county auditor may issue warrants for amounts deducted under this division to pay program administrators or other insurers for benefits authorized under this section.

Sec. 4931.41.  (A)(1) A countywide 9-1-1 system shall include all of the territory of the townships and municipal corporations in the county and any portion of such a municipal corporation that extends into an adjacent county.

(2) The system shall exclude any territory served by a wireline service provider that is not capable of reasonably meeting the technical and economic requirements of providing the wireline telephone network portion of the countywide system for that territory. The system shall exclude from enhanced 9-1-1 any territory served by a wireline service provider that is not capable of reasonably meeting the technical and economic requirements of providing the wireline telephone network portion of enhanced 9-1-1 for that territory. If a 9-1-1 planning committee and a wireline service provider do not agree on whether the provider is so capable, the committee shall notify the public utilities commission, and the commission shall determine whether the wireline service provider is so capable. The committee shall ascertain whether such disagreement exists before making its implementation proposal under division (A) of section 4931.43 of the Revised Code. The commission's determination shall be in the form of an order. No final plan shall require a wireline service provider to provide the wireline telephone network portion of a 9-1-1 system that the commission has determined the provider is not reasonably capable of providing.

(B) A countywide 9-1-1 system may be a basic or enhanced 9-1-1 system, or a combination of the two, and shall be for the purpose of providing both wireline 9-1-1 and wireless 9-1-1.

(C) Every emergency service provider that provides emergency service within the territory of a countywide 9-1-1 system shall participate in the countywide system.

(D)(1) Each public safety answering point shall be operated by a subdivision or a regional council of governments and shall be operated constantly.

(2) A subdivision or a regional council of governments that operates a public safety answering point shall pay all of the costs associated with establishing, equipping, furnishing, operating, and maintaining that facility and shall allocate those costs among itself and the subdivisions served by the answering point based on the allocation formula in a final plan. The wireline service provider or other entity that provides or maintains the customer premises equipment shall bill the operating subdivision or the operating regional council of governments for the cost of providing such equipment, or its maintenance. A wireless service provider and a subdivision or regional council of governments operating a public safety answering point may enter into a service agreement for providing wireless enhanced 9-1-1 pursuant to a final plan adopted under sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code.

(E) Except to the extent provided in a final plan that provides for funding of a 9-1-1 system in part through charges imposed under section 4931.51 of the Revised Code, each subdivision served by a public safety answering point shall pay the subdivision or regional council of governments that operates the answering point the amount computed in accordance with the allocation formula set forth in the final plan.

(F) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the purchase or other acquisition, installation, and maintenance of the telephone network for a 9-1-1 system and the purchase or other acquisition, installation, and maintenance of customer premises equipment at a public safety answering point made in compliance with a final plan or an agreement under section 4931.48 of the Revised Code, including customer premises equipment used to provide wireless enhanced 9-1-1, are not subject to any requirement of competitive bidding.

(G) Each emergency service provider participating in a countywide 9-1-1 system shall maintain a telephone number in addition to 9-1-1.

(H) Whenever a final plan provides for the implementation of basic 9-1-1, the planning committee shall so notify the public utilities commission, which shall determine whether the wireline service providers serving the territory covered by the plan are capable of reasonably meeting the technical and economic requirements of providing the wireline telephone network portion of an enhanced 9-1-1 system. The determination shall be made solely for purposes of division (C)(2) of section 4931.47 of the Revised Code.

(I) If the public safety answering point personnel reasonably determine that a 9-1-1 call is not an emergency, the personnel shall provide the caller with the telephone number of an appropriate subdivision agency as applicable.

(J) A final plan adopted under sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code, or an agreement under section 4931.48 of the Revised Code, may provide that, by further agreement included in the plan or agreement, the state highway patrol or one or more public safety answering points of another 9-1-1 system is the public safety answering point or points for the provision of wireline or wireless 9-1-1 for all or part of the territory of the 9-1-1 system established under the plan or agreement. In that event, the subdivision for which the wireline or wireless 9-1-1 is provided as named in the agreement shall be deemed the subdivision operating the public safety answering point or points for purposes of sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code, except that, for the purpose of division (D)(2) of this section, that subdivision shall pay only so much of the costs of establishing, equipping, furnishing, operating, or maintaining any such public safety answering point as are specified in the agreement with the patrol or other system.

(K) A final plan for the provision of wireless enhanced 9-1-1 shall provide that any wireless 9-1-1 calls routed to a state highway patrol-operated public safety answering point by default, due to a wireless service provider so routing all such calls of its subscribers without prior permission, are instead to be routed as provided under the plan. Upon the implementation of countywide wireless enhanced 9-1-1 pursuant to a final plan, the state highway patrol shall cease any functioning as a public safety answering point providing wireless 9-1-1 within the territory covered by the countywide 9-1-1 system so established, unless the patrol functions as a public safety answering point providing wireless enhanced 9-1-1 pursuant to an agreement included in the plan as authorized under division (J) of this section.

Sec. 4931.43.  (A) The 9-1-1 planning committee shall prepare a proposal on the implementation of a countywide 9-1-1 system and shall hold a public meeting on the proposal to explain the system to and receive comments from public officials. At least thirty but not more than sixty days before the meeting, the committee shall send a copy of the implementation proposal and written notice of the meeting:

(1) By certified mail, to the board of county commissioners, the legislative authority of each municipal corporation in the county, and to the board of trustees of each township in the county; and

(2) To the board of trustees, directors, or park commissioners of each subdivision that will be served by a public safety answering point under the plan.

(B) The proposal and the final plan adopted by the committee shall specify:

(1) Which telephone companies serving customers in the county and, as authorized in division (A)(1) of section 4931.41 of the Revised Code, in an adjacent county will participate in the 9-1-1 system;

(2) The location and number of public safety answering points; how they will be connected to a company's telephone network; from what geographic territory each will receive 9-1-1 calls; whether basic or enhanced 9-1-1 service will be provided within such territory; what subdivisions will be served by the answering point; and whether an answering point will respond to calls by directly dispatching an emergency service provider, by relaying a message to the appropriate provider, or by transferring the call to the appropriate provider;

(3) Which subdivision or regional council of governments will establish, equip, furnish, operate, and maintain a particular public safety answering point;

(4) A projection of the initial cost of establishing, equipping, and furnishing and of the annual cost of the first five years of operating and maintaining each public safety answering point;

(5) Whether the cost of establishing, equipping, furnishing, operating, or maintaining each public safety answering point should be funded through charges imposed under section 4931.51 of the Revised Code or will be allocated among the subdivisions served by the answering point and, if any such cost is to be allocated, the formula for so allocating it;

(6) How each emergency service provider will respond to a misdirected call.

(C) Following the meeting required by this section, the 9-1-1 planning committee may modify the implementation proposal and, no later than nine months after the resolution authorized by section 4931.42 of the Revised Code is adopted, may adopt, by majority vote, a final plan for implementing a countywide 9-1-1 system. If a planning committee and wireline service provider do not agree on whether the wireline service provider is capable of providing the wireline telephone network as described under division (A) of section 4931.41 of the Revised Code and the planning committee refers that question to the public utilities commission, the commission may extend the nine-month deadline established by this division to twelve months. Immediately on completion of the plan, the committee shall send a copy of the final plan:

(1) By certified mail to the board of county commissioners of the county, to the legislative authority of each municipal corporation in the county, and to the board of township trustees of each township in the county; and

(2) To the board of trustees, directors, or park commissioners of each subdivision that will be served by a public safety answering point under the plan.

(D) If the committee has not adopted a final plan on or before the deadline in division (C) of this section, the committee shall cease to exist. A new 9-1-1 planning committee may be convened in the manner established in section 4931.42 of the Revised Code to develop an implementation proposal and final plan in accordance with the requirements of sections 4931.42 to 4931.44 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4931.44.  (A) Within sixty days after receipt of the final plan pursuant to division (C) of section 4931.43 of the Revised Code, the board of county commissioners of the county and the legislative authority of each municipal corporation in the county and of each township whose territory is proposed to be included in a countywide 9-1-1 system shall act by resolution to approve or disapprove the plan, except that, with respect to a final plan that provides for funding of the 9-1-1 system in part through charges imposed under section 4931.51 of the Revised Code, the board of county commissioners shall not act by resolution to approve or disapprove the plan until after a resolution adopted under section 4931.51 of the Revised Code has become effective as provided in division (D) of that section. A municipal corporation or township whose territory is proposed to be included in the system includes any municipal corporation or township in which a part of its territory is excluded pursuant to division (A)(2) of section 4931.41 of the Revised Code. Each such authority immediately shall notify the board of county commissioners in writing of its approval or disapproval of the final plan. Failure by a board or legislative authority to notify the board of county commissioners of approval or disapproval within such sixty-day period shall be deemed disapproval by the board or authority.

(B) As used in this division, "county's population" excludes the population of any municipal corporation or township that, under the plan, is completely excluded from 9-1-1 service in the county's final plan. A countywide plan is effective if all of the following entities approve the plan in accordance with this section:

(1) The board of county commissioners;

(2) The legislative authority of a municipal corporation that contains at least thirty per cent of the county's population, if any;

(3) The legislative authorities of municipal corporations and townships that contain at least sixty per cent of the county's population or, if the plan has been approved by a municipal corporation that contains at least sixty per cent of the county's population, by the legislative authorities of municipal corporations and townships that contain at least seventy-five per cent of the county's population.

(C) After a countywide plan approved in accordance with this section is adopted, all of the telephone companies and, subdivisions, and regional councils of governments included in the plan are subject to the specific requirements of the plan and to sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4931.45.  (A) An amended final plan is required for any of the following purposes:

(1) Expanding the territory included in the countywide 9-1-1 system;

(2) Upgrading any part or all of a system from basic to enhanced wireline 9-1-1;

(3) Adjusting the territory served by a public safety answering point;

(4) Permitting a regional council of governments to operate a public safety answering point;

(5) Represcribing the funding of public safety answering points as between the alternatives set forth in division (B)(5) of section 4931.43 of the Revised Code;

(5)(6) Providing for wireless enhanced 9-1-1;

(6)(7) Adding a telephone company as a participant in a countywide 9-1-1 system after the implementation of wireline 9-1-1 or wireless enhanced 9-1-1;

(7)(8) Providing that the state highway patrol or one or more public safety answering points of another 9-1-1 system function as a public safety answering point or points for the provision of wireline or wireless 9-1-1 for all or part of the territory of the system established under the final plan, as contemplated under division (J) of section 4931.41 of the Revised Code;

(8)(9) Making any other necessary adjustments to the plan.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in division (C) of this section, a final plan shall be amended in the manner provided for adopting a final plan under sections 4931.42 to 4931.44 of the Revised Code, including convening a 9-1-1 planning committee and developing a proposed amended plan prior to adopting an amended final plan.

(C)(1) To amend a final plan for the purpose described in division (A)(6)(7) of this section, an entity that wishes to be added as a participant in a 9-1-1 system shall file a written letter of that intent with the board of county commissioners of the county that approved the final plan. The final plan is deemed amended upon the filing of that letter. The entity that files the letter shall send written notice of that filing to all subdivisions, regional councils of governments, and telephone companies participating in the system.

(2) An amendment to a final plan for a purpose set forth in division (A)(1), (3), (5)(6), or (8)(9) of this section may be made by an addendum approved by a majority of the 9-1-1 planning committee. The board of county commissioners shall call a meeting of the 9-1-1 planning committee for the purpose of considering an addendum pursuant to this division.

(3) Adoption of any resolution under section 4931.51 of the Revised Code pursuant to a final plan that both has been adopted and provides for funding through charges imposed under that section is not an amendment of a final plan for the purpose of this division.

(D) When a final plan is amended for a purpose described in division (A)(1), (2), or (6)(7) of this section, sections 4931.47 and 5733.55 of the Revised Code apply with respect to the receipt of the nonrecurring and recurring rates and charges for the wireline telephone network portion of the 9-1-1 system.

Sec. 4931.49.  (A)(1) The state, the state highway patrol, or a subdivision, or a regional council of governments participating in a 9-1-1 system established under sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code and any officer, agent, employee, or independent contractor of the state, the state highway patrol, or such a participating subdivision or regional council of governments is not liable in damages in a civil action for injuries, death, or loss to persons or property arising from any act or omission, except willful or wanton misconduct, in connection with developing, adopting, or approving any final plan or any agreement made under section 4931.48 of the Revised Code or otherwise bringing into operation the 9-1-1 system pursuant to sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code.

(2) The Ohio 9-1-1 council, the wireless 9-1-1 advisory board, and any member of that council or board are not liable in damages in a civil action for injuries, death, or loss to persons or property arising from any act or omission, except willful or wanton misconduct, in connection with the development or operation of a 9-1-1 system established under sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in section 4765.49 of the Revised Code, an individual who gives emergency instructions through a 9-1-1 system established under sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code, and the principals for whom the person acts, including both employers and independent contractors, public and private, and an individual who follows emergency instructions and the principals for whom that person acts, including both employers and independent contractors, public and private, are not liable in damages in a civil action for injuries, death, or loss to persons or property arising from the issuance or following of emergency instructions, except where the issuance or following of the instructions constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

(C) Except for willful or wanton misconduct, a telephone company, and any other installer, maintainer, or provider, through the sale or otherwise, of customer premises equipment, and their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, and suppliers are not liable in damages in a civil action for injuries, death, or loss to persons or property incurred by any person resulting from any of the following:

(1) Such an entity's or its officers', directors', employees', agents', or suppliers' participation in or acts or omissions in connection with participating in or developing, maintaining, or operating a 9-1-1 system, whether that system is established pursuant to sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code or otherwise in accordance with schedules regarding 9-1-1 systems filed with the public utilities commission pursuant to section 4905.30 of the Revised Code by a telephone company that is a wireline service provider;

(2) Such an entity's or its officers', directors', employees', agents', or suppliers' provision of assistance to a public utility, municipal utility, or state or local government as authorized by divisions (F)(4) and (5) of this section.

(D) No person shall knowingly use the telephone number of a 9-1-1 system established under sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code to report an emergency if the person knows that no emergency exists.

(E) No person shall knowingly use a 9-1-1 system for a purpose other than obtaining emergency service.

(F) No person shall disclose or use any information concerning telephone numbers, addresses, or names obtained from the data base that serves the public safety answering point of a 9-1-1 system established under sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code, except for any of the following purposes or under any of the following circumstances:

(1) For the purpose of the 9-1-1 system;

(2) For the purpose of responding to an emergency call to an emergency service provider;

(3) In the circumstance of the inadvertent disclosure of such information due solely to technology of the wireline telephone network portion of the 9-1-1 system not allowing access to the data base to be restricted to 9-1-1 specific answering lines at a public safety answering point;

(4) In the circumstance of access to a data base being given by a telephone company that is a wireline service provider to a public utility or municipal utility in handling customer calls in times of public emergency or service outages. The charge, terms, and conditions for the disclosure or use of such information for the purpose of such access to a data base shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the public utilities commission.

(5) In the circumstance of access to a data base given by a telephone company that is a wireline service provider to a state and local government in warning of a public emergency, as determined by the public utilities commission. The charge, terms, and conditions for the disclosure or use of that information for the purpose of access to a data base is subject to the jurisdiction of the public utilities commission.

Sec. 4931.50. (A) The attorney general, upon request of the public utilities commission or on the attorney general's own initiative, shall begin proceedings against a telephone company that is a wireline service provider to enforce compliance with sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code or with the terms, conditions, requirements, or specifications of a final plan or of an agreement under section 4931.48 of the Revised Code as to wireline or wireless 9-1-1.

(B) The attorney general, upon the attorney general's own initiative, or any prosecutor, upon the prosecutor's initiative, shall begin proceedings against a subdivision or a regional council of governments as to wireline or wireless 9-1-1 to enforce compliance with sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code or with the terms, conditions, requirements, or specifications of a final plan or of an agreement under section 4931.48 of the Revised Code as to wireline or wireless 9-1-1.

Sec. 4931.64. (A) Prior to the first disbursement under this section and annually thereafter not later than the twenty-fifth day of January, until the wireless 9-1-1 government assistance fund is depleted, the Ohio 9-1-1 coordinator shall do both of the following for the purposes of division (B) of this section:

(1) Determine, for a county that has adopted a final plan under sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code for the provision of wireless enhanced 9-1-1 within the territory covered by the countywide 9-1-1 system established under the plan, the number of wireless telephone numbers assigned to wireless service subscribers that have billing addresses within the county. That number shall be adjusted between any two counties so that the number of wireless telephone numbers assigned to wireless service subscribers who have billing addresses within any portion of a municipal corporation that territorially lies primarily in one of the two counties but extends into the other county is added to the number already determined for that primary county and subtracted for the other county.

(2) Determine each county's proportionate share of the wireless 9-1-1 government assistance fund for the ensuing calendar year on the basis set forth in division (B) of this section; estimate the ensuing calendar year's fund balance; compute each such county's estimated proceeds for the ensuing calendar year based on its proportionate share and the estimated fund balance; and certify such amount of proceeds to the county auditor of each such county.

(B) The Ohio 9-1-1 coordinator, in accordance with this division and not later than the last day of each month, shall disburse the amount credited as remittances to the wireless 9-1-1 government assistance fund during the second preceding month, plus any accrued interest on the fund. Such a disbursement shall be paid to each county treasurer. The amount to be so disbursed monthly to a particular county shall be a proportionate share of the wireless 9-1-1 government assistance fund balance based on the ratio between the following:

(1) The number of wireless telephone numbers determined for the county by the coordinator pursuant to division (A) of this section;

(2) The total number of wireless telephone numbers assigned to subscribers who have billing addresses within this state. To the extent that the fund balance permits, the disbursements to each county shall total at least ninety thousand dollars annually.

(C)(1) Each county that has not adopted a final plan for the provision of wireless enhanced 9-1-1 under sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code shall be deemed as having done so for the purposes of making the determinations under divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section.

(2) For each county described in division (C)(1) of this section, the coordinator shall retain in the wireless 9-1-1 government assistance fund an amount equal to what would otherwise be paid as the county's disbursements under division (B) of this section if it had adopted such a final plan, plus any related accrued interest, to be set aside for that county. If the board of county commissioners notifies the coordinator prior to January 1, 2010, that a final plan for the provision of wireless enhanced 9-1-1 has been adopted, the coordinator shall disburse and pay to the county treasurer, not later than the last day of the month following the month the notification is made, the total amount so set aside for the county plus any related accrued interest. As of January 1, 2010, any money and interest so retained and not disbursed as authorized under this division shall be available for disbursement only as provided in division (B) of this section.

(D) Immediately upon receipt by a county treasurer of a disbursement under division (B) or (C) of this section, the county shall disburse, in accordance with the allocation formula set forth in the final plan, the amount the county so received to any other subdivisions in the county and any regional councils of governments in the county that pay the costs of a public safety answering point providing wireless enhanced 9-1-1 under the plan.

(E) Nothing in sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code affects the authority of a subdivision operating or served by a public safety answering point of a 9-1-1 system or a regional council of governments operating a public safety answering point of a 9-1-1 system to use, as provided in the final plan for the system or in an agreement under section 4931.48 of the Revised Code, any other authorized revenue of the subdivision or the regional council of governments for the purposes of providing basic or enhanced 9-1-1.

Sec. 4931.65.  Except as otherwise provided in section 4931.651 of the Revised Code:

(A) A countywide 9-1-1 system receiving a disbursement under section 4931.64 of the Revised Code shall provide countywide wireless enhanced 9-1-1 in accordance with sections 4931.40 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code beginning as soon as reasonably possible after receipt of the first disbursement or, if that service is already implemented, shall continue to provide such service. Except as provided in divisions (B) and (C) of this section, a disbursement shall be used solely for the purpose of paying either or both of the following:

(1) Any costs of designing, upgrading, purchasing, leasing, programming, installing, testing, or maintaining the necessary data, hardware, software, and trunking required for the public safety answering point or points of the 9-1-1 system to provide wireless enhanced 9-1-1, which costs are incurred before or on or after May 6, 2005, and consist of such additional costs of the 9-1-1 system over and above any costs incurred to provide wireline 9-1-1 or to otherwise provide wireless enhanced 9-1-1. Annually, up to twenty-five thousand dollars of the disbursements received on or after January 1, 2009, may be applied to data, hardware, and software that automatically alerts personnel receiving a 9-1-1 call that a person at the subscriber's address or telephone number may have a mental or physical disability, of which that personnel shall inform the appropriate emergency service provider. On or after the provision of technical and operational standards pursuant to division (D)(1) of section 4931.68 of the Revised Code, a regional council of governments operating a public safety answering point or a subdivision shall consider the standards before incurring any costs described in this division.

(2) Any costs of training the staff of the public safety answering point or points to provide wireless enhanced 9-1-1, which costs are incurred before or on or after May 6, 2005.

(B) Beginning one year following the imposition of the wireless 9-1-1 charge under section 4931.61 of the Revised Code, a subdivision or a regional council of governments that certifies to the Ohio 9-1-1 coordinator that it has paid the costs described in divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section and is providing countywide wireless enhanced 9-1-1 may use disbursements received under section 4931.64 of the Revised Code to pay any of its personnel costs of one or more public safety answering points providing countywide wireless enhanced 9-1-1.

(C) After receiving its April 2013, disbursement under section 4931.64 of the Revised Code, a regional council of governments operating a public safety answering point or a subdivision may use any remaining balance of disbursements it received under that section to pay any of its costs of providing countywide wireless 9-1-1, including the personnel costs of one or more public safety answering points providing that service.

(D) The costs described in divisions (A), (B), and (C) of this section may include any such costs payable pursuant to an agreement under division (J) of section 4931.41 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4931.66.  (A)(1) A telephone company, the state highway patrol as described in division (J) of section 4931.41 of the Revised Code, and each subdivision or regional council of governments operating one or more public safety answering points for a countywide system providing wireless 9-1-1, shall provide the Ohio 9-1-1 coordinator with such information as the coordinator requests for the purposes of carrying out the coordinator's duties under sections 4931.60 to 4931.70 of the Revised Code, including, but not limited to, duties regarding the collection of the wireless 9-1-1 charge and regarding the provision of a report or recommendation under section 4931.70 of the Revised Code.

(2) A wireless service provider shall provide an official, employee, agent, or representative of a subdivision or regional council of governments operating a public safety answering point, or of the state highway patrol as described in division (J) of section 4931.41 of the Revised Code, with such technical, service, and location information as the official, employee, agent, or representative requests for the purpose of providing wireless 9-1-1.

(3) A subdivision or regional council of governments operating one or more public safety answering points of a 9-1-1 system, and a telephone company, shall provide to the Ohio 9-1-1 council such information as the council requires for the purpose of carrying out its duties under division (D) of section 4931.68 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) Any information provided under division (A) of this section that consists of trade secrets as defined in section 1333.61 of the Revised Code or of information regarding the customers, revenues, expenses, or network information of a telephone company shall be confidential and does not constitute a public record for the purpose of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(2) The public utilities commission, the Ohio 9-1-1 coordinator, and any official, employee, agent, or representative of the commission, of the state highway patrol as described in division (J) of section 4931.41 of the Revised Code, or of a subdivision or regional council of governments operating a public safety answering point, while acting or claiming to act in the capacity of the commission or coordinator or such official, employee, agent, or representative, shall not disclose any information provided under division (A) of this section regarding a telephone company's customers, revenues, expenses, or network information. Nothing in division (B)(2) of this section precludes any such information from being aggregated and included in any report required under section 4931.70 or division (D)(2) of section 4931.69 of the Revised Code, provided the aggregated information does not identify the number of any particular company's customers or the amount of its revenues or expenses or identify a particular company as to any network information.

Sec. 5703.57. (A) As used in this section, "Ohio business gateway" has the same meaning as in section 718.051 of the Revised Code.

(B) There is hereby created the Ohio business gateway steering committee to direct the continuing development of the Ohio business gateway and to oversee its operations. The committee shall provide general oversight regarding operation of the Ohio business gateway and shall recommend to the department of administrative services enhancements that will improve the Ohio business gateway. The committee shall consider all banking, technological, administrative, and other issues associated with the Ohio business gateway and shall make recommendations regarding the type of reporting forms or other tax documents to be filed through the Ohio business gateway.

(C) The committee shall consist of:

(1) The following members, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate:

(a) Not more than two four representatives of the business community;

(b) Not more than three representatives of municipal tax administrators; and

(c) Not more than two tax practitioners.

(2) The following ex officio members:

(a) The director or other highest officer of each state agency that has tax reporting forms or other tax documents filed with it through the Ohio business gateway or the director's designee;

(b) The secretary of state or the secretary of state's designee;

(c) The treasurer of state or the treasurer of state's designee;

(d) The director of budget and management or the director's designee;

(e) The state chief information officer or the officer's designee;

(f) The tax commissioner or the tax commissioner's designee; and

(g) The director of development or the director's designee.

An appointed member shall serve until the member resigns or is removed by the governor. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments.

(D) A vacancy on the committee does not impair the right of the other members to exercise all the functions of the committee. The presence of a majority of the members of the committee constitutes a quorum for the conduct of business of the committee. The concurrence of at least a majority of the members of the committee is necessary for any action to be taken by the committee. On request, each member of the committee shall be reimbursed for the actual and necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of the member's duties.

(E) The committee is a part of the department of taxation for administrative purposes.

(F) Each year, the governor shall select a member of the committee to serve as chairperson. The chairperson shall appoint an official or employee of the department of taxation to act as the committee's secretary. The secretary shall keep minutes of the committee's meetings and a journal of all meetings, proceedings, findings, and determinations of the committee.

(G) The committee shall may hire professional, technical, and clerical staff needed to support its activities.

(H) The committee shall meet as often as necessary to perform its duties.

Sec. 5705.13.  (A) A taxing authority of a subdivision, by resolution or ordinance, may establish reserve balance accounts to accumulate currently available resources for the following purposes:

(1) To stabilize subdivision budgets against cyclical changes in revenues and expenditures;

(2) Except as otherwise provided by this section, to provide for the payment of claims and deductibles under a an individual or joint self-insurance program for the subdivision, if the subdivision is permitted by law to establish such a program;

(3) To provide for the payment of claims, assessments, and deductibles under a self-insurance program, individual retrospective ratings plan, group rating plan, group retrospective rating plan, medical only program, deductible plan, or large deductible plan for workers' compensation.

The ordinance or resolution establishing a reserve balance account shall state the purpose for which the account is established, the fund in which the account is to be established, and the total amount of money to be reserved in the account.

A subdivision that participates in a risk-sharing pool, by which governments pool risks and funds and share in the costs of losses, shall not establish a reserve balance account to provide self-insurance for the subdivision.

Not more than one reserve balance account may be established for each of the purposes permitted under divisions (A)(2) and (3) of this section. Money to the credit of a reserve balance account may be expended only for the purpose for which the account was established.

A reserve balance account established for the purpose described in division (A)(1) of this section may be established in the general fund or in one or more special funds for operating purposes of the subdivision. The amount of money to be reserved in such an account in any fiscal year shall not exceed five per cent of the revenue credited in the preceding fiscal year to the fund in which the account is established, or, in the case of a reserve balance account of a county or of a township, the greater of that amount or one-sixth of the expenditures during the preceding fiscal year from the fund in which the account is established. Subject to division (G) of section 5705.29 of the Revised Code, any reserve balance in an account established under division (A)(1) of this section shall not be considered part of the unencumbered balance or revenue of the subdivision under division (A) of section 5705.35 or division (A)(1) of section 5705.36 of the Revised Code.

At any time, a taxing authority of a subdivision, by resolution or ordinance, may reduce or eliminate the reserve balance in a reserve balance account established for the purpose described in division (A)(1) of this section.

A reserve balance account established for the purpose described in division (A)(2) or (3) of this section shall be established in the general fund of the subdivision or by the establishment of a separate internal service fund established to account for the operation of the an individual or joint self-insurance or retrospective ratings plan program described in division (A)(2) of this section or a workers' compensation program or plan described in division (A)(3) of this section, and shall be based on sound actuarial principles. The total amount of money in a reserve balance account for self-insurance may be expressed in dollars or as the amount determined to represent an adequate reserve according to sound actuarial principles.

A taxing authority of a subdivision, by resolution or ordinance, may rescind a reserve balance account established under this division. If a reserve balance account is rescinded, money that has accumulated in the account shall be transferred to the fund or funds from which the money originally was transferred.

(B) A taxing authority of a subdivision, by resolution or ordinance, may establish a special revenue fund for the purpose of accumulating resources for the payment of accumulated sick leave and vacation leave, and for payments in lieu of taking compensatory time off, upon the termination of employment or the retirement of officers and employees of the subdivision. The special revenue fund may also accumulate resources for payment of salaries during any fiscal year when the number of pay periods exceeds the usual and customary number of pay periods. Notwithstanding sections 5705.14, 5705.15, and 5705.16 of the Revised Code, the taxing authority, by resolution or ordinance, may transfer money to the special revenue fund from any other fund of the subdivision from which such payments may lawfully be made. The taxing authority, by resolution or ordinance, may rescind a special revenue fund established under this division. If a special revenue fund is rescinded, money that has accumulated in the fund shall be transferred to the fund or funds from which the money originally was transferred.

(C) A taxing authority of a subdivision, by resolution or ordinance, may establish a capital projects fund for the purpose of accumulating resources for the acquisition, construction, or improvement of fixed assets of the subdivision. For the purposes of this section, "fixed assets" includes motor vehicles. More than one capital projects fund may be established and may exist at any time. The ordinance or resolution shall identify the source of the money to be used to acquire, construct, or improve the fixed assets identified in the resolution or ordinance, the amount of money to be accumulated for that purpose, the period of time over which that amount is to be accumulated, and the fixed assets that the taxing authority intends to acquire, construct, or improve with the money to be accumulated in the fund.

A taxing authority of a subdivision shall not accumulate money in a capital projects fund for more than ten years after the resolution or ordinance establishing the fund is adopted. If the subdivision has not entered into a contract for the acquisition, construction, or improvement of fixed assets for which money was accumulated in such a fund before the end of that ten-year period, the fiscal officer of the subdivision shall transfer all money in the fund to the fund or funds from which that money originally was transferred or the fund that originally was intended to receive the money.

A taxing authority of a subdivision, by resolution or ordinance, may rescind a capital projects fund. If a capital projects fund is rescinded, money that has accumulated in the fund shall be transferred to the fund or funds from which the money originally was transferred.

Notwithstanding sections 5705.14, 5705.15, and 5705.16 of the Revised Code, the taxing authority of a subdivision, by resolution or ordinance, may transfer money to the capital projects fund from any other fund of the subdivision that may lawfully be used for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, or improving the fixed assets identified in the resolution or ordinance.

Sec. 5713.07.  The county auditor, at the time of making the assessment of real property subject to taxation, shall enter in a separate list pertinent descriptions of all burying grounds, public schoolhouses, houses used exclusively for public worship, institutions of purely public charity, real property used exclusively for a home for the aged, as defined in section 5701.13 of the Revised Code, public buildings and property used exclusively for any public purpose, and any other property, with the lot or tract of land on which such house, institution, public building, or other property is situated, and which have been exempted from taxation by either the tax commissioner or auditor under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code or by the housing officer under section 3735.67 of the Revised Code. The auditor shall value such houses, buildings, property, and lots and tracts of land at their taxable value in the same manner as the auditor is required to value other real property, designating in each case the township, municipal corporation, and number of the school district, or the name or designation of the school, religious society, or institution to which each house, lot, or tract belongs. If such property is held and used for other public purposes, the auditor shall state by whom or how it is held.

Sec. 5713.08.  (A) The county auditor shall make a list of all real and personal property in the auditor's county that is exempted from taxation. Such list shall show the name of the owner, the value of the property exempted, and a statement in brief form of the ground on which such exemption has been granted. It shall be corrected annually by adding thereto the items of property which have been exempted during the year, and by striking therefrom the items which in the opinion of the auditor have lost their right of exemption and which have been reentered on the taxable list, but no property shall be struck from the exempt property list solely because the property has been conveyed to a single member limited liability company with a nonprofit purpose from its nonprofit member or because the property has been conveyed by a single member limited liability company with a nonprofit purpose to its nonprofit member. No additions shall be made to such exempt lists and no additional items of property shall be exempted from taxation without the consent of the tax commissioner as is provided for in section 5715.27 of the Revised Code or without the consent of the housing officer under section 3735.67 of the Revised Code, except for property exempted by the auditor under that section or qualifying agricultural real property, as defined in section 5709.28 of the Revised Code, that is enrolled in an agriculture security area that is exempt under that section. The commissioner may revise at any time the list in every county so that no property is improperly or illegally exempted from taxation. The auditor shall follow the orders of the commissioner given under this section. An abstract of such list shall be filed annually with the commissioner, on a form approved by the commissioner, and a copy thereof shall be kept on file in the office of each auditor for public inspection.

An application for exemption of property shall include a certificate executed by the county treasurer certifying one of the following:

(1) That all taxes, interest, and penalties levied and assessed against the property sought to be exempted have been paid in full for all of the tax years preceding the tax year for which the application for exemption is filed, except for such taxes, interest, and penalties that may be remitted under division (C) of this section;

(2) That the applicant has entered into a valid delinquent tax contract with the county treasurer pursuant to division (A) of section 323.31 of the Revised Code to pay all of the delinquent taxes, interest, and penalties charged against the property, except for such taxes, interest, and penalties that may be remitted under division (C) of this section. If the auditor receives notice under section 323.31 of the Revised Code that such a written delinquent tax contract has become void, the auditor shall strike such property from the list of exempted property and reenter such property on the taxable list. If property is removed from the exempt list because a written delinquent tax contract has become void, current taxes shall first be extended against that property on the general tax list and duplicate of real and public utility property for the tax year in which the auditor receives the notice required by division (A) of section 323.31 of the Revised Code that the delinquent tax contract has become void or, if that notice is not timely made, for the tax year in which falls the latest date by which the treasurer is required by such section to give such notice. A county auditor shall not remove from any tax list and duplicate the amount of any unpaid delinquent taxes, assessments, interest, or penalties owed on property that is placed on the exempt list pursuant to this division.

(3) That a tax certificate has been issued under section 5721.32 or 5721.33 of the Revised Code with respect to the property that is the subject of the application, and the tax certificate is outstanding.

(B) If the treasurer's certificate is not included with the application or the certificate reflects unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest that may not be remitted, the tax commissioner or county auditor with whom the application was filed shall notify the property owner of that fact, and the applicant shall be given sixty days from the date that notification was mailed in which to provide the tax commissioner or county auditor with a corrected treasurer's certificate. If a corrected treasurer's certificate is not received within the time permitted, the tax commissioner or county auditor does not have authority to consider the tax exemption application.

(C) Any taxes, interest, and penalties which have become a lien after the property was first used for the exempt purpose, but in no case prior to the date of acquisition of the title to the property by the applicant, may be remitted by the commissioner or county auditor, except as is provided in division (A) of section 5713.081 of the Revised Code.

(D) Real property acquired by the state in fee simple is exempt from taxation from the date of acquisition of title or date of possession, whichever is the earlier date, provided that all taxes, interest, and penalties as provided in the apportionment provisions of section 319.20 of the Revised Code have been paid to the date of acquisition of title or date of possession by the state, whichever is earlier. The proportionate amount of taxes that are a lien but not yet determined, assessed, and levied for the year in which the property is acquired, shall be remitted by the county auditor for the balance of the year from date of acquisition of title or date of possession, whichever is earlier. This section shall not be construed to authorize the exemption of such property from taxation or the remission of taxes, interest, and penalties thereon until all private use has terminated.

Sec. 5713.081. (A) No application for real property tax exemption and tax remission shall be filed with, or considered by, the tax commissioner or county auditor in which tax remission is requested for more than three tax years, and the commissioner or auditor shall not remit more than three years' taxes, penalties, and interest.

(B) All taxes, penalties, and interest, that have been delinquent for more than three years, appearing on the general tax list and duplicate of real property which have been levied and assessed against parcels of real property owned by the state, any political subdivision, or any other entity whose ownership of real property would constitute public ownership, shall be collected by the county auditor of the county where the real property is located. Such The auditor shall deduct from each distribution made by the auditor, the amount necessary to pay the tax delinquency from any revenues or funds to the credit of the state, any political subdivision, or any other entity whose ownership of real property would constitute public ownership thereof, passing under the auditor's control, or which come into the auditor's possession, and such deductions shall be made on a continuing basis until all delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest noted in this section have been paid.

(C) As used in division (B) of this section, "political subdivision" includes townships, municipalities, counties, school districts, boards of education, all state and municipal universities, park boards, and any other entity whose ownership of real property would constitute public ownership.

Sec. 5713.082.  (A) Whenever the county auditor reenters an item of property to the tax list as provided in section 5713.08 of the Revised Code and there has been no conveyance of the property between separate entities, the auditor shall send notice by certified mail to the owner of the property that it is now subject to property taxation as a result of such action. The auditor shall send the notice at the same time the auditor certifies the real property tax duplicate to the county treasurer. The notice shall describe the property and indicate that the owner may reapply for tax exemption by filing an application for exemption as provided in section 5715.27 of the Revised Code, and that failure to file such an application within the proper time period will result in the owner having to pay the taxes even if the property continued to be used for an exempt purpose.

(B) If the auditor failed to send the notice required by this section, and if the owner of the property subsequently files an application for tax exemption for the property for the current tax year, the tax commissioner or county auditor may grant exemption to the property, and the commissioner or auditor shall remit all taxes and penalties for each prior year since the property was reentered on the tax list, notwithstanding the provisions of division (A) of section 5713.081 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5715.27.  (A)(1) Except as provided in division (A)(2) of this section and in section 3735.67 of the Revised Code, the owner, a vendee in possession under a purchase agreement or a land contract, the beneficiary of a trust, or a lessee for an initial term of not less than thirty years of any property may file an application with the tax commissioner, on forms prescribed by the commissioner, requesting that such property be exempted from taxation and that taxes, interest, and penalties be remitted as provided in division (C) of section 5713.08 of the Revised Code.

(2) If the property that is the subject of the application for exemption is any of the following, the application shall be filed with the county auditor of the county in which the property is listed for taxation:

(a) A public road or highway;

(b) Property belonging to the federal government of the United States;

(c) Additions or other improvements to an existing building or structure that belongs to the state or a political subdivision, as defined in section 5713.081 of the Revised Code, and that is exempted from taxation as property used exclusively for a public purpose;

(d) Property of the boards of trustees and of the housing commissions of the state universities, the northeastern Ohio universities college of medicine, and of the state to be exempted under section 3345.17 of the Revised Code.

(B) The board of education of any school district may request the tax commissioner or county auditor to provide it with notification of applications for exemption from taxation for property located within that district. If so requested, the commissioner or auditor shall send to the board on a monthly basis reports that contain sufficient information to enable the board to identify each property that is the subject of an exemption application, including, but not limited to, the name of the property owner or applicant, the address of the property, and the auditor's parcel number. The commissioner or auditor shall mail the reports by the fifteenth day of the month following the end of the month in which the commissioner or auditor receives the applications for exemption.

(C) A board of education that has requested notification under division (B) of this section may, with respect to any application for exemption of property located in the district and included in the commissioner's or auditor's most recent report provided under that division, file a statement with the commissioner or auditor and with the applicant indicating its intent to submit evidence and participate in any hearing on the application. The statements shall be filed prior to the first day of the third month following the end of the month in which that application was docketed by the commissioner or auditor. A statement filed in compliance with this division entitles the district to submit evidence and to participate in any hearing on the property and makes the district a party for purposes of sections 5717.02 to 5717.04 of the Revised Code in any appeal of the commissioner's or auditor's decision to the board of tax appeals.

(D) The commissioner or auditor shall not hold a hearing on or grant or deny an application for exemption of property in a school district whose board of education has requested notification under division (B) of this section until the end of the period within which the board may submit a statement with respect to that application under division (C) of this section. The commissioner or auditor may act upon an application at any time prior to that date upon receipt of a written waiver from each such board of education, or, in the case of exemptions authorized by section 725.02, 1728.10, 5709.40, 5709.41, 5709.411, 5709.62, 5709.63, 5709.632, 5709.73, 5709.78, 5709.84, or 5709.88 of the Revised Code, upon the request of the property owner. Failure of a board of education to receive the report required in division (B) of this section shall not void an action of the commissioner or auditor with respect to any application. The commissioner or auditor may extend the time for filing a statement under division (C) of this section.

(E) A complaint may also be filed with the commissioner or auditor by any person, board, or officer authorized by section 5715.19 of the Revised Code to file complaints with the county board of revision against the continued exemption of any property granted exemption by the commissioner or auditor under this section.

(F) An application for exemption and a complaint against exemption shall be filed prior to the thirty-first day of December of the tax year for which exemption is requested or for which the liability of the property to taxation in that year is requested. The commissioner or auditor shall consider such application or complaint in accordance with procedures established by the commissioner, determine whether the property is subject to taxation or exempt therefrom, and, if the commissioner makes the determination, certify the commissioner's findings determination to the auditor, who. Upon making the determination or receiving the commissioner's determination, the auditor shall correct the tax list and duplicate accordingly. If a tax certificate has been sold under section 5721.32 or 5721.33 of the Revised Code with respect to property for which an exemption has been requested, the tax commissioner or auditor shall also certify the findings to the county treasurer of the county in which the property is located.

(G) Applications and complaints, and documents of any kind related to applications and complaints, filed with the tax commissioner or county auditor under this section, are public records within the meaning of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(H) If the commissioner or auditor determines that the use of property or other facts relevant to the taxability of property that is the subject of an application for exemption or a complaint under this section has changed while the application or complaint was pending, the commissioner or auditor may make the determination under division (F) of this section separately for each tax year beginning with the year in which the application or complaint was filed or the year for which remission of taxes under division (C) of section 5713.08 of the Revised Code was requested, and including each subsequent tax year during which the application or complaint is pending before the commissioner or auditor.

Sec. 5717.02.  (A) Except as otherwise provided by law, appeals from final determinations by the tax commissioner of any preliminary, amended, or final tax assessments, reassessments, valuations, determinations, findings, computations, or orders made by the commissioner may be taken to the board of tax appeals by the taxpayer, by the person to whom notice of the tax assessment, reassessment, valuation, determination, finding, computation, or order by the commissioner is required by law to be given, by the director of budget and management if the revenues affected by such that decision would accrue primarily to the state treasury, or by the county auditors of the counties to the undivided general tax funds of which the revenues affected by such that decision would primarily accrue. Appeals from the redetermination by the director of development under division (B) of section 5709.64 or division (A) of section 5709.66 of the Revised Code may be taken to the board of tax appeals by the enterprise to which notice of the redetermination is required by law to be given. Appeals from a decision of the tax commissioner or county auditor concerning an application for a property tax exemption may be taken to the board of tax appeals by the applicant or by a school district that filed a statement concerning such that application under division (C) of section 5715.27 of the Revised Code. Appeals from a redetermination by the director of job and family services under section 5733.42 of the Revised Code may be taken by the person to which the notice of the redetermination is required by law to be given under that section.

Such (B) The appeals shall be taken by the filing of a notice of appeal with the board, and with the tax commissioner if the tax commissioner's action is the subject of the appeal, with the county auditor if the county auditor's action is the subject of the appeal, with the director of development if that director's action is the subject of the appeal, or with the director of job and family services if that director's action is the subject of the appeal. The notice of appeal shall be filed within sixty days after service of the notice of the tax assessment, reassessment, valuation, determination, finding, computation, or order by the commissioner, property tax exemption determination by the commissioner or the county auditor, or redetermination by the director has been given as provided in section 5703.37, 5709.64, 5709.66, or 5733.42 of the Revised Code. The notice of such appeal may be filed in person or by certified mail, express mail, or authorized delivery service. If the notice of such appeal is filed by certified mail, express mail, or authorized delivery service as provided in section 5703.056 of the Revised Code, the date of the United States postmark placed on the sender's receipt by the postal service or the date of receipt recorded by the authorized delivery service shall be treated as the date of filing. The notice of appeal shall have attached thereto to it and incorporated therein in it by reference a true copy of the notice sent by the commissioner, county auditor, or director to the taxpayer, enterprise, or other person of the final determination or redetermination complained of, and shall also specify the errors therein complained of, but failure to attach a copy of such that notice and to incorporate it by reference in the notice of appeal does not invalidate the appeal.

(C) Upon the filing of a notice of appeal, the tax commissioner, county auditor, or the director, as appropriate, shall certify to the board a transcript of the record of the proceedings before the commissioner, auditor, or director, together with all evidence considered by the commissioner, auditor, or director in connection therewith with the proceedings. Such Those appeals or applications may be heard by the board at its office in Columbus or in the county where the appellant resides, or it may cause its examiners to conduct such the hearings and to report to it their findings for affirmation or rejection.

(D) The board may order the appeal to be heard upon the record and the evidence certified to it by the commissioner, county auditor, or director, but upon the application of any interested party the board shall order the hearing of additional evidence, and it may make such an investigation concerning the appeal as that it considers proper.

Section 2. That existing sections 9.37, 167.03, 305.171, 505.603, 3917.04, 4931.41, 4931.43, 4931.44, 4931.45, 4931.49, 4931.50, 4931.64, 4931.65, 4931.66, 5703.57, 5705.13, 5713.07, 5713.08, 5713.081, 5713.082, 5715.27, and 5717.02 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section 3. The amendments by this act to sections 5713.07, 5713.08, 5713.081, 5713.082, 5715.27, and 5717.02 of the Revised Code apply to applications for exemptions filed for tax year 2011 or thereafter.

Section 4.  Section 5713.08 of the Revised Code is presented in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Sub. H.B. 160 and Sub. H.B. 289 of the 127th General Assembly. The General Assembly, applying the principle stated in division (B) of section 1.52 of the Revised Code that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation, finds that the composite is the resulting version of the section in effect prior to the effective date of the section as presented in this act.