130th Ohio General Assembly
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Am. Sub. S. B. No. 243  As Enrolled
(129th General Assembly)
(Amended Substitute Senate Bill Number 243)



AN ACT
To amend sections 121.40, 3701.04, 4765.06, 4765.43, 5502.21, 5502.29, and 5502.41, to enact sections 3345.042 and 5502.281, and to repeal section 121.404 of the Revised Code to modify the laws governing the Intrastate Mutual Aid Compact, the volunteer database of the Department of Health and the Emergency Management Agency, to address the transmittal of certain data to the National Emergency Medical Services Information System and to revise ambulance staffing requirements.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio:

SECTION 1.  That sections 121.40, 3701.04, 4765.06, 4765.43, 5502.21, 5502.29, and 5502.41 be amended and sections 3345.042 and 5502.281 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 121.40.  (A) There is hereby created the Ohio commission on service and volunteerism consisting of twenty-one voting members including the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee, the chancellor of the Ohio board of regents or the chancellor's designee, the director of youth services or the director's designee, the director of aging or the director's designee, the chairperson of the committee of the house of representatives dealing with education or the chairperson's designee, the chairperson of the committee of the senate dealing with education or the chairperson's designee, and fifteen members who shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate and who shall serve terms of office of three years. The appointees shall include educators, including teachers and administrators; representatives of youth organizations; students and parents; representatives of organizations engaged in volunteer program development and management throughout the state, including youth and conservation programs; and representatives of business, government, nonprofit organizations, social service agencies, veterans organizations, religious organizations, or philanthropies that support or encourage volunteerism within the state. The director of the governor's office of faith-based and community initiatives shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member of the commission. Members of the commission shall receive no compensation, but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.

(B) The commission shall appoint an executive director for the commission, who shall be in the unclassified civil service. The governor shall be informed of the appointment of an executive director before such an appointment is made. The executive director shall supervise the commission's activities and report to the commission on the progress of those activities. The executive director shall do all things necessary for the efficient and effective implementation of the duties of the commission.

The responsibilities assigned to the executive director do not relieve the members of the commission from final responsibility for the proper performance of the requirements of this section.

(C) The commission or its designee shall do all of the following:

(1) Employ, promote, supervise, and remove all employees as needed in connection with the performance of its duties under this section and may assign duties to those employees as necessary to achieve the most efficient performance of its functions, and to that end may establish, change, or abolish positions, and assign and reassign duties and responsibilities of any employee of the commission. Personnel employed by the commission who are subject to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code shall retain all of their rights and benefits conferred pursuant to that chapter. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as eliminating or interfering with Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code or the rights and benefits conferred under that chapter to public employees or to any bargaining unit.

(2) Maintain its office in Columbus, and may hold sessions at any place within the state;

(3) Acquire facilities, equipment, and supplies necessary to house the commission, its employees, and files and records under its control, and to discharge any duty imposed upon it by law. The expense of these acquisitions shall be audited and paid for in the same manner as other state expenses. For that purpose, the commission shall prepare and submit to the office of budget and management a budget for each biennium according to sections 101.532 and 107.03 of the Revised Code. The budget submitted shall cover the costs of the commission and its staff in the discharge of any duty imposed upon the commission by law. The commission shall not delegate any authority to obligate funds.

(4) Pay its own payroll and other operating expenses from line items designated by the general assembly;

(5) Retain its fiduciary responsibility as appointing authority. Any transaction instructions shall be certified by the appointing authority or its designee.

(6) Establish the overall policy and management of the commission in accordance with this chapter;

(7) Assist in coordinating and preparing the state application for funds under sections 101 to 184 of the "National and Community Service Act of 1990," 104 Stat. 3127 (1990), 42 U.S.C.A. 12411 to 12544, as amended, assist in administering and overseeing the "National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993," P.L. 103-82, 107 Stat. 785, and the americorps program in this state, and assist in developing objectives for a comprehensive strategy to encourage and expand community service programs throughout the state;

(8) Assist the state board of education, school districts, the chancellor of the board of regents, and institutions of higher education in coordinating community service education programs through cooperative efforts between institutions and organizations in the public and private sectors;

(9) Assist the departments of natural resources, youth services, aging, and job and family services in coordinating community service programs through cooperative efforts between institutions and organizations in the public and private sectors;

(10) Suggest individuals and organizations that are available to assist school districts, institutions of higher education, and the departments of natural resources, youth services, aging, and job and family services in the establishment of community service programs and assist in investigating sources of funding for implementing these programs;

(11) Assist in evaluating the state's efforts in providing community service programs using standards and methods that are consistent with any statewide objectives for these programs and provide information to the state board of education, school districts, the chancellor of the board of regents, institutions of higher education, and the departments of natural resources, youth services, aging, and job and family services to guide them in making decisions about these programs;

(12) Assist the state board of education in complying with section 3301.70 of the Revised Code and the chancellor of the board of regents in complying with division (B)(2) of section 3333.043 of the Revised Code;

(13) Advise, assist, consult with, and cooperate with, by contract or otherwise, agencies and political subdivisions of this state in establishing a statewide system for volunteers pursuant to section 121.404 of the Revised Code.

(D) The commission shall in writing enter into an agreement with another state agency to serve as the commission's fiscal agent. Before entering into such an agreement, the commission shall inform the governor of the terms of the agreement and of the state agency designated to serve as the commission's fiscal agent. The fiscal agent shall be responsible for all the commission's fiscal matters and financial transactions, as specified in the agreement. Services to be provided by the fiscal agent include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Preparing and processing payroll and other personnel documents that the commission executes as the appointing authority;

(2) Maintaining ledgers of accounts and reports of account balances, and monitoring budgets and allotment plans in consultation with the commission; and

(3) Performing other routine support services that the fiscal agent considers appropriate to achieve efficiency.

(E)(1) The commission, in conjunction and consultation with the fiscal agent, has the following authority and responsibility relative to fiscal matters:

(a) Sole authority to draw funds for any and all federal programs in which the commission is authorized to participate;

(b) Sole authority to expend funds from their accounts for programs and any other necessary expenses the commission may incur and its subgrantees may incur; and

(c) Responsibility to cooperate with and inform the fiscal agent fully of all financial transactions.

(2) The commission shall follow all state procurement, fiscal, human resources, statutory, and administrative rule requirements.

(3) The fiscal agent shall determine fees to be charged to the commission, which shall be in proportion to the services performed for the commission.

(4) The commission shall pay fees owed to the fiscal agent from a general revenue fund of the commission or from any other fund from which the operating expenses of the commission are paid. Any amounts set aside for a fiscal year for the payment of these fees shall be used only for the services performed for the commission by the fiscal agent in that fiscal year.

(F) The commission may accept and administer grants from any source, public or private, to carry out any of the commission's functions this section establishes.

Sec. 3345.042. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Community college" has the same meaning as in section 3354.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Countywide emergency management agency," "participating political subdivision," "program for emergency management within a political subdivision," and "regional authority for emergency management" have the same meanings as in section 5502.41 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Technical college" has the same meaning as in section 3357.01 of the Revised Code.

(4) "State community college" has the same meaning as in section 3358.01 of the Revised Code.

(5) "State institution of higher education" has the same meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.

(6) "University branch" has the same meaning as in section 3355.01 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, a state institution of higher education is considered to be a participating political subdivision for purposes of the intrastate mutual aid compact created under section 5502.41 of the Revised Code.

(2) A state institution of higher education may elect not to participate in the intrastate mutual aid compact by enacting or adopting an appropriate resolution, rule, bylaw, or regulation to that effect. The institution shall provide a copy of the resolution, rule, bylaw, or regulation to the state emergency management agency and to the countywide emergency management agency, regional authority for emergency management, or program for emergency management within a political subdivision, whichever is responsible for emergency management at the institution.

(C) Except for a community college, state community college, technical college, or university branch, a state institution of higher education and its personnel, while requesting or providing assistance or aid pursuant to the compact, shall be deemed to be performing a public duty as defined in section 2743.01 of the Revised Code and have the defenses to, and immunities from, civil liability provided in section 2743.02 of the Revised Code. Community colleges, state community colleges, technical colleges, university branches, and personnel of such institutions, while requesting or providing assistance or aid pursuant to the compact, shall have the defenses and immunities from civil liability provided in sections 2744.02 and 2744.03 of the Revised Code and shall be entitled to all applicable limitations on recoverable damages under section 2744.05 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3701.04.  (A) The director of health shall:

(1) Require reports and make inspections and investigations that the director considers necessary;

(2) Provide administration, appoint personnel, make reports, and take other action as necessary to comply with the requirements of the "Construction and Modernization of Hospitals and Other Medical Facilities Act," Title VI of the "Public Health Service Act," 60 Stat. 1041 (1946), 42 U.S.C. 291, as amended, and the regulations adopted under that act;

(3) Procure by contract the temporary or intermittent services of experts, consultants, or organizations when those services are to be performed on a part-time or fee-for-service basis and do not involve the performance of administrative duties;

(4) Enter into agreements for the utilization of the facilities and services of other departments, agencies, and institutions, public or private;

(5) On behalf of the state, solicit, accept, hold, administer, and deposit in the state treasury to the credit of the general operations fund created in section 3701.83 of the Revised Code, any grant, gift, devise, bequest, or contribution made to assist in meeting the cost of carrying out the director's responsibilities and expend the grant, gift, devise, bequest, or contribution for the purpose for which made. Fees collected by the director in connection with meetings and conferences shall also be credited to the fund and expended for the purposes for which paid.

(6) Make an annual report to the governor on activities and expenditures, including recommendations for such additional legislation as the director considers appropriate to furnish adequate hospital, clinic, and similar facilities to the people of this state.

(7) Establish (B) The director, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules jointly with the executive director of the emergency management agency to do both of the following, as required by section 5502.281 of the Revised Code:

(1) Advise, assist, consult with, and cooperate with agencies and political subdivisions of this state to establish and maintain a statewide system for recruiting, registering, training, and deploying volunteers the director determines are advisable and reasonably necessary to respond to an emergency involving the public's health declared by the state or a political subdivision;

(2) Establish fees, procedures, standards, and requirements necessary for recruiting, registering, training, and deploying the volunteers.

(B)(C) The director of health may enter into agreements to sell services offered by the department of health to boards of health of city and general health districts and to other departments, agencies, and institutions of this state, other states, or the United States. Fees collected by the director for the sale of services shall be deposited into the state treasury to the credit of the general operations fund created in section 3701.83 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4765.06.  (A) The state board of emergency medical services shall establish an emergency medical services incidence reporting system for the collection of information regarding the delivery of emergency medical services in this state and the frequency at which the services are provided. All emergency medical service organizations shall submit to the board any information that the board determines is necessary for maintaining the incidence reporting system.

(B) The board shall establish a state trauma registry to be used for the collection of information regarding the care of adult and pediatric trauma victims in this state. The registry shall provide for the reporting of adult and pediatric trauma-related deaths, identification of adult and pediatric trauma patients, monitoring of adult and pediatric trauma patient care data, determination of the total amount of uncompensated adult and pediatric trauma care provided annually by each facility that provides care to trauma victims, and collection of any other information specified by the board. All persons designated by the board shall submit to the board any information it determines is necessary for maintaining the state trauma registry. At the request of the board any state agency possessing information regarding adult or pediatric trauma care shall provide the information to the board. The board shall maintain the state trauma registry in accordance with rules adopted under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code.

Rules relating to the state trauma registry adopted under this section and section 4765.11 of the Revised Code shall not prohibit the operation of other trauma registries and may provide for the reporting of information to the state trauma registry by or through other trauma registries in a manner consistent with information otherwise reported to the state trauma registry. Other trauma registries may report aggregate information to the state trauma registry, provided the information can be matched to the person that reported it. Information maintained by another trauma registry and reported to the state trauma registry in lieu of being reported directly to the state trauma registry is a public record and shall be maintained, made available to the public, held in confidence, risk adjusted, and not subject to discovery or introduction into evidence in a civil action as provided in section 149.43 of the Revised Code and this section. Any person who provides, maintains, or risk adjusts such information shall comply with this section and rules adopted under it in performing that function and has the same immunities with respect to that function as a person who performs that function with respect to the state trauma registry.

(C) The board and any employee or contractor of the board or the department of public safety shall not make public information it receives under Chapter 4765. of the Revised Code that identifies or would tend to identify a specific recipient of emergency medical services or adult or pediatric trauma care.

(D) Not later than two years after the effective date of this amendment November 3, 2000, the board shall adopt and implement rules under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code that provide written standards and procedures for risk adjustment of information received by the board under Chapter 4765. of the Revised Code. The rules shall be developed in consultation with appropriate medical, hospital, and emergency medical service organizations and may provide for risk adjustment by a contractor of the board. Before Except as provided in division (G) of this section, before risk adjustment standards and procedures are implemented, no member of the board and no employee or contractor of the board or the department of public safety shall make public information received by the board under Chapter 4765. of the Revised Code that identifies or would tend to identify a specific provider of emergency medical services or adult or pediatric trauma care. After Except as provided in division (G) of this section, after risk adjustment standards and procedures are implemented, the board shall make public such information only on a risk adjusted basis.

(E) The board shall adopt rules under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code that specify procedures for ensuring the confidentiality of information that is not to be made public under this section. The rules shall specify the circumstances in which deliberations of the persons performing risk adjustment functions under this section are not open to the public and records of those deliberations are maintained in confidence. Nothing in this section prohibits the board from making public statistical information that does not identify or tend to identify a specific recipient or provider of emergency medical services or adult or pediatric trauma care.

(F) No provider that furnishes information to the board with respect to any patient the provider examined or treated shall, because of this furnishing, be deemed liable in damages to any person or be held to answer for betrayal of a professional confidence in the absence of willful or wanton misconduct. No such information shall be subject to introduction in evidence in any civil action against the provider. No provider that furnishes information to the board shall be liable for the misuse or improper release of the information by the board or any other person.

No person who performs risk adjustment functions under this section shall, because of performing such functions, be held liable in a civil action for betrayal of professional confidence or otherwise in the absence of willful or wanton misconduct.

(G) The board may transmit data that identifies or tends to identify a specific provider of emergency medical services care and has not been risk-adjusted from the emergency medical services incident reporting system directly to the national emergency medical services information system, pursuant to a written contract between the board and the federal agency that administers the national emergency medical services information system, which shall ensure to the maximum extent permitted by federal law that such agency shall use such data solely for inclusion in the national emergency medical services information system and shall not disclose such data to the public, through legal discovery, a freedom of information request, or otherwise, in a manner that identifies or tends to identify a specific provider of emergency medical services care.

Sec. 4765.43.  (A) During each emergency run made by an ambulance that is equipped for emergency medical services, the emergency medical service organization operating the ambulance shall staff the ambulance in accordance with this section.

For purposes of determining the applicable staffing requirements, both of the following apply:

(1) An emergency run consists of components that are distinguished between the period during which the ambulance is traveling to the scene of an emergency and, if applicable, the period during which the ambulance is transporting a patient from the scene of the emergency.

(2) In the case of an emergency medical service organization that utilizes a combination of volunteer and paid first responders, emergency medical service technicians-basic, emergency medical service technicians-intermediate, or emergency medical service technicians-paramedic, the organization is considered to be substantially utilizing volunteers in a particular week when the paid individuals, taken as a whole, are scheduled for a total of not more than one hundred ninety-two hours in that week.

(B) With respect to the driver of an ambulance during an emergency run, both of the following apply:

(1) The driver must be at least eighteen years of age and hold a valid driver's license.

(2) The driver must hold meet at least one of the following criteria:

(a) Hold a valid certificate issued under section 4765.30 of the Revised Code to practice as a medical first responder, EMT-basic EMT, EMT-I advanced EMT, or paramedic or;

(b) Hold a valid fire training certificate issued pursuant to section 4765.55 of the Revised Code to provide services as a firefighter;

(c) Be employed and in good standing as a sworn sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, police officer, marshal, deputy marshal, or highway patrol trooper in this state;

(d) Have successfully completed either the emergency vehicle operations course approved by the national highway traffic safety administration or an equivalent course approved by the state board of emergency medical services.

(C) With respect to the component of an emergency run during which the ambulance is traveling to the scene of the emergency, the ambulance shall be staffed by at least one EMT-basic EMT, EMT-I advanced EMT, or paramedic. This individual may serve as the driver.

(D) With respect to the component of an emergency run during which a patient is being transported, the ambulance shall be staffed as follows:

(1) If the emergency medical service organization utilizes only paid individuals or utilizes volunteers on a basis that is not considered to be substantially utilizing volunteers, the ambulance shall be staffed by at least two EMTs-basic EMTs, EMTs-I advanced EMTs, or paramedics. One of these individuals may serve as the driver.

(2) If the emergency medical service organization is substantially utilizing volunteers or utilizes only volunteers, the ambulance shall be staffed by at least two EMTs-basic EMTs, EMTs-I advanced EMTs, or paramedics or by at least one first responder and one EMT-basic EMT, EMT-I advanced EMT, or paramedic. One of these individuals may serve as the driver, but if the staffing requirement is being met by utilizing a medical first responder, the medical first responder shall serve as the driver.

Sec. 5502.21.  As used in sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Agency" means any administrative or operational division, including an office, department, bureau, board, commission, or authority, of the state or of a political subdivision thereof, including volunteer agencies, organizations, or departments.

(B) "Attack" means any attack, either actual or imminent, or a series of attacks by an actual or potential enemy of the United States or by a foreign nation upon the United States that causes or may cause substantial damage to or destruction of life, property, or the environment within the United States or that is designed to injure the military or economic strength of the United States. "Attack" includes, without limitation, acts of sabotage, acts of terrorism, invasion, the use of bombs or shellfire, conventional, nuclear, chemical, or biological warfare, and the use of other weapons or processes.

(C) "Chief executive" means the president of the United States, the governor of this state, the board of county commissioners of any county, the board of township trustees of any township, or the mayor or city manager of any municipal corporation within this state.

(D) "Civil defense" is an integral part of emergency management that includes all those activities and measures designed or undertaken to minimize the effects upon the civilian population caused or that would be caused by any hazard and to effect emergency repairs to, or the emergency restoration of, vital equipment, resources, supplies, utilities, and facilities necessary for survival and for the public health, safety, and welfare that would be damaged or destroyed by any hazard. "Civil defense" includes, but is not limited to:

(1) Those measures to be taken during a hazard, including all of the following:

(a) The enforcement of those passive defense regulations necessary for the protection of the civilian population and prescribed by duly established military or civil authorities;

(b) The evacuation of personnel to shelter areas;

(c) The control of traffic and panic situations;

(d) The control and use of emergency communications, lighting, and warning equipment and systems.

(2) Those measures to be taken after a hazard has occurred, including all of the following:

(a) Activities necessary for firefighting, rescue, emergency, medical, health, and sanitation services;

(b) Monitoring for secondary hazards that could be caused from the initiating event;

(c) Damage assessment and disaster analysis operations;

(d) Coordination of disaster assistance programs;

(e) Monitoring for effects from weapons;

(f) Unexploded bomb reconnaissance;

(g) Essential debris clearance;

(h) Decontamination operations;

(i) Documentation of operations and financial expenses;

(j) Resource control;

(k) Any other activities that may be necessary for survival and the overall health, safety, and welfare of the civilian population.

(E) "Disaster" means any imminent threat or actual occurrence of widespread or severe damage to or loss of property, personal hardship or injury, or loss of life that results from any natural phenomenon or act of a human.

(F) Emergency Except as provided in section 5502.41 of the Revised Code, "emergency" means any period during which the congress of the United States or a chief executive has declared or proclaimed that an emergency exists.

(G) "Emergency management" includes all emergency preparedness and civil defense activities and measures, whether or not mentioned or described in sections 5502.21 to 5502.51 of the Revised Code, that are designed or undertaken to minimize the effects upon the civilian population caused or that could be caused by any hazard and that are necessary to address mitigation, emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.

(H) "Emergency preparedness" is an integral part of emergency management that includes those activities and measures designed or undertaken in preparation for any hazard, including, but not limited to, natural disasters and hazards involving hazardous materials or radiological materials, and that will enhance the probability for preservation of life, property, and the environment. "Emergency preparedness" includes, without limitation:

(1) The establishment of appropriate agencies and organizations;

(2) The development of necessary plans and standard operating procedures for mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery purposes, including, without limitation, the development of supporting agreements and memorandums of understanding;

(3) Hazard identification;

(4) Capability assessment;

(5) The recruitment, retention, and training of personnel;

(6) The development, printing, and distribution of emergency public information, education, and training materials and programs;

(7) The necessary conduct of research;

(8) The development of resource inventories;

(9) The procurement and stockpiling of equipment, food, water, medical supplies, and any other supplies necessary for survival and for the public health, safety, and welfare;

(10) The development and construction of public shelter facilities and shelter spaces;

(11) The development and construction of emergency operations centers for the conduct and support of coordination, direction, and control activities;

(12) When appropriate and considered necessary, the nonmilitary evacuation or temporary relocation of the civilian population.

(I) "Hazard" means any actual or imminent threat to the survival or overall health, safety, or welfare of the civilian population that is caused by any natural, human-made, or technological event. "Hazard" includes, without limitation, an attack, disaster, and emergency.

(J) "Hazard identification" means an identification, historical analysis, inventory, or spatial distribution of risks that could affect a specific geographical area and that would cause a threat to the survival, health, safety, or welfare of the civilian population, the property of that population, or the environment.

(K) "Law" includes a general or special statute, law, local law, ordinance, resolution, rule, order, or rule of common law.

(L) "Mitigation" means all those activities that reduce or eliminate the probability of a hazard. "Mitigation" also includes long-term activities and measures designed to reduce the effects of unavoidable hazards.

(M) Political Except as provided in section 5502.41 of the Revised Code, "political subdivision" means a county, township, or municipal corporation in this state.

(N) "Recovery" includes all those activities required and necessary to return an area to its former condition to the extent possible following the occurrence of any hazard.

(O) "Response" includes all those activities that occur subsequent to any hazard and that provide emergency assistance from the effects of any such hazard, reduce the probability of further injury, damage, or destruction, and are designed or undertaken to speed recovery operations.

(P) "Structure" includes shelters, additions to or alterations of existing buildings, and portions of existing buildings dedicated to public use, made and designed exclusively for protection against the shock or other effects of nuclear, biological, or chemical warfare, special housing for equipment, and all other structural means of protection of individuals and property against any hazard.

(Q) "Equipment" includes fire-fighting, first-aid, emergency medical, hospital, salvage, and rescue equipment and materials, equipment for evacuation or relocation of individuals, radiological monitoring equipment, hazardous materials response gear, communications equipment, warning equipment, and all other means, in the nature of personal property, to be used exclusively in the protection of individuals and property against the effects of any hazard.

(R) "Certifying authority" means the executive director of the emergency management agency provided for by section 5502.22 of the Revised Code.

(S) "Civil defense certificate" means a civil defense certificate of necessity issued pursuant to section 5502.42 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5502.281. (A) The executive director of the emergency management agency, jointly with the director of health, shall do both of the following:

(1) Advise, assist, consult with, and cooperate with agencies and political subdivisions of this state to establish and maintain a statewide system for recruiting, registering, training, and deploying the types of volunteers reasonably necessary to respond to an emergency declared by the state or a political subdivision;

(2) Establish fees, procedures, standards, and requirements necessary for recruiting, registering, training, and deploying the volunteers as required under this section.

(B)(1) A registered volunteer's status as a volunteer, and any information presented in summary, statistical, or aggregate form that does not identify an individual, is a public record pursuant to section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(2) Information related to a registered volunteer's specific and unique responsibilities, assignments, or deployment plans, including but not limited to training, preparedness, readiness, or organizational assignment, is a security record for purposes of section 149.433 of the Revised Code.

(3) Information related to a registered volunteer's personal information, including but not limited to contact information, medical information, or information related to family members or dependents, is not a public record pursuant to section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(C) A volunteer registered under this section is not liable in damages to any person or government entity in tort or other civil action, including an action upon a medical, dental, chiropractic, optometric, or other health-related claim or veterinary claim, for injury, death, or loss to person or property that may arise from an act or omission of that volunteer. This division applies to a registered volunteer while providing services within the scope of the volunteer's responsibilities during an emergency declared by the state or political subdivision or in disaster-related exercises, testing, or other training activities, if the volunteer's act or omission does not constitute willful or wanton misconduct.

(D) As used in this section:

(1) "Registered volunteer" means any individual registered as a volunteer pursuant to procedures established under this section and who serves without pay or other consideration, other than the reasonable reimbursement or allowance for expenses actually incurred or the provision of incidental benefits related to the volunteer's service, such as meals, lodging, and child care.

(2) "Political subdivision" means a county, township, or municipal corporation in this state.

Sec. 5502.29.  (A) As used in this section, "political subdivision" has the same meaning as in section 5502.41 of the Revised Code.

(B) Political subdivisions, in collaboration with other public and private agencies within this state, may develop mutual assistance or aid arrangements agreements for reciprocal emergency management assistance or aid and assistance in case of any hazard too great to be dealt with unassisted. Such arrangements shall be consistent with the rules adopted by the director of public safety under section 5502.25 of the Revised Code for purposes of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources. In time of any hazard incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, each political subdivision may render assistance in accordance with such mutual assistance or aid arrangements agreements. Such mutual assistance or aid arrangements agreements shall not in any manner relieve the chief executive elected official of any political subdivision of the responsibility for either entering into a written agreement establishing a countywide emergency management agency under section 5502.26 of the Revised Code, entering into a written agreement establishing a regional authority for emergency management under section 5502.27 of the Revised Code, or establishing a program for providing emergency management under section 5502.271 of the Revised Code.

(C) Political subdivisions, in collaboration with political subdivisions in adjacent states, may develop agreements for mutual assistance or aid for purposes of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources. Each political subdivision may render assistance in accordance with the mutual assistance or aid agreements. A mutual assistance or aid agreement with political subdivisions in adjacent states shall be approved by the chief elected officials of the agreeing political subdivisions or their designees and shall be prepared in accordance with the laws, regulations, ordinances, and resolutions applicable to the agreeing political subdivisions.

(D) When engaged in preparation for, response to, or recovery from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, and in accordance with the applicable mutual assistance or aid agreement, personnel from political subdivisions outside this state shall be permitted to provide services within this state in accordance with this section and the terms of the mutual assistance or aid agreement.

(E) Personnel of the responding political subdivision shall continue under their local command and control structure, but shall be under the operational control of the appropriate officials within the incident management system of the political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid.

(F) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a private company or its employees from participating in the provision of mutual assistance or aid, if the responding political subdivision approves the participation and the contract between the political subdivision and the private company permits the participation.

(G) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit personnel of political subdivisions in this state from responding to a request for mutual assistance or aid resulting from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, when the personnel are responding as part of a regional response team that is under the operational control of the incident command structure.

(H) Whenever a person from outside this state who is subject to a mutual assistance or aid agreement authorized by this section holds a license, certificate, or other permit issued by any state evidencing qualification for professional, mechanical, or other skills, such license, certificate, or other permit shall be recognized by this state as authorizing the person to render assistance or aid in this state involving such skill to meet the request for assistance or aid, so long as the person is acting within the scope of the person's license, certificate, or other permit.

(I) Personnel rendering assistance or aid pursuant to a mutual assistance or aid agreement authorized by this section remain employees or agents of their respective political subdivisions, including for purposes of tort liability and immunity from tort liability, and nothing in this section or any mutual assistance or aid agreement entered into pursuant to this section creates an employment relationship between the political subdivision requesting aid and the employees or agents of the political subdivision rendering aid.

(J) Responding political subdivisions and the personnel of that political subdivision, while rendering assistance or aid under this section, or while in route to or from rendering assistance or aid under this section, in a political subdivision in an adjacent state under an agreement authorized by this section, shall be deemed to be exercising governmental functions as defined in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code, shall have the defenses to and immunities from civil liability provided in sections 2744.02 and 2744.03 of the Revised Code, and shall be entitled to all applicable limitations on recoverable damages under section 2744.05 of the Revised Code.

(K) All pension, disability, death benefits, workers' compensation, and other benefits enjoyed by personnel rendering interstate or intrastate mutual assistance or aid shall extend to the services they perform outside their respective political subdivisions to the same extent as while acting within the boundaries of the political subdivisions, and personnel are entitled to the rights and benefits of Chapter 4123. to the same extent as while performing service within the boundaries of the political subdivisions.

Sec. 5502.41.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Chief executive of a participating political subdivision" means the elected chief executive of a participating political subdivision or, if the political subdivision does not have an elected chief executive, a member of the political subdivision's governing body or an employee of the political subdivision appointed by the governing body's members to be its representative for purposes of the intrastate mutual aid program created pursuant to this section.

(2) "Countywide emergency management agency" means a countywide emergency management agency established under section 5502.26 of the Revised Code.

(2)(3) "Emergency" means any period during which the congress of the United States, a chief executive as defined in section 5502.21 of the Revised Code, or a chief executive of a participating political subdivision has declared or proclaimed that an emergency exists.

(4) "Participating political subdivision" means each political subdivision in this state except a political subdivision that enacts or adopts, by appropriate legislation, ordinance, resolution, rule, bylaw, or regulation signed by its chief executive, a declaration decision not to participate in the intrastate mutual aid program created by this section and that provides a copy of the legislation, ordinance, resolution, rule, bylaw, or regulation to the state emergency management agency and to the countywide emergency management agency, regional authority for emergency management, or program for emergency management within the political subdivision, which is responsible for emergency management in the political subdivision.

(3)(5) "Planned event" means a scheduled nonemergency activity as defined by the national incident management system adopted under section 5502.28 of the Revised Code as the state's standard procedure for incident management. "Planned event" includes, but is not limited to, a sporting event, concert, or parade.

(6) "Political subdivision" or "subdivision" has the same meaning as in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code and also includes a health district established under Chapter 3709. of the Revised Code.

(7) "Program for emergency management within a political subdivision" means a program for emergency management created by a political subdivision under section 5502.271 of the Revised Code.

(4)(8) "Regional authority for emergency management" means a regional authority for emergency management established under section 5502.27 of the Revised Code.

(9) "Regional response team" means a group of persons from participating political subdivisions who provide mutual assistance or aid in preparation for, response to, or recovery from an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources. "Regional response team" includes, but is not limited to, an incident management team, hazardous materials response team, water rescue team, bomb team, or search and rescue team.

(B) There is hereby created the intrastate mutual aid program to be known as "the intrastate mutual aid compact" to complement existing mutual aid agreements in the event of a disaster that results in a formal declaration of emergency by a participating political subdivision. The program shall provide have two purposes:

(1) Provide for mutual assistance or aid among the participating political subdivisions in response to and recovery from any for purposes of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an incident, disaster that results in a formal declaration of emergency by a participating political subdivision; shall provide for mutual cooperation among the participating political subdivisions in conducting disaster-related exercises, testing, or other training activities using the services, equipment, supplies, materials, personnel, and other resources of the participating political subdivisions to simulate the provision of mutual aid; and shall embody, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources;

(2) Establish a method by which a participating political subdivision may seek assistance in the event of a formally declared emergency, which or aid that resolves many of the common issues facing political subdivisions at the time of a formally declared emergency before, during, and after an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, and will ensure that ensures, to the extent possible, eligibility for available state and federal disaster assistance or other funding.

(C) Each countywide emergency management agency, regional authority for emergency management, and program for emergency management within a political subdivision, which is responsible for emergency management in a participating political subdivision shall, as part of its program for emergency management under sections 5502.22, 5502.26, 5502.27, and 5502.271 of the Revised Code, as applicable, and in coordination with all departments, divisions, boards, commissions, agencies, and other instrumentalities of, and having emergency response functions within, each participating that political subdivision served by that agency, authority, or program, shall establish procedures or plans that, to the extent possible, accomplish both of the following:

(1) Identify hazards that potentially could affect the participating political subdivisions served by that agency, authority, or program;

(2) Identify and inventory the current services, equipment, supplies, personnel, and other resources related to the preparedness, response, and recovery activities of the participating political subdivisions served by that agency, authority, or program.

(D)(1) Within one year after December 23, 2002, the The executive director of the state emergency management agency shall coordinate with the countywide emergency management agencies, regional authorities for emergency management, and programs for emergency management within a political subdivision, which are responsible for emergency management in participating political subdivisions, in identifying and formulating appropriate procedures or plans to resolve resource shortfalls, as part of their respective programs for emergency management under sections 5502.22, 5502.26, 5502.27, and 5502.271 of the Revised Code, as applicable.

(2) During and after the formulation of the procedures or plans to resolve resource shortfalls, there shall be ongoing consultation and coordination among the executive director of the state emergency management agency; the countywide emergency management agencies, regional authorities for emergency management, and programs for emergency management within a political subdivision, which are responsible for emergency management in participating political subdivisions; and all departments, divisions, boards, commissions, agencies, and other instrumentalities of, and having emergency response functions within, each participating political subdivision, regarding this section, local procedures and plans, and the resolution of the resource shortfalls.

(E) Participating political subdivisions may request assistance of other participating political subdivisions in response to and recovery from a disaster during formally declared emergencies or in disaster-related exercises, testing, or other training activities. (1) A participating political subdivision that is impacted by an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, may request mutual assistance or aid by doing either of the following:

(a) Declaring a state of emergency and issuing a request for assistance or aid from any other participating political subdivision;

(b) Issuing to another participating political subdivision a verbal or written request for assistance or aid. If the request is made verbally, a written confirmation of the request shall be made not later than seventy-two hours after the verbal request is made.

(2) Requests for assistance or aid made under division (E)(1) of this section shall be made through the emergency management agency of a participating political subdivision or an official designated by the chief executive of the participating political subdivision from which the assistance or aid is requested. Requests may be verbal or in writing. If verbal, the request shall be confirmed in writing within seventy-two hours after the verbal request is made. Requests and shall provide the following information:

(1)(a) A description of the incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency;

(2)(b) A description of the assistance or aid needed;

(3)(c) An estimate of the length of time the assistance or aid will be needed;

(4)(d) The specific place and time for staging of the assistance or aid and a point of contact at that location.

(F) A participating political subdivision's obligation to subdivision shall provide assistance in response to and recovery from a disaster or in disaster-related exercises, testing, or other training activities under this section or aid to another participating political subdivision that is impacted by an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources. The provision of the assistance or aid is subject to the following conditions:

(1) A participating political subdivision requesting assistance must have either declared a state of emergency by resolution of its chief executive or scheduled disaster-related exercises, testing, or other training activities.

(2) A The responding participating political subdivision may withhold resources necessary to provide for its own protection.

(3)(2) Personnel of a the responding participating political subdivision shall continue under their local command and control structure, but shall be under the operational control of the appropriate officials within the incident management system of the participating political subdivision receiving assistance or aid.

(4)(3) Responding law enforcement officers acting pursuant to this section have the same authority to enforce the law as when acting within the territory of their regular employment.

(G)(1) Nothing in this section alters shall do any of the following:

(a) Alter the duties and responsibilities of emergency response personnel;

(b) Prohibit a private company from participating in the provision of mutual assistance or aid pursuant to the compact created pursuant to this section if the participating political subdivision approves the participation and the contract with the private company allows for the participation;

(c) Prohibit employees of participating political subdivisions from responding to a request for mutual assistance or aid precipitated by an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, when the employees are responding as part of a regional response team that is under the operational control of the incident command structure;

(d) Authorize employees of participating political subdivisions to respond to an incident, disaster, exercise, training activity, planned event, or emergency, any of which requires additional resources, without a request from a participating political subdivision.

(2) This section does not preclude a participating political subdivision from entering into a mutual aid or other agreement with another political subdivision, and does not affect any other agreement to which a participating political subdivision may be a party, or any request for assistance or aid that may be made, under any other section of the Revised Code, including, but not limited to, any mutual aid arrangement under this chapter, any fire protection or emergency medical services contract under section 9.60 of the Revised Code, sheriffs' requests for assistance to preserve the public peace and protect persons and property under section 311.07 of the Revised Code, agreements any agreement for mutual assistance or aid in police protection under section 737.04 of the Revised Code, any agreement for law enforcement services between universities and colleges and political subdivisions under section 3345.041 or 3345.21 of the Revised Code, and mutual aid agreements among emergency planning districts for hazardous substances or chemicals response under sections 3750.02 and 3750.03 of the Revised Code.

(H)(1) Personnel of a responding participating political subdivision who suffer injury or death in the course of, and arising out of, their employment while rendering assistance or aid under this section to another participating political subdivision under this section are entitled to all applicable benefits under Chapters 4121. and 4123. of the Revised Code.

(2) Personnel of a responding participating political subdivision shall be considered, while rendering assistance or aid under this section in another participating political subdivision under this section, to be agents of the participating responding political subdivision receiving the assistance for purposes of tort liability and immunity from tort liability under the law of this state.

(3)(a) A responding participating political subdivision and the personnel of that political subdivision, while rendering assistance or aid under this section, or while in route to or from rendering assistance or aid under this section, in another participating political subdivision under this section, shall be deemed to be exercising governmental functions as defined in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code, shall have the defenses to and immunities from civil liability provided in sections 2744.02 and 2744.03 of the Revised Code, and shall be entitled to all applicable limitations on recoverable damages under section 2744.05 of the Revised Code.

(b) A participating political subdivision requesting assistance or aid and the personnel of that political subdivision, while requesting or receiving assistance or aid under this section from any other participating political subdivisions under this section subdivision, shall be deemed to be exercising governmental functions as defined in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code, shall have the defenses to and immunities from civil liability provided in sections 2744.02 and 2744.03 of the Revised Code, and shall be entitled to all applicable limitations on recoverable damages under section 2744.05 of the Revised Code.

(I) If a person holds a license, certificate, or other permit issued by a participating political subdivision evidencing qualification in a professional, mechanical, or other skill, and if the assistance or aid of that person is asked for under this section by a participating political subdivision receiving assistance under this section, the person shall be deemed to be licensed or certified in or permitted by the participating political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid to render the assistance or aid, subject to any limitations and conditions the chief executive of the participating political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid may prescribe by executive order or otherwise.

(J) Except (1) Subject to division (K) of this section and except as otherwise provided in this division (J)(2) of this section, any participating political subdivision rendering assistance or aid under this section in another participating political subdivision under this section shall be reimbursed by the participating political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid for any loss or damage to, or expense incurred in the operation of, any equipment used in rendering the assistance or aid, for any expense incurred in the provision of any service used in rendering the assistance or aid, and for all other costs incurred in responding to the request for assistance or aid. However, a participating political subdivision rendering assistance may assume in whole or in part the loss, damage, expense, or costs, or may loan the equipment or donate the service to the participating political subdivision receiving the assistance without charge or cost; any two or more participating political subdivisions may enter into agreements establishing a different allocation of loss, damage, expense, or costs among themselves; and expenses incurred under division (H)(1) of this section are not reimbursable under this division. To avoid duplication of payments, insurance proceeds available to cover any loss or damage to equipment of a participating political subdivision rendering assistance or aid shall be considered in the reimbursement by the participating political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid.

(2) A participating political subdivision rendering assistance or aid under this section to another participating political subdivision shall not be reimbursed for either of the following:

(a) The first eight hours of mutual assistance or aid it provides to the political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid;

(b) Expenses the participating political subdivision incurs under division (H)(1) of this section.

(K) A participating political subdivision rendering assistance or aid under this section may do any of the following:

(1) Assume, in whole or in part, any loss, damage, expense, or cost the political subdivision incurs in rendering the assistance or aid;

(2) Loan, without charge, any equipment, or donate any service, to the political subdivision receiving the assistance or aid;

(3) Enter into agreements with one or more other participating political subdivisions to establish different allocations of losses, damages, expenses, or costs among such political subdivisions.

SECTION 2. That existing sections 121.40, 3701.04, 4765.06, 4765.43, 5502.21, 5502.29, and 5502.41 and section 121.404 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

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