To create the Ohio Council to Reform Behavioral Health Care.

Section 1.  (A) There is hereby created the Ohio Council to Reform Behavioral Health Care. The Council shall conduct a complete review of the state's behavioral health system and make recommendations for achieving comprehensive reform of, and cost containment within, the system.

(B) The Council shall consist of nine members. Not later than sixty days after the effective date of this section, the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each appoint three members. All members shall be selected for their expertise in the field of behavioral health care or for their experience as recipients of behavioral health care services.

Each member of the Council shall serve at the pleasure of the member's appointing authority. A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

A member shall serve without compensation, except to the extent that serving on the Council is considered part of the member's regular duties of employment.

(C) Not later than thirty days after the original appointments to the Council are made, the Council shall convene its first meeting and elect from among its members a chairperson. The chairperson shall be responsible for convening all meetings and for keeping meeting attendance records and minutes.

A Council member may attend a Council meeting by participating in a conference call, but only if the purpose of the meeting is to gather information, there are no votes scheduled to be taken at the meeting, and a room is made available for the public to observe the meeting. By participating in the conference call, the member shall be considered present at the meeting. In the event that the Council finds it necessary to take a vote at the meeting, a member in attendance by conference call may not participate in the vote.

(D) The Department of Mental Health, the Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, and the Department of Job and Family Services shall provide meeting space, staff services, and technical assistance as necessary for the Council to carry out its duties. To the extent possible, staff services and technical assistance shall be provided by individuals who are employees of the departments on the effective date of this section.

(E) Not later than January 1, 2012, the Council shall submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with section 101.68 of the Revised Code, the General Assembly. On the submission of the report, the Council shall cease to exist.