To amend sections 1509.02, 1509.071, 1509.11, 1509.34, 1513.08, 1513.182, 1514.11, 5703.052, 5705.27, 5705.32, 5747.98, 5749.01, 5749.02, 5749.03, 5749.06, 5749.07, 5749.08, 5749.10, 5749.11, 5749.12, 5749.13, 5749.14, 5749.15, and 5751.01, to enact sections 187.14, 190.01 to 190.05, 321.50, 1509.075, 5747.56, 5747.63, 5749.031, and 5749.18, and to repeal section 1509.50 of the Revised Code to change the basis, rates, and revenue distribution of the severance tax on oil and gas, authorize an income tax credit for oil or gas royalty holders, and to exclude some oil and gas sale receipts from the commercial activity tax base.

Section 1. That sections 1509.02, 1509.071, 1509.11, 1509.34, 1513.08, 1513.182, 1514.11, 5703.052, 5705.27, 5705.32, 5747.98, 5749.01, 5749.02, 5749.03, 5749.06, 5749.07, 5749.08, 5749.10, 5749.11, 5749.12, 5749.13, 5749.14, 5749.15, and 5751.01 be amended and sections 187.14, 190.01, 190.02, 190.03, 190.04, 190.05, 321.50, 1509.075, 5747.56, 5747.63, 5749.031, and 5749.18 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 187.14.  JobsOhio shall do both of the following:

(A) Determine the industries that may relocate to the state to take advantage of inexpensive energy that is available in counties with active oil and gas development, and research and report on programs to encourage those industries to relocate to those counties;

(B) Develop programs to encourage job creation related to the industries described in division (A) of this section.

Sec. 190.01.  As used in this chapter:

(A) "Subdivision" and "permanent improvement" have the same meanings as in section 5705.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) "Eligible subdivision" means an eligible county or a subdivision that is located in an eligible county.

(C) "Eligible county" means a county appearing on the most recent determination certified by the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management under division (C) of section 1509.11 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 190.02.  (A) There is hereby created the Ohio shale gas regional commission, which shall be composed of the following eleven members:

(1) Three members appointed by the governor as follows:

(a) One county commissioner of an eligible county, selected from a list of such commissioners submitted by the county commissioners association of Ohio;

(b) One township trustee of a township that is an eligible subdivision, selected from a list of such trustees submitted by the Ohio township association;

(c) One member of the legislative authority of a municipal corporation that is an eligible subdivision, selected from a list of such members submitted by the Ohio municipal league.

(2) Four members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives as follows:

(a) One county commissioner of an eligible county, selected from a list of such commissioners submitted by the county commissioners association of Ohio;

(b) One township trustee of a township that is an eligible subdivision, selected from a list of such trustees submitted by the Ohio township association;

(c) One member of the legislative authority of a municipal corporation that is an eligible subdivision, selected from a list of such members submitted by the Ohio municipal league;

(d) One member representing an economic development organization representing an area that includes one or more eligible counties.

(3) Four members appointed by the president of the senate as follows:

(a) One county commissioner of an eligible county, selected from a list of such commissioners submitted by the county commissioners association of Ohio;

(b) One township trustee of a township that is an eligible subdivision, selected from a list of such trustees submitted by the Ohio township association;

(c) One member of the legislative authority of a municipal corporation that is an eligible subdivision, selected from a list of such members submitted by the Ohio municipal league;

(d) One member representing the oil and gas industry.

(4) No two members of the commission may be representatives of the same county, township, or municipal corporation.

(B) Members of the commission may be removed by the members' appointing authority. Members may be reappointed to the commission. For the first term occurring after the effective date of this section:

(1) Members described in divisions (A)(1)(a), (2)(b), and (3)(c) of this section shall serve a two-year term.

(2) Members described in divisions (A)(1)(b), (2)(c) and (d), and (3)(a) of this section shall serve a three-year term.

(3) Members described in divisions (A)(1)(c), (2)(a), and (3)(b) and (d) of this section shall serve a four-year term.

For every term thereafter, members shall serve four-year terms. Any member appointed to the commission under this section shall hold office until the later of the end of the term for which the member is appointed or the date the member's successor takes office. A vacancy occurring among the members shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Members of the commission shall not be compensated or reimbursed for members' expenses.

(C) At the first meeting, which shall occur not later than one year after the effective date of this section, members of the commission shall elect a chair. The commission shall meet annually or more frequently at the call of the chair. A majority of the commission constitutes a quorum. The commission is a public body for purposes of section 121.22 of the Revised Code. Records of the commission are public records for the purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(D) Serving as a member of the Ohio shale gas regional commission does not constitute holding a public office or position of employment under the laws of this state and does not confer a right to compensation from any agency of this state. A member of the commission does not have an unlawful interest in a public contract under section 2921.42 of the Revised Code solely because the eligible subdivision of which the member is also a public official receives a grant from the Ohio shale gas infrastructure development fund or the severance tax legacy fund.

Sections 101.82 to 101.87 of the Revised Code do not apply to the Ohio shale gas regional commission.

Sec. 190.03.  There is hereby created in the state treasury the Ohio shale gas infrastructure development fund. The fund shall consist of moneys transferred to it from the local government reimbursement fund under section 5747.56 of the Revised Code. Money in the fund shall be used to award grants under section 190.05 of the Revised Code to eligible subdivisions exclusively to pay for permanent improvements. Interest earned on the money in the fund shall be credited to the fund.

Sec. 190.04.  There is hereby created in the state treasury the severance tax legacy fund. The fund shall consist of moneys transferred to it from the local government reimbursement fund under section 5747.56 of the Revised Code. The general assembly shall not appropriate money from the fund until fiscal year 2025. The general assembly shall not appropriate money from the severance tax legacy fund for any fiscal year in excess of the amount of interest earned by the fund in the preceding fiscal year. Beginning fiscal year 2025, money in the fund shall be used to award grants under section 190.05 of the Revised Code for projects in subdivisions that are or were eligible subdivisions for any fiscal year to foster long-term prosperity and a positive legacy in the subdivision. Interest earned on the money in the fund shall be credited to the fund.

Sec. 190.05. (A)(1) An eligible subdivision may submit a request to the Ohio shale gas regional commission to receive a grant from the Ohio shale gas infrastructure development fund to fund permanent improvements. The commission shall review each submitted request and recommend to the Ohio public works commission whether the Ohio public works commission should approve a grant from the fund to the requesting eligible subdivision to pay all or a portion of the cost of permanent improvements.

(2) On or after July 1, 2024, a subdivision that is or has been an eligible subdivision may submit a request to the Ohio shale gas regional commission to receive a grant from the severance tax legacy fund. The commission shall review each submitted request and recommend to the Ohio public works commission whether the Ohio public works commission should approve a grant from the severance tax legacy fund to the requesting subdivision.

(B) The Ohio public works commission shall not approve a grant to a subdivision whose request does not meet the requirements of this chapter. The director of the Ohio public works commission shall notify the director of budget and management of the amount of any grant awarded by the Ohio public works commission under division (A) of this section. Notwithstanding section 126.14 of the Revised Code, the director of budget and management shall release appropriations from the Ohio shale gas infrastructure development fund or the severance tax legacy fund for the purpose of awarding a grant to a subdivision on the presentation of a request to do so by the director of the Ohio public works commission.

Sec. 321.50.  Every county treasurer shall create in the county treasury a severance tax infrastructure fund. The treasurer shall deposit any money received by the treasurer under section 5747.56 of the Revised Code into the fund. The treasurer shall notify the county auditor whenever the treasurer deposits money into the fund.

Within ten days after receiving such a notice from the treasurer, the auditor shall schedule a hearing of the county budget commission and notify applicable taxing authorities as provided in section 5705.27 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 1509.02. (A) There is hereby created in the department of natural resources the division of oil and gas resources management, which shall be administered by the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management. The division has sole and exclusive authority to regulate the permitting, location, and spacing of oil and gas wells and production operations within the state, excepting only those activities regulated under federal laws for which oversight has been delegated to the environmental protection agency and activities regulated under sections 6111.02 to 6111.028 of the Revised Code. The regulation of oil and gas activities is a matter of general statewide interest that requires uniform statewide regulation, and this chapter and rules adopted under it constitute a comprehensive plan with respect to all aspects of the locating, drilling, well stimulation, completing, and operating of oil and gas wells within this state, including site construction and restoration, permitting related to those activities, and the disposal of wastes from those wells. In order to assist the division in the furtherance of its sole and exclusive authority as established in this section, the chief may enter into cooperative agreements with other state agencies for advice and consultation, including visitations at the surface location of a well on behalf of the division. Such cooperative agreements do not confer on other state agencies any authority to administer or enforce this chapter and rules adopted under it. In addition, such cooperative agreements shall not be construed to dilute or diminish the division's sole and exclusive authority as established in this section. Nothing in this section affects the authority granted to the director of transportation and local authorities in section 723.01 or 4513.34 of the Revised Code, provided that the authority granted under those sections shall not be exercised in a manner that discriminates against, unfairly impedes, or obstructs oil and gas activities and operations regulated under this chapter.

The chief shall not hold any other public office, nor shall the chief be engaged in any occupation or business that might interfere with or be inconsistent with the duties as chief.

All moneys The following shall be credited to the oil and gas well fund, which is hereby created in the state treasury: all money collected by the chief pursuant to sections 1509.06, 1509.061, 1509.062, 1509.071, 1509.13, 1509.22, 1509.222, 1509.28, and 1509.34, and 1509.50 of the Revised Code, ninety per cent of moneys received by the treasurer of state from the tax levied in divisions (A)(5) and (6) of money transferred from the oil and gas severance tax fund created in section 5749.02 of the Revised Code, all civil penalties paid under section 1509.33 of the Revised Code, and, notwithstanding any section of the Revised Code relating to the distribution or crediting of fines for violations of the Revised Code, all fines imposed under divisions (A) and (B) of section 1509.99 of the Revised Code and fines imposed under divisions (C) and (D) of section 1509.99 of the Revised Code for all violations prosecuted by the attorney general and for violations prosecuted by prosecuting attorneys that do not involve the transportation of brine by vehicle shall be deposited into the state treasury to the credit of the oil and gas well fund, which is hereby created. Fines imposed under divisions (C) and (D) of section 1509.99 of the Revised Code for violations prosecuted by prosecuting attorneys that involve the transportation of brine by vehicle and penalties associated with a compliance agreement entered into pursuant to this chapter shall be paid to the county treasury of the county where the violation occurred.

The fund shall be used solely and exclusively for the purposes enumerated in division (B) of section 1509.071 of the Revised Code, for the expenses of the division associated with the administration of this chapter and Chapter 1571. of the Revised Code and rules adopted under them, and for expenses that are critical and necessary for the protection of human health and safety and the environment related to oil and gas production in this state. The expenses of the division in excess of the moneys available in the fund shall be paid from general revenue fund appropriations to the department.

(B) Not less than fourteen per cent of the revenue credited to the oil and gas well fund from sources other than the oil and gas severance tax fund shall be transferred to the well plugging fund created in section 1509.075 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 1509.071.  (A) When the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management finds that an owner has failed to comply with a final nonappealable order issued or compliance agreement entered into under section 1509.04, the restoration requirements of section 1509.072, plugging requirements of section 1509.12, or permit provisions of section 1509.13 of the Revised Code, or rules and orders relating thereto, the chief shall make a finding of that fact and declare any surety bond filed to ensure compliance with those sections and rules forfeited in the amount set by rule of the chief. The chief thereupon shall certify the total forfeiture to the attorney general, who shall proceed to collect the amount of the forfeiture. In addition, the chief may require an owner, operator, producer, or other person who forfeited a surety bond to post a new surety bond in the amount of fifteen thousand dollars for a single well, thirty thousand dollars for two wells, or fifty thousand dollars for three or more wells.

In lieu of total forfeiture, the surety or owner, at the surety's or owner's option, may cause the well to be properly plugged and abandoned and the area properly restored or pay to the treasurer of state the cost of plugging and abandonment.

(B) All moneys collected because of forfeitures of bonds as provided in this section shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the oil and gas well fund created in section 1509.02 of the Revised Code.

The chief annually shall may spend not less than fourteen per cent of the revenue credited to the oil and gas well fund during the previous fiscal year for the following purposes:

(1) In accordance with division (D) of this section, to plug idle and orphaned wells or to restore the land surface properly as required in section 1509.072 of the Revised Code;

(2) In accordance with division (E) of this section, to correct conditions that the chief reasonably has determined are causing imminent health or safety risks at an idle and orphaned well or a well for which the owner cannot be contacted in order to initiate a corrective action within a reasonable period of time as determined by the chief.

Expenditures from the fund shall be made only for lawful purposes. In addition, expenditures from the fund shall not be made to purchase real property or to remove a dwelling in order to access a well.

(C)(1) Upon determining that the owner of a well has failed to properly plug and abandon it or to properly restore the land surface at the well site in compliance with the applicable requirements of this chapter and applicable rules adopted and orders issued under it or that a well is an abandoned well for which no funds are available to plug the well in accordance with this chapter, the chief shall do all of the following:

(a) Determine from the records in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the well is located the identity of the owner of the land on which the well is located, the identity of the owner of the oil or gas lease under which the well was drilled or the identity of each person owning an interest in the lease, and the identities of the persons having legal title to, or a lien upon, any of the equipment appurtenant to the well;

(b) Mail notice to the owner of the land on which the well is located informing the landowner that the well is to be plugged. If the owner of the oil or gas lease under which the well was drilled is different from the owner of the well or if any persons other than the owner of the well own interests in the lease, the chief also shall mail notice that the well is to be plugged to the owner of the lease or to each person owning an interest in the lease, as appropriate.

(c) Mail notice to each person having legal title to, or a lien upon, any equipment appurtenant to the well, informing the person that the well is to be plugged and offering the person the opportunity to plug the well and restore the land surface at the well site at the person's own expense in order to avoid forfeiture of the equipment to this state.

(2) If none of the persons described in division (C)(1)(c) of this section plugs the well within sixty days after the mailing of the notice required by that division, all equipment appurtenant to the well is hereby declared to be forfeited to this state without compensation and without the necessity for any action by the state for use to defray the cost of plugging and abandoning the well and restoring the land surface at the well site.

(D) Expenditures from the fund for the purpose of division (B)(1) of this section shall be made in accordance with either of the following:

(1) The expenditures may be made pursuant to contracts entered into by the chief with persons who agree to furnish all of the materials, equipment, work, and labor as specified and provided in such a contract for activities associated with the restoration or plugging of a well as determined by the chief. The activities may include excavation to uncover a well, geophysical methods to locate a buried well when clear evidence of leakage from the well exists, cleanout of wellbores to remove material from a failed plugging of a well, plugging operations, installation of vault and vent systems, including associated engineering certifications and permits, restoration of property, and repair of damage to property that is caused by such activities. Expenditures shall not be used for salaries, maintenance, equipment, or other administrative purposes, except for costs directly attributed to the plugging of an idle and orphaned well. Agents or employees of persons contracting with the chief for a restoration or plugging project may enter upon any land, public or private, on which the well is located for the purpose of performing the work. Prior to such entry, the chief shall give to the following persons written notice of the existence of a contract for a project to restore or plug a well, the names of the persons with whom the contract is made, and the date that the project will commence: the owner of the well, the owner of the land upon which the well is located, the owner or agents of adjoining land, and, if the well is located in the same township as or in a township adjacent to the excavations and workings of a mine and the owner or lessee of that mine has provided written notice identifying those townships to the chief at any time during the immediately preceding three years, the owner or lessee of the mine.

(2)(a) The owner of the land on which a well is located who has received notice under division (C)(1)(b) of this section may plug the well and be reimbursed by the division of oil and gas resources management for the reasonable cost of plugging the well. In order to plug the well, the landowner shall submit an application to the chief on a form prescribed by the chief and approved by the technical advisory council on oil and gas created in section 1509.38 of the Revised Code. The application, at a minimum, shall require the landowner to provide the same information as is required to be included in the application for a permit to plug and abandon under section 1509.13 of the Revised Code. The application shall be accompanied by a copy of a proposed contract to plug the well prepared by a contractor regularly engaged in the business of plugging oil and gas wells. The proposed contract shall require the contractor to furnish all of the materials, equipment, work, and labor necessary to plug the well properly and shall specify the price for doing the work, including a credit for the equipment appurtenant to the well that was forfeited to the state through the operation of division (C)(2) of this section. Expenditures under division (D)(2)(a) of this section shall be consistent with the expenditures for activities described in division (D)(1) of this section. The application also shall be accompanied by the permit fee required by section 1509.13 of the Revised Code unless the chief, in the chief's discretion, waives payment of the permit fee. The application constitutes an application for a permit to plug and abandon the well for the purposes of section 1509.13 of the Revised Code.

(b) Within thirty days after receiving an application and accompanying proposed contract under division (D)(2)(a) of this section, the chief shall determine whether the plugging would comply with the applicable requirements of this chapter and applicable rules adopted and orders issued under it and whether the cost of the plugging under the proposed contract is reasonable. If the chief determines that the proposed plugging would comply with those requirements and that the proposed cost of the plugging is reasonable, the chief shall notify the landowner of that determination and issue to the landowner a permit to plug and abandon the well under section 1509.13 of the Revised Code. Upon approval of the application and proposed contract, the chief shall transfer ownership of the equipment appurtenant to the well to the landowner. The chief may disapprove an application submitted under division (D)(2)(a) of this section if the chief determines that the proposed plugging would not comply with the applicable requirements of this chapter and applicable rules adopted and orders issued under it, that the cost of the plugging under the proposed contract is unreasonable, or that the proposed contract is not a bona fide, arm's length contract.

(c) After receiving the chief's notice of the approval of the application and permit to plug and abandon a well under division (D)(2)(b) of this section, the landowner shall enter into the proposed contract to plug the well.

(d) Upon determining that the plugging has been completed in compliance with the applicable requirements of this chapter and applicable rules adopted and orders issued under it, the chief shall reimburse the landowner for the cost of the plugging as set forth in the proposed contract approved by the chief. The reimbursement shall be paid from the oil and gas well fund. If the chief determines that the plugging was not completed in accordance with the applicable requirements, the chief shall not reimburse the landowner for the cost of the plugging, and the landowner or the contractor, as applicable, promptly shall transfer back to this state title to and possession of the equipment appurtenant to the well that previously was transferred to the landowner under division (D)(2)(b) of this section. If any such equipment was removed from the well during the plugging and sold, the landowner shall pay to the chief the proceeds from the sale of the equipment, and the chief promptly shall pay the moneys so received to the treasurer of state for deposit into the oil and gas well fund.

The chief may establish an annual limit on the number of wells that may be plugged under division (D)(2) of this section or an annual limit on the expenditures to be made under that division.

As used in division (D)(2) of this section, "plug" and "plugging" include the plugging of the well and the restoration of the land surface disturbed by the plugging.

(E) Expenditures from the oil and gas well fund for the purpose of division (B)(2) of this section may be made pursuant to contracts entered into by the chief with persons who agree to furnish all of the materials, equipment, work, and labor as specified and provided in such a contract. The competitive bidding requirements of Chapter 153. of the Revised Code do not apply if the chief reasonably determines that an emergency situation exists requiring immediate action for the correction of the applicable health or safety risk. A contract or purchase of materials for purposes of addressing the emergency situation is not subject to division (B) of section 127.16 of the Revised Code. The chief, designated representatives of the chief, and agents or employees of persons contracting with the chief under this division may enter upon any land, public or private, for the purpose of performing the work.

(F) Contracts entered into by the chief under this section are not subject to any of the following:

(1) Chapter 4115. of the Revised Code;

(2) Section 153.54 of the Revised Code, except that the contractor shall obtain and provide to the chief as a bid guaranty a surety bond or letter of credit in an amount equal to ten per cent of the amount of the contract;

(3) Section 4733.17 of the Revised Code.

(G) The owner of land on which a well is located who has received notice under division (C)(1)(b) of this section, in lieu of plugging the well in accordance with division (D)(2) of this section, may cause ownership of the well to be transferred to an owner who is lawfully doing business in this state and who has met the financial responsibility requirements established under section 1509.07 of the Revised Code, subject to the approval of the chief. The transfer of ownership also shall be subject to the landowner's filing the appropriate forms required under section 1509.31 of the Revised Code and providing to the chief sufficient information to demonstrate the landowner's or owner's right to produce a formation or formations. That information may include a deed, a lease, or other documentation of ownership or property rights.

The chief shall approve or disapprove the transfer of ownership of the well. If the chief approves the transfer, the owner is responsible for operating the well in accordance with this chapter and rules adopted under it, including, without limitation, all of the following:

(1) Filing an application with the chief under section 1509.06 of the Revised Code if the owner intends to drill deeper or produce a formation that is not listed in the records of the division for that well;

(2) Taking title to and possession of the equipment appurtenant to the well that has been identified by the chief as having been abandoned by the former owner;

(3) Complying with all applicable requirements that are necessary to drill deeper, plug the well, or plug back the well.

(H) The chief shall issue an order that requires the owner of a well to pay the actual documented costs of a corrective action that is described in division (B)(2) of this section concerning the well. The chief shall transmit the money so recovered to the treasurer of state who shall deposit the money in the state treasury to the credit of the oil and gas well fund.

(I) The chief may engage in cooperative projects under this section with any agency of this state, another state, or the United States; any other governmental agencies; or any state university or college as defined in section 3345.27 of the Revised Code. A contract entered into for purposes of a cooperative project is not subject to division (B) of section 127.16 of the Revised Code.

(J) On or before the last day of June of each year, the chief shall deliver to the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate a report listing the projected amount of money to be spent from the oil or gas well fund or the well plugging fund to plug each idle or orphaned well that the chief estimates will begin to be plugged in the following fiscal year and the locations of such wells, and the number and location of all idle or orphaned wells plugged in the preceding fiscal year using money from the oil or gas well fund or the well plugging fund and the amount spent from each fund to plug such wells.

Sec. 1509.075.  (A) There is hereby created in the division of oil and gas resources management the idle and orphaned well program. The chief shall provide staff for the program sufficient to identify, locate, and plug idle and orphaned wells located in this state and perform the duties required under this section.

(B) Subject to the supervision of the chief, the idle and orphaned well program shall do both of the following:

(1) Develop and maintain an inventory of all known and suspected idle and orphaned wells located in this state;

(2) Prioritize the plugging of idle and orphaned wells identified in that inventory based on the relative risk of those wells to public health and safety.

(C) There is hereby created in the state treasury the well plugging fund, which shall consist of money transferred to the fund from the oil and gas severance tax fund under division (D)(7) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code and the oil and gas well fund under division (B) of section 1509.02 of the Revised Code. The chief shall use the money in the well plugging fund exclusively for the purposes described in division (B) of section 1509.071 of the Revised Code and subject to the requirements and limitations imposed by that section related to the expenditure of funds for those purposes.

Expenditures from the fund shall be made only for lawful purposes and shall not be made to purchase real property or to remove a dwelling in order to access a well.

Sec. 1509.11. (A)(1) The owner of any well, except a horizontal well, that is producing or capable of producing oil or gas shall file with the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management, on or before the thirty-first day of March, a statement of production of oil, gas, and brine for the last preceding calendar year in such form as the chief may prescribe. An owner that has more than one hundred such wells in this state shall submit electronically the statement of production in a format that is approved by the chief. The chief shall include on the form, at the minimum, a request for the submittal of the information that a person who is regulated under this chapter is required to submit under the "Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986," 100 Stat. 1728, 42 U.S.C.A. 11001, and regulations adopted under it, and that the division of oil and gas resources management does not obtain through other reporting mechanisms.

(2) The owner of any horizontal well that is producing or capable of producing oil or gas shall file with the chief, on the forty-fifth day following the close of each calendar quarter, a statement of production of oil, gas, and brine for the preceding calendar quarter in a form that the chief prescribes. An owner that has more than one hundred horizontal wells in this state shall submit electronically the statement of production in a format that is approved by the chief. The chief shall include on the form, at a minimum, a request for the submittal of the information that a person who is regulated under this chapter is required to submit under the "Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986," 100 Stat. 1728, 42 U.S.C. 11001, and regulations adopted under it, and that the division does not obtain through other reporting mechanisms.

(B) The chief shall not disclose information received from the department of taxation under division (C)(12) of section 5703.21 of the Revised Code until the related statement of production required by division (A) of this section is filed with the chief.

(C) Not later than the fifteenth day of June of each year, the chief shall determine the counties in the state in which at least one well producing oil or gas in the Utica or Marcellus formation in the preceding calendar year was located and certify that determination to the chair of the Ohio shale gas regional commission and the director of the Ohio public works commission.

(D) The chief, through the idle and orphaned well program, shall investigate a well to determine if it is an idle or orphaned well if either of the following occurs, unless the well is under temporary inactive well status pursuant to section 1509.062 of the Revised Code:

(1) If the well is not a horizontal well, the owner of the well does not submit a statement of production required under division (A)(1) of this section for two consecutive years.

(2) If the well is a horizontal well, the owner of the well does not submit a statement of production required under division (A)(2) of this section for eight consecutive calendar quarters.

Sec. 1509.34. (A)(1) If an owner fails to pay the fees imposed by this chapter, or if the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management incurs costs under division (E) of section 1509.071 of the Revised Code to correct conditions associated with the owner's well that the chief reasonably has determined are causing imminent health or safety risks, the division of oil and gas resources management shall have a priority lien against that owner's interest in the applicable well in front of all other creditors for the amount of any such unpaid fees and costs incurred. The chief shall file a statement in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the applicable well is located of the amount of the unpaid fees and costs incurred as described in this division. The statement shall constitute a lien on the owner's interest in the well as of the date of the filing. The lien shall remain in force so long as any portion of the lien remains unpaid or until the chief issues a certificate of release of the lien. If the chief issues a certificate of release of the lien, the chief shall file the certificate of release in the office of the applicable county recorder.

(2) A lien imposed under division (A)(1) of this section shall be in addition to any lien imposed by the attorney general for failure to pay the assessment imposed by section 1509.50 of the Revised Code or the tax levied under division (A)(B)(5) or (6) or (C) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code, as applicable.

(3) If the attorney general cannot collect from a severer or an owner for an outstanding balance of amounts due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code or of unpaid taxes levied under division (A)(B)(5) or (6) or (C) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code, as applicable, the tax commissioner may request the chief to impose a priority lien against the owner's interest in the applicable well. Such a lien has priority in front of all other creditors.

(B) The chief promptly shall issue a certificate of release of a lien under either of the following circumstances:

(1) Upon the repayment in full of the amount of unpaid fees imposed by this chapter or costs incurred by the chief under division (E) of section 1509.071 of the Revised Code to correct conditions associated with the owner's well that the chief reasonably has determined are causing imminent health or safety risks;

(2) Any other circumstance that the chief determines to be in the best interests of the state.

(C) The chief may modify the amount of a lien under this section. If the chief modifies a lien, the chief shall file a statement in the office of the county recorder of the applicable county of the new amount of the lien.

(D) An owner regarding which the division has recorded a lien against the owner's interest in a well in accordance with this section shall not transfer a well, lease, or mineral rights to another owner or person until the chief issues a certificate of release for each lien against the owner's interest in the well.

(E) All money from the collection of liens under this section shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the oil and gas well fund created in section 1509.02 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 1513.08.  (A) After a coal mining and reclamation permit application has been approved, the applicant shall file with the chief of the division of mineral resources management, on a form prescribed and furnished by the chief, the performance security required under this section that shall be payable to the state and conditioned on the faithful performance of all the requirements of this chapter and rules adopted under it and the terms and conditions of the permit.

(B) Using the information contained in the permit application; the requirements contained in the approved permit and reclamation plan; and, after considering the topography, geology, hydrology, and revegetation potential of the area of the approved permit, the probable difficulty of reclamation; the chief shall determine the estimated cost of reclamation under the initial term of the permit if the reclamation has to be performed by the division of mineral resources management in the event of forfeiture of the performance security by the applicant. The chief shall send written notice of the amount of the estimated cost of reclamation by certified mail to the applicant. The applicant shall send written notice to the chief indicating the method by which the applicant will provide the performance security pursuant to division (C) of this section.

(C) The applicant shall provide the performance security in an amount using one of the following:

(1) If the applicant elects to provide performance security without reliance on the reclamation forfeiture fund created in section 1513.18 of the Revised Code, the amount of the estimated cost of reclamation as determined by the chief under division (B) of this section for the increments of land on which the operator will conduct a coal mining and reclamation operation under the initial term of the permit as indicated in the application;

(2) If the applicant elects to provide performance security together with reliance on the reclamation forfeiture fund through payment of the additional tax on the severance of coal that is levied under division (A)(B)(8) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code, an amount of twenty-five hundred dollars per acre of land on which the operator will conduct coal mining and reclamation under the initial term of the permit as indicated in the application. However, in order for an applicant to be eligible to provide performance security in accordance with division (C)(2) of this section, the applicant, an owner and controller of the applicant, or an affiliate of the applicant shall have held a permit issued under this chapter for any coal mining and reclamation operation for a period of not less than five years. In the event of forfeiture of performance security that was provided in accordance with division (C)(2) of this section, the difference between the amount of that performance security and the estimated cost of reclamation as determined by the chief under division (B) of this section shall be obtained from money in the reclamation forfeiture fund as needed to complete the reclamation.

The performance security provided under division (C) of this section for the entire area to be mined under one permit issued under this chapter shall not be less than ten thousand dollars.

The performance security shall cover areas of land affected by mining within or immediately adjacent to the permitted area, so long as the total number of acres does not exceed the number of acres for which the performance security is provided. However, the authority for the performance security to cover areas of land immediately adjacent to the permitted area does not authorize a permittee to mine areas outside an approved permit area. As succeeding increments of coal mining and reclamation operations are to be initiated and conducted within the permit area, the permittee shall file with the chief additional performance security to cover the increments in accordance with this section. If a permittee intends to mine areas outside the approved permit area, the permittee shall provide additional performance security in accordance with this section to cover the areas to be mined.

If an applicant or permittee has not held a permit issued under this chapter for any coal mining and reclamation operation for a period of five years or more, the applicant or permittee shall provide performance security in accordance with division (C)(1) of this section in the full amount of the estimated cost of reclamation as determined by the chief for a permitted coal preparation plant or coal refuse disposal area that is not located within a permitted area of a mine. If an applicant for a permit for a coal preparation plant or coal refuse disposal area or a permittee of a permitted coal preparation plant or coal refuse disposal area that is not located within a permitted area of a mine has held a permit issued under this chapter for any coal mining and reclamation operation for a period of five years or more, the applicant or permittee may provide performance security for the coal preparation plant or coal refuse disposal area either in accordance with division (C)(1) of this section in the full amount of the estimated cost of reclamation as determined by the chief or in accordance with division (C)(2) of this section in an amount of twenty-five hundred dollars per acre of land with reliance on the reclamation forfeiture fund. If a permittee has previously provided performance security under division (C)(1) of this section for a coal preparation plant or coal refuse disposal area that is not located within a permitted area of a mine and elects to provide performance security in accordance with division (C)(2) of this section, the permittee shall submit written notice to the chief indicating that the permittee elects to provide performance security in accordance with division (C)(2) of this section. Upon receipt of such a written notice, the chief shall release to the permittee the amount of the performance security previously provided under division (C)(1) of this section that exceeds the amount of performance security that is required to be provided under division (C)(2) of this section.

(D) A permittee's liability under the performance security shall be limited to the obligations established under the permit, which include completion of the reclamation plan in order to make the land capable of supporting the postmining land use that was approved in the permit. The period of liability under the performance security shall be for the duration of the coal mining and reclamation operation and for a period coincident with the operator's responsibility for revegetation requirements under section 1513.16 of the Revised Code.

(E) The amount of the estimated cost of reclamation determined under division (B) of this section and the amount of a permittee's performance security provided in accordance with division (C)(1) of this section shall be adjusted by the chief as the land that is affected by mining increases or decreases or if the cost of reclamation increases or decreases. If the performance security was provided in accordance with division (C)(2) of this section and the chief has issued a cessation order under division (D)(2) of section 1513.02 of the Revised Code for failure to abate a violation of the contemporaneous reclamation requirement under division (A)(15) of section 1513.16 of the Revised Code, the chief may require the permittee to increase the amount of performance security from twenty-five hundred dollars per acre of land to five thousand dollars per acre of land.

The chief shall notify the permittee, each surety, and any person who has a property interest in the performance security and who has requested to be notified of any proposed adjustment to the performance security. The permittee may request an informal conference with the chief concerning the proposed adjustment, and the chief shall provide such an informal conference.

If the chief increases the amount of performance security under this division, the permittee shall provide additional performance security in an amount determined by the chief. If the chief decreases the amount of performance security under this division, the chief shall determine the amount of the reduction of the performance security and send written notice of the amount of reduction to the permittee. The permittee may reduce the amount of the performance security in the amount determined by the chief.

(F) A permittee may request a reduction in the amount of the performance security by submitting to the chief documentation proving that the amount of the performance security provided by the permittee exceeds the estimated cost of reclamation if the reclamation would have to be performed by the division in the event of forfeiture of the performance security. The chief shall examine the documentation and determine whether the permittee's performance security exceeds the estimated cost of reclamation. If the chief determines that the performance security exceeds that estimated cost, the chief shall determine the amount of the reduction of the performance security and send written notice of the amount to the permittee. The permittee may reduce the amount of the performance security in the amount determined by the chief. Adjustments in the amount of performance security under this division shall not be considered release of performance security and are not subject to section 1513.16 of the Revised Code.

(G) If the performance security is a bond, it shall be executed by the operator and a corporate surety licensed to do business in this state. If the performance security is a cash deposit or negotiable certificates of deposit of a bank or savings and loan association, the bank or savings and loan association shall be licensed and operating in this state. The cash deposit or market value of the securities shall be equal to or greater than the amount of the performance security required under this section. The chief shall review any documents pertaining to the performance security and approve or disapprove the documents. The chief shall notify the applicant of the chief's determination.

(H) If the performance security is a bond, the chief may accept the bond of the applicant itself without separate surety when the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the chief the existence of a suitable agent to receive service of process and a history of financial solvency and continuous operation sufficient for authorization to self-insure or bond the amount.

(I) Performance security provided under this section may be held in trust, provided that the state is the primary beneficiary of the trust and the custodian of the performance security held in trust is a bank, trust company, or other financial institution that is licensed and operating in this state. The chief shall review the trust document and approve or disapprove the document. The chief shall notify the applicant of the chief's determination.

(J) If a surety, bank, savings and loan association, trust company, or other financial institution that holds the performance security required under this section becomes insolvent, the permittee shall notify the chief of the insolvency, and the chief shall order the permittee to submit a plan for replacement performance security within thirty days after receipt of notice from the chief. If the permittee provided performance security in accordance with division (C)(1) of this section, the permittee shall provide the replacement performance security within ninety days after receipt of notice from the chief. If the permittee provided performance security in accordance with division (C)(2) of this section, the permittee shall provide the replacement performance security within one year after receipt of notice from the chief, and, for a period of one year after the permittee's receipt of notice from the chief or until the permittee provides the replacement performance security, whichever occurs first, money in the reclamation forfeiture fund shall be the permittee's replacement performance security in an amount not to exceed the estimated cost of reclamation as determined by the chief.

(K) If a permittee provided performance security in accordance with division (C)(1) of this section, the permittee's responsibility for repairing material damage and replacement of water supply resulting from subsidence shall be satisfied by either of the following:

(1) The purchase prior to mining of a noncancelable premium-prepaid liability insurance policy in lieu of the permittee's performance security for subsidence damage. The insurance policy shall contain terms and conditions that specifically provide coverage for repairing material damage and replacement of water supply resulting from subsidence.

(2) The provision of additional performance security in the amount of the estimated cost to the division of mineral resources management to repair material damage and replace water supplies resulting from subsidence until the repair or replacement is completed. However, if such repair or replacement is completed, or compensation for structures that have been damaged by subsidence is provided, by the permittee within ninety days of the occurrence of the subsidence, additional performance security is not required. In addition, the chief may extend the ninety-day period for a period not to exceed one year if the chief determines that the permittee has demonstrated in writing that subsidence is not complete and that probable subsidence-related damage likely will occur and, as a result, the completion of repairs of subsidence-related material damage to lands or protected structures or the replacement of water supply within ninety days of the occurrence of the subsidence would be unreasonable.

(L) If the performance security provided in accordance with this section exceeds the estimated cost of reclamation, the chief may authorize the amount of the performance security that exceeds the estimated cost of reclamation together with any interest or other earnings on the performance security to be paid to the permittee.

(M) A permittee that held a valid coal mining and reclamation permit immediately prior to April 6, 2007, shall provide, not later than a date established by the chief, performance security in accordance with division (C)(1) or (2) of this section, rather than in accordance with the law as it existed prior to that date, by filing it with the chief on a form that the chief prescribes and furnishes. Accordingly, for purposes of this section, "applicant" is deemed to include such a permittee.

(N) As used in this section:

(1) "Affiliate of the applicant" means an entity that has a parent entity in common with the applicant.

(2) "Owner and controller of the applicant" means a person that has any relationship with the applicant that gives the person authority to determine directly or indirectly the manner in which the applicant conducts coal mining operations.

Sec. 1513.182. (A) There is hereby created the reclamation forfeiture fund advisory board consisting of the director of natural resources, the director of insurance, and seven members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. Of the governor's appointments, one shall be a certified public accountant, one shall be a registered professional engineer with experience in reclamation of mined land, two shall represent agriculture, agronomy, or forestry, one shall be a representative of operators of coal mining operations that have valid permits issued under this chapter and that have provided performance security under division (C)(1) of section 1513.08 of the Revised Code, one shall be a representative of operators of coal mining operations that have valid permits issued under this chapter and that have provided performance security under division (C)(2) of section 1513.08 of the Revised Code, and one shall be a representative of the public.

Of the original members appointed by the governor, two shall serve an initial term of two years, three an initial term of three years, and two an initial term of four years. Thereafter, terms of appointed members shall be for four years, with each term ending on the same date as the original date of appointment. An appointed member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments. A member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term. A member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the member's successor takes office or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first. The governor may remove an appointed member of the board for misfeasance, nonfeasance, or malfeasance.

The directors of natural resources and insurance shall not receive compensation for serving on the board, but shall be reimbursed for the actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the board. The members appointed by the governor shall receive per diem compensation fixed pursuant to division (J) of section 124.15 of the Revised Code and reimbursement for the actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

(B) The board annually shall elect from among its members a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and a secretary to record the board's meetings.

(C) The board shall hold meetings as often as necessary as the chairperson or a majority of the members determines.

(D) The board shall establish procedures for conducting meetings and for the election of its chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary.

(E) The board shall do all of the following:

(1) Review the deposits into and expenditures from the reclamation forfeiture fund created in section 1513.18 of the Revised Code;

(2) Retain periodically a qualified actuary to perform an actuarial study of the reclamation forfeiture fund;

(3) Based on an actuarial study and as determined necessary by the board, adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to adjust the rate of the tax levied under division (A)(B)(8) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code and the balance of the reclamation forfeiture fund that pertains to that rate;

(4) Evaluate any rules, procedures, and methods for estimating the cost of reclamation for purposes of determining the amount of performance security that is required under section 1513.08 of the Revised Code; the collection of forfeited performance security; payments to the reclamation forfeiture fund; reclamation of sites for which operators have forfeited the performance security; and the compliance of operators with their reclamation plans;

(5) Provide a forum for discussion of issues related to the reclamation forfeiture fund and the performance security that is required under section 1513.08 of the Revised Code;

(6) Submit a report biennially to the governor that describes the financial status of the reclamation forfeiture fund and the adequacy of the amount of money in the fund to accomplish the purposes of the fund and that may discuss any matter related to the performance security that is required under section 1513.08 of the Revised Code;

(7) Make recommendations to the governor, if necessary, of alternative methods of providing money for or using money in the reclamation forfeiture fund and issues related to the reclamation of land or water resources that have been adversely affected by past coal mining for which the performance security was forfeited;

(8) Adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that are necessary to administer this section.

Sec. 1514.11.  In addition to the purposes authorized in section 1514.06 of the Revised Code, the chief of the division of mineral resources management may use moneys in the surface mining fund created under that section for the administration and enforcement of this chapter, for the reclamation of land affected by surface or in-stream mining under a permit issued under this chapter that the operator failed to reclaim and for which the performance bond filed by the operator is insufficient to complete the reclamation, and for the reclamation of land affected by surface or in-stream mining that was abandoned and left unreclaimed and for which no permit was issued or bond filed under this chapter. Also, the chief may use the portion of the surface mining fund that consists of moneys collected from the severance taxes levied under section 5749.02 of the Revised Code for mine safety and first aid training. For purposes of this section, the chief shall expend moneys in the fund in accordance with the procedures and requirements established in section 1514.06 of the Revised Code and may enter into contracts and perform work in accordance with that section.

Fees collected under sections 1514.02 and 1514.03 of the Revised Code, one-half of the moneys collected from the severance taxes levied under divisions (A)(B)(3) and (4) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code, and all of the moneys collected from the severance tax levied under division (A)(B)(7) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code shall be credited to the fund in accordance with those sections. Notwithstanding any section of the Revised Code relating to the distribution or crediting of fines for violations of the Revised Code, all fines imposed under section 1514.99 of the Revised Code shall be credited to the fund.

Sec. 5703.052.  (A) There is hereby created in the state treasury the tax refund fund, from which refunds shall be paid for taxes illegally or erroneously assessed or collected, or for any other reason overpaid, that are levied by Chapter 4301., 4305., 5726., 5728., 5729., 5731., 5733., 5735., 5736., 5739., 5741., 5743., 5747., 5748., 5749., 5751., or 5753. and sections 3737.71, 3905.35, 3905.36, 4303.33, 5707.03, 5725.18, 5727.28, 5727.38, 5727.81, and 5727.811 of the Revised Code. Refunds for fees or wireless 9-1-1 charges illegally or erroneously assessed or collected, or for any other reason overpaid, that are levied by sections 128.42 or 3734.90 to 3734.9014 of the Revised Code also shall be paid from the fund. Refunds for amounts illegally or erroneously assessed or collected by the tax commissioner, or for any other reason overpaid, that are due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code as that section existed before its repeal by H.B. 375 of the 130th general assembly shall be paid from the fund. However, refunds for taxes levied under section 5739.101 of the Revised Code shall not be paid from the tax refund fund, but shall be paid as provided in section 5739.104 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) Upon certification by the tax commissioner to the treasurer of state of a tax refund, a wireless 9-1-1 charge refund, or another amount refunded, or by the superintendent of insurance of a domestic or foreign insurance tax refund, the treasurer of state shall place the amount certified to the credit of the fund. The certified amount transferred shall be derived from the receipts of the same tax, fee, wireless 9-1-1 charge, or other amount from which the refund arose.

(2) When a refund is for a tax, fee, wireless 9-1-1 charge, or other amount that is not levied by the state or that was illegally or erroneously distributed to a taxing jurisdiction, the tax commissioner shall recover the amount of that refund from the next distribution of that tax, fee, wireless 9-1-1 charge, or other amount that otherwise would be made to the taxing jurisdiction. If the amount to be recovered would exceed twenty-five per cent of the next distribution of that tax, fee, wireless 9-1-1 charge, or other amount, the commissioner may spread the recovery over more than one future distribution, taking into account the amount to be recovered and the amount of the anticipated future distributions. In no event may the commissioner spread the recovery over a period to exceed twenty-four months.

Sec. 5705.27.  There is hereby created in each county a county budget commission consisting of the county auditor, the county treasurer, and the prosecuting attorney. Upon petition filed with the board of elections, signed by the number of electors of the county equal in amount to three per cent of the total number of votes cast for governor at the most recent election therefor, there shall be submitted to the electors of the county at the next general election occurring not sooner than ninety days after the filing of the petition, the question "Shall the county budget commission consist of two additional members to be elected from the county?" Provision shall be made on the ballot for the election from the county at large of two additional members of the county budget commission who shall be electors of the county if a majority of the electors voting on the question shall have voted in the affirmative. In such counties, where the electors have voted in the affirmative, the county budget commission shall consist of such two elected members in addition to the county auditor, the county treasurer and the prosecuting attorney. Such members, who shall not hold any other public office, shall serve for a term of four years. The

The commission shall meet at the office of the county auditor in each county on the first Monday in February and on the first Monday in August, annually, and shall complete its work on or before the first day of September, annually, unless for good cause the tax commissioner extends the time for completing the work. A The commission shall meet at the call of the county auditor to hold a hearing not later than forty days following the deposit of any money into the severance tax infrastructure fund created under section 321.50 of the Revised Code for the purpose of distributing such money to subdivisions in accordance with division (G) of section 5705.32 of the Revised Code. At least thirty days before the hearing, the auditor shall notify the taxing authorities of all subdivisions located in the county that money has been deposited in the severance tax infrastructure fund and that each taxing authority receiving notice may appear and testify to demonstrate the subdivision's need, if any, for such money to pay for permanent improvements or for reconstructing, improving, repairing, or equipping roads or bridges. The notification shall require a subdivision to respond within fifteen days after the auditor sends the notification to the subdivision notifying the auditor that a representative of the subdivision will appear and give testimony or evidence at the hearing. If no subdivision responds within this period, the commission may cancel the scheduled hearing. In any event, the commission shall proceed as provided in division (G) of section 5705.32 of the Revised Code.

A majority of members shall constitute a quorum, provided that no action of the commission shall be valid unless agreed to by a majority of the members of the commission. The auditor shall be the secretary of the commission and shall keep a full and accurate record of all proceedings. The

The county auditor shall appoint such messengers and clerks as the commission deems necessary, and the budget commissioners shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses. The elected members of the commission shall also receive twenty dollars for each day in attendance at commission meetings and in discharge of official duties. Any vacancy among such elected members shall be filled by the presiding judge of the court of common pleas. In

In adjusting the rates of taxation and fixing the amount of taxes to be levied each year, the commissioners shall be governed by the amount of the taxable property shown on the auditor's tax list for the current year; provided that if the auditor's tax list has not been completed, the auditor shall estimate, as nearly as practicable, the amount of the taxable property for such year, and such officers shall be governed by such estimate.

In any county in which two members of the commission are elected, upon petition filed with the board of elections, signed by the number of electors of the county equal in amount to three per cent of the votes cast for governor at the most recent election therefor, there shall be submitted to the electors of the county at the next general election occurring not sooner than ninety days after the filing of the petition, the question "Shall the elected members be eliminated from the county budget commission?" If the majority of the electors voting thereon shall have voted in the affirmative, the county budget commission shall consist solely of the county auditor, the county treasurer, and the prosecuting attorney.

Sec. 5705.32.  (A) The county budget commission shall adjust the estimated amounts required from the general property tax for each fund, as shown by the tax budgets or other information required to be provided under section 5705.281 of the Revised Code, so as to bring the tax levies required therefor within the limitations specified in sections 5705.01 to 5705.47 of the Revised Code, for such levies, but no levy shall be reduced below a minimum fixed by law. The commission may revise and adjust the estimate of balances and receipts from all sources for each fund and shall determine the total appropriations that may be made therefrom.

(B) The commission shall fix the amount of the county public library fund to be distributed to each board of public library trustees that has qualified under section 5705.28 of the Revised Code for participation in the proceeds of such fund. The amount paid to all libraries in the county from such fund shall never be a smaller per cent of the fund than the average of the percentages of the county's classified taxes that were distributed to libraries in 1982, 1983, and 1984, as determined by the county auditor. The commission shall base the amount for distribution on the needs of such library for the construction of new library buildings, parts of buildings, improvements, operation, maintenance, or other expenses. In determining the needs of each library board of trustees, and in calculating the amount to be distributed to any library board of trustees on the basis of its needs, the commission shall make no reduction in its allocation from the fund on account of additional revenues realized by a library from increased taxes or service charges voted by its electorate, from revenues received through federal or state grants, projects, or programs, or from grants from private sources.

(C) Notwithstanding the fact that alternative methods of financing such needs are available, after fixing the amount to be distributed to libraries, the commission shall fix the amount, if any, of the county public library fund to be distributed to each board of township park commissioners, the county, and each municipal corporation in accordance with the following:

(1) Each municipal corporation in the county shall receive a per cent of the remainder that equals the per cent that the county auditor determines the classified property taxes originating in such municipal corporation in 1984 were of the total of all of the county's classified property taxes in 1984. The commission may deduct from this amount any amount that the budget commission allows to the board of township park commissioners of a township park district, the boundaries of which are coextensive with or contained within the boundaries of the municipal corporation.

(2) The county shall receive a per cent of the remainder that equals the per cent that the county auditor determines the classified property taxes originating outside of the boundaries of municipal corporations in the county in 1984 were of the total of all of the county's classified property taxes in 1984. The commission may deduct from this amount any amount that the budget commission allows to the board of township park commissioners of a township park district, the boundaries of which are not coextensive with or contained within those of any municipal corporation in the county.

(D) The commission shall separately set forth the amounts fixed and determined under divisions (B) and (C) of this section in the "official certificate of estimated resources," as provided in section 5705.35 of the Revised Code, and separately certify such amount to the county auditor who shall be guided thereby in the distribution of the county public library fund for and during the fiscal year. In determining such amounts, the commission shall be guided by the estimate certified by the tax commissioner and presented by the auditor under section 5705.31 of the Revised Code, as to the total amount of revenue to be received in the county public library fund during such fiscal year.

(E)(1) At least five days before the date of any meeting at which the budget commission plans to discuss the distribution of the county public library fund, it shall notify each legislative authority and board of public library trustees, county commissioners, and township park commissioners eligible to participate in the distribution of the fund of the date, time, place, and agenda for the meeting. Any legislative authority or board entitled to notice under this division may designate an officer or employee of such legislative authority or board to whom the commission shall deliver the notice.

(2) Before the final determination of the amount to be allotted to each subdivision from any source, the commission shall permit representatives of each subdivision and of each board of public library trustees to appear before it to explain its financial needs.

(F) If any public library receives and expends any funds allocated to it under this section for the construction of new library buildings or parts of buildings, such library shall be free and open to the inhabitants of the county in which it is located. Any board of library trustees that receives funds under this section and section 5747.48 of the Revised Code shall have its financial records open for public inspection at all reasonable times.

(G)(1) A representative of a subdivision that has responded to the notice of a hearing as provided in section 5705.27 of the Revised Code may appear and give testimony and evidence demonstrating the need of the subdivision for money from the severance tax infrastructure fund to pay for permanent improvements or for reconstructing, improving, repairing, or equipping roads or bridges.

Subject to division (G)(2) of this section, the commission shall determine the amount, if any, to be distributed to each subdivision represented at the hearing on the basis of the testimony and evidence presented, and shall issue an order to the county treasurer distributing all or a portion of the money in the severance tax infrastructure fund to such subdivisions. An order of the commission under this division may not be appealed. If the commission canceled the hearing because no subdivisions responded to the notice, the commission shall hold a meeting to determine whether money in the fund shall be distributed and, if so, the amounts to be distributed, based on any information in the commission's possession.

The county treasurer shall distribute money in the severance tax infrastructure fund in accordance with the order of the commission. A taxing authority may use money received from the severance tax infrastructure fund to pay for permanent improvements or for reconstructing, improving, repairing, or equipping roads or bridges.

(2) The county budget commission shall distribute at least twenty per cent of any revenue deposited in the severance tax infrastructure fund to one or more townships for the purpose of reconstructing, improving, repairing, or equipping roads or bridges owned by the township, the necessity of which is directly associated with the presence of producing oil and gas wells.

(3) In distributing funds under divisions (G)(1) and (2) of this section, the county budget commission shall prioritize permanent improvements and road or bridge repairs directly associated with the presence of producing oil and gas wells.

Sec. 5747.56. (A) Not later than the fifteenth day of June of each year, the tax commissioner shall calculate and certify to the director of budget and management both of the following:

(1) Revenue forgone to the local government fund during the preceding calendar year because of the credit authorized under section 5747.63 and the exclusion authorized under division (F)(2)(jj) of section 5751.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) Revenue forgone to the public library fund during the preceding calendar year because of the credit authorized under section 5747.63 and the exclusion authorized under division (F)(2)(jj) of section 5751.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) There is hereby created in the state treasury the local government reimbursement fund. On or before the thirtieth day of June of each year, the director of budget and management shall transfer or distribute from the fund the following amounts:

(1) An amount equal to the lesser of the money in the local government reimbursement fund or the sum of the amounts certified by the tax commissioner under divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section to the undivided local government fund and the public library fund of each county and to each municipal corporation receiving money that calendar year under division (C) of section 5747.50 of the Revised Code in the same proportions as money from the local government fund is distributed to undivided local government funds and those municipal corporations under divisions (B) and (C) of section 5747.50 of the Revised Code and from the public library fund to county public library funds under section 5747.47 of the Revised Code for that calendar year.

(2) Twenty-five per cent of any money remaining in the local government reimbursement fund after making the distribution described in division (B)(1) of this section to the severance tax infrastructure fund of each county in the county's proportion most recently certified to the director by the tax commissioner under division (J)(2) of section 5749.06 of the Revised Code.

(3) Sixty-three and three-fourths per cent of any money remaining in the local government reimbursement fund after making the distribution under division (B)(1) of this section to the Ohio shale gas infrastructure development fund created in section 190.03 of the Revised Code.

(4) Eleven and one-fourth per cent of any money remaining in the local government reimbursement fund after making the distribution described in division (B)(1) of this section to the severance tax legacy fund created in section 190.04 of the Revised Code.

The county budget commission shall apportion money distributed to the undivided local government fund or public library fund of the county under this section to subdivisions or libraries according to the formula used by the county to distribute money from the undivided local government fund under section 5747.51 or 5747.53 or from the county public library fund under section 5705.32 or 5705.321 of the Revised Code.

Payments received by a municipal corporation directly from the director of budget and management under this section shall be paid into its general fund and may be used for any lawful purpose. Money received by a subdivision under this section shall be paid into its general fund and used for the current operating expenses of the subdivision.

Sec. 5747.63.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Royalty interest" and "well" have the same meanings as in section 1509.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Oil and gas severance tax" means the tax imposed under division (B)(5) or (6) or (C) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Severer" has the same meaning as in division (I)(2) of section 5749.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, a taxpayer holding a royalty interest in a well producing oil or gas may claim a nonrefundable credit against the tax imposed by section 5747.02 of the Revised Code. The amount of the credit equals the amount of oil and gas severance tax paid by the severer for calendar quarters that end in or coincide with the taxpayer's taxable year multiplied by the lesser of twelve and one-half per cent or the proportion on the last day of the taxable year of that tax by which the taxpayer's royalty payments are reduced or for which the taxpayer is contractually required to pay the severer.

A taxpayer who has a direct or indirect ownership interest in a pass-through entity that owns a royalty interest may claim a credit under this section with respect to each well for which the pass-through entity receives a royalty payment. The amount of the credit with respect to each well shall be the taxpayer's distributive or proportionate share of oil and gas severance tax paid by the severer for the calendar quarters that end in or coincide with the taxpayer's taxable year multiplied by the lesser of twelve and one-half per cent or the proportion, on the last day of the taxable year, of that tax by which the pass-through entity's royalty payments are reduced or for which the pass-through entity is contractually required to pay the severer.

(C) The taxpayer shall claim the credit in the order required under section 5747.98 of the Revised Code. If the credit exceeds the amount of tax otherwise due for the taxable year, the excess may not be carried forward.

(D) On or before the last day of January of each year, a severer shall deliver to each taxpayer or pass-through entity that holds a royalty interest in the severer's well a written report that lists the amount of oil and gas severance tax the severer paid on oil and gas severed and sold from that well in the preceding calendar year unless that information has already been provided by a severer to each taxpayer or pass-through entity in one or more written periodic reports. If requested by the tax commissioner, a taxpayer or pass-through entity shall furnish to the commissioner such reports or other documentation substantiating the taxpayer's or entity's royalty interest or the proportion of oil and gas severance tax by which the taxpayer's or entity's royalty payments are reduced or for which the taxpayer or entity is required to pay the severer.

(E) With respect to any well in which a taxpayer has a direct or indirect interest, the taxpayer may not claim the credit authorized by this section and deduct, under division (A)(31) of section 5747.01 of the Revised Code, the taxpayer's royalty payments received from the severer.

Sec. 5747.98.  (A) To provide a uniform procedure for calculating the amount of tax due under section 5747.02 of the Revised Code, a taxpayer shall claim any credits to which the taxpayer is entitled in the following order:

(1) The retirement income credit under division (B) of section 5747.055 of the Revised Code;

(2) The senior citizen credit under division (C) of section 5747.05 of the Revised Code;

(3) The lump sum distribution credit under division (D) of section 5747.05 of the Revised Code;

(4) The dependent care credit under section 5747.054 of the Revised Code;

(5) The lump sum retirement income credit under division (C) of section 5747.055 of the Revised Code;

(6) The lump sum retirement income credit under division (D) of section 5747.055 of the Revised Code;

(7) The lump sum retirement income credit under division (E) of section 5747.055 of the Revised Code;

(8) The low-income credit under section 5747.056 of the Revised Code;

(9) The credit for displaced workers who pay for job training under section 5747.27 of the Revised Code;

(10) The campaign contribution credit under section 5747.29 of the Revised Code;

(11) The twenty-dollar personal exemption credit under section 5747.022 of the Revised Code;

(12) The joint filing credit under division (G) of section 5747.05 of the Revised Code;

(13) The nonresident credit under division (A) of section 5747.05 of the Revised Code;

(14) The credit for a resident's out-of-state income under division (B) of section 5747.05 of the Revised Code;

(15) The earned income credit under section 5747.71 of the Revised Code;

(16) The credit for employers that reimburse employee child care expenses under section 5747.36 The oil and gas royalty interest holder credit for severance tax paid under section 5747.63 of the Revised Code;

(17) The credit for adoption of a minor child under section 5747.37 of the Revised Code;

(18) The credit for purchases of lights and reflectors under section 5747.38 of the Revised Code;

(19) The nonrefundable job retention credit under division (B) of section 5747.058 of the Revised Code;

(20) The credit for selling alternative fuel under section 5747.77 of the Revised Code;

(21) The second credit for purchases of new manufacturing machinery and equipment and the credit for using Ohio coal under section 5747.31 of the Revised Code;

(22) The job training credit under section 5747.39 of the Revised Code;

(23) The enterprise zone credit under section 5709.66 of the Revised Code;

(24) The credit for the eligible costs associated with a voluntary action under section 5747.32 of the Revised Code;

(25) The credit for employers that establish on-site child day-care centers under section 5747.35 of the Revised Code;

(26) The ethanol plant investment credit under section 5747.75 of the Revised Code;

(27) The credit for purchases of qualifying grape production property under section 5747.28 of the Revised Code;

(28) The small business investment credit under section 5747.81 of the Revised Code;

(29) The enterprise zone credits under section 5709.65 of the Revised Code;

(30) The research and development credit under section 5747.331 of the Revised Code;

(31) The credit for rehabilitating a historic building under section 5747.76 of the Revised Code;

(32) The refundable credit for rehabilitating a historic building under section 5747.76 of the Revised Code;

(33) The refundable jobs creation credit or job retention credit under division (A) of section 5747.058 of the Revised Code;

(34) The refundable credit for taxes paid by a qualifying entity granted under section 5747.059 of the Revised Code;

(35) The refundable credits for taxes paid by a qualifying pass-through entity granted under division (J) of section 5747.08 of the Revised Code;

(36) The refundable credit under section 5747.80 of the Revised Code for losses on loans made to the Ohio venture capital program under sections 150.01 to 150.10 of the Revised Code;

(37) The refundable motion picture production credit under section 5747.66 of the Revised Code.;

(38) The refundable credit for financial institution taxes paid by a pass-through entity granted under section 5747.65 of the Revised Code.

(B) For any credit, except the refundable credits enumerated in this section and the credit granted under division (I) of section 5747.08 of the Revised Code, the amount of the credit for a taxable year shall not exceed the tax due after allowing for any other credit that precedes it in the order required under this section. Any excess amount of a particular credit may be carried forward if authorized under the section creating that credit. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to allow a taxpayer to claim, directly or indirectly, a credit more than once for a taxable year.

Sec. 5749.01.  As used in this chapter:

(A) "Ton" shall mean two thousand pounds as measured at the point and time of severance, after the removal of any impurities, under such rules and regulations as the tax commissioner may prescribe.

(B) "Taxpayer" means any person required to pay the tax levied by Chapter 5749. of the Revised Code.

(C) "Natural resource" means all forms of coal, salt, limestone, dolomite, sand, gravel, natural gas, and oil.

(D) "Owner," has "horizontal well," and "condensate" have the same meaning meanings as in section 1509.01 of the Revised Code.

(E) "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, association, joint stock company, corporation, or estate, or combination thereof.

(F) "Return" means any report or statement required to be filed pursuant to Chapter 5749. of the Revised Code used to determine the tax due.

(G) "Severance" means the extraction or other removal of a natural resource from the soil or water of this state.

(H) "Severed" means the point at which the natural resource has been separated from the soil or water in this state.

(I) "Severer" means any one of the following:

(1) For the purposes of a tax levied under division (B) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code, except for divisions (B)(5) and (6) of that section, the person who actually removes the natural resources from the soil or water in this state.

(2) For the purposes of the taxes levied under divisions (B)(5) and (6) and (C) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code, the person that has the right to first sell severed oil or gas.

(J) "First day of production" means the date on which oil or gas is first severed through the use of a well. "First day of production" does not include days on which gas is flared from a well exclusively for testing and oil is not produced when the gas is flared.

(K) "Oil" means crude petroleum oil and all other hydrocarbons, regardless of gravity, that are produced in liquid form by ordinary production methods, including condensate.

(L) "Gas" means natural gas and all other hydrocarbons that are not oil.

(M) "Wellhead gross receipts" means the total amount received by a severer or another person from the first sale of oil and gas, whether or not the sale occurs at the wellhead, after deduction for any fees paid or costs incurred or accrued by or on behalf of the severer or an affiliate of the severer for processing, gathering, transporting, fractionating, stabilizing, compressing, dehydrating, shrinkage, brokering, delivering, and market access for such oil and gas, but not including fees paid or costs incurred or accrued for oil and gas lease acquisitions, geophysical and geologic services, well site preparation, well drilling, well completion services, related tangible or intangible drilling costs, natural gas storage services, general merchandising, and lease operating costs for the production of oil and gas at the wellhead.

(N) "Point of first sale" means the first point after the production of oil or gas from a well at which the severer or another person transfers ownership of the oil or gas for consideration. The point of first sale determines when oil or gas is first sold for the purposes of this chapter.

(O) "Affiliate" means a person that owns or controls either directly or indirectly more than fifty per cent of the ownership interest of one or more other persons, or has more than fifty per cent of its ownership interests owned or controlled either directly or indirectly by another person, or by related interests that own or control either directly or indirectly more than fifty per cent of the ownership interests of one or more other persons.

(P) "Former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code" means section 1509.50 of the Revised Code as it existed before its repeal by H.B. 375 of the 130th general assembly.

Sec. 5749.02.  (A) For the purpose of providing revenue to administer the state's coal mining and reclamation regulatory program and oil and gas regulatory program, to meet the environmental and resource management needs of this state, to provide revenue for local governments, to provide revenue for temporary income tax reductions, and to reclaim land affected by mining, an excise a tax is hereby levied on the privilege of engaging in the severance of natural resources from the soil or water of this state under divisions (B) and (C) of this section. The tax

(B) There shall be a tax imposed upon the severer at the rates prescribed by divisions (A)(B)(1) to (9) of this section:

(1) Ten cents per ton of coal;

(2) Four cents per ton of salt;

(3) Two cents per ton of limestone or dolomite;

(4) Two cents per ton of sand and gravel;

(5) Ten cents per barrel of oil severed from a well that is not a horizontal well;

(6) Two One and one-half cents per thousand cubic feet of natural gas severed from a well that is not a horizontal well;

(7) One cent per ton of clay, sandstone or conglomerate, shale, gypsum, or quartzite;

(8) Except as otherwise provided in this division or in rules adopted by the reclamation forfeiture fund advisory board under section 1513.182 of the Revised Code, an additional fourteen cents per ton of coal produced from an area under a coal mining and reclamation permit issued under Chapter 1513. of the Revised Code for which the performance security is provided under division (C)(2) of section 1513.08 of the Revised Code. Beginning July 1, 2007, if at the end of a fiscal biennium the balance of the reclamation forfeiture fund created in section 1513.18 of the Revised Code is equal to or greater than ten million dollars, the rate levied shall be twelve cents per ton. Beginning July 1, 2007, if at the end of a fiscal biennium the balance of the fund is at least five million dollars, but less than ten million dollars, the rate levied shall be fourteen cents per ton. Beginning July 1, 2007, if at the end of a fiscal biennium the balance of the fund is less than five million dollars, the rate levied shall be sixteen cents per ton. Beginning July 1, 2009, not later than thirty days after the close of a fiscal biennium, the chief of the division of mineral resources management shall certify to the tax commissioner the amount of the balance of the reclamation forfeiture fund as of the close of the fiscal biennium. Any necessary adjustment of the rate levied shall take effect on the first day of the following January and shall remain in effect during the calendar biennium that begins on that date.

(9) An additional one and two-tenths cents per ton of coal mined by surface mining methods.

(B)(C)(1) For oil and gas severed from a horizontal well on or after October 1, 2014, there is hereby levied a tax on the severer. The tax shall be levied at the rate of two and one-half per cent of the severer's or other person's wellhead gross receipts from the first sale of that oil or gas.

(2)(a) If the tax commissioner establishes by a preponderance of the evidence either that the first sale of oil and gas is between affiliates and is not comparable to other transactions in the Appalachian basin or that the first sale of oil or gas is between parties that are not affiliates and is not conducted at arm's length, the commissioner shall prescribe the price paid for that oil and gas as follows:

(i) The price paid under the most comparable arm's length contract or contracts, to which the person paying the tax is a party, for the sale of oil or gas of similar quality, from the same well or, if none, from a nearby well.

(ii) If the commissioner cannot apply the price described in division (C)(2)(a)(i) of this section to the oil or gas, the price paid under the most comparable arm's length contract or contracts, between parties other than the person paying the tax, for the sale of oil or gas of similar quality from a similar well.

(iii) If the commissioner cannot apply the price described in division (C)(2)(a)(i) or (ii) of this section to the oil or gas, the price determined by consideration of a posted price that is relevant in valuing oil or gas of similar quality from a similar well.

(b) When determining whether a contract is comparable for purposes of division (C)(2)(a)(i) or (ii) of this section, the commissioner shall consider the contract price for oil or gas, the time of the contract's execution, the basin where oil and gas is being sold, any markets served and costs to access the markets, the quality and volume of the oil or gas, and any other factor.

(c) After prescribing a price under division (C)(2)(a) of this section, the commissioner shall recalculate wellhead gross receipts for that oil and gas based on the prescribed price. The commissioner may collect any amount resulting from the commissioner's recalculation by assessment in the manner provided under section 5749.07 of the Revised Code.

(D) After the director of budget and management transfers money from the severance tax receipts fund as required in division (H) of section 5749.06 of the Revised Code, money remaining in the severance tax receipts fund, except for money in the fund from the amounts due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code, shall be credited as follows:

(1) Of the moneys in the fund from the tax levied in division (A)(B)(1) of this section, four and seventy-six-hundredths per cent shall be credited to the geological mapping fund created in section 1505.09 of the Revised Code, eighty and ninety-five-hundredths per cent shall be credited to the coal mining administration and reclamation reserve fund created in section 1513.181 of the Revised Code, and fourteen and twenty-nine-hundredths per cent shall be credited to the unreclaimed lands fund created in section 1513.30 of the Revised Code.

(2) The money in the fund from the tax levied in division (A)(B)(2) of this section shall be credited to the geological mapping fund.

(3) Of the moneys in the fund from the tax levied in divisions (A)(B)(3) and (4) of this section, seven and five-tenths per cent shall be credited to the geological mapping fund, forty-two and five-tenths per cent shall be credited to the unreclaimed lands fund, and the remainder shall be credited to the surface mining fund created in section 1514.06 of the Revised Code.

(4) Of the moneys in the fund from the tax levied in divisions (A)(5) and (6) of this section, ninety per cent shall be credited to the oil and gas well fund created in section 1509.02 of the Revised Code and ten per cent shall be credited to the geological mapping fund. All of the moneys in the fund from the tax levied in division (A)(B)(7) of this section shall be credited to the surface mining fund.

(5) All of the moneys in the fund from the tax levied in division (A)(B)(8) of this section shall be credited to the reclamation forfeiture fund.

(6) All of the moneys in the fund from the tax levied in division (A)(B)(9) of this section shall be credited to the unreclaimed lands fund.

(7) All of the money in the fund from the tax levied under divisions (B)(5) and (6) and (C) of this section shall be credited to the oil and gas severance tax fund, which is hereby created in the state treasury.

On or before the twenty-fifth day of June of each year, the director of budget and management shall transfer the following amounts from the oil and gas severance tax fund:

(a) Fifteen million dollars to the oil and gas well fund, three million dollars to the well plugging fund, and three million dollars to the geological mapping fund. If the balance in the oil and gas severance tax fund does not exceed twenty-one million dollars, the director shall proportionately reduce the amount transferred to the oil and gas well fund, well plugging fund, and geological mapping fund.

(b) After transferring the amounts described in division (D)(7)(a) of this section, to the local government reimbursement fund created by section 5747.56 of the Revised Code, the lesser of the amount remaining in the oil and gas severance tax fund or fifteen per cent of the balance in the oil and gas severance tax fund before accounting for the transfer under division (D)(7)(a) of this section.

(c) To the income tax reduction fund created by section 131.44 of the Revised Code, any money remaining in the oil and gas severance tax fund after accounting for the transfers described in divisions (D)(7)(a) and (b) of this section.

(C)(E) When, at the close of any fiscal year, the chief finds that the balance of the reclamation forfeiture fund, plus estimated transfers to it from the coal mining administration and reclamation reserve fund under section 1513.181 of the Revised Code, plus the estimated revenues from the tax levied by division (A)(B)(8) of this section for the remainder of the calendar year that includes the close of the fiscal year, are sufficient to complete the reclamation of all lands for which the performance security has been provided under division (C)(2) of section 1513.08 of the Revised Code, the purposes for which the tax under division (A)(B)(8) of this section is levied shall be deemed accomplished at the end of that calendar year. The chief, within thirty days after the close of the fiscal year, shall certify those findings to the tax commissioner, and the tax levied under division (A)(B)(8) of this section shall cease to be imposed for the subsequent calendar year after the last day of that calendar year on coal produced under a coal mining and reclamation permit issued under Chapter 1513. of the Revised Code if the permittee has made tax payments under division (A)(B)(8) of this section during each of the preceding five full calendar years. Not later than thirty days after the close of a fiscal year, the chief shall certify to the tax commissioner the identity of any permittees who accordingly no longer are required to pay the tax levied under division (A)(B)(8) of this section for the subsequent calendar year.

Sec. 5749.03.  The following shall be exempt from the tax imposed by section 5749.02 of the Revised Code and the amount due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code:

The severance of natural resources from land or water in this state owned legally or beneficially by the severer, which natural resources will be used on the land from which they are taken by the severer as part of the improvement of or use in the severer's homestead and which have a yearly cumulative market value of not greater than one thousand dollars. When severed natural resources so used exceed a cumulative market value of one thousand dollars during any year, the further severance of natural resources shall be subject to the tax imposed by section 5749.02 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5749.031.  The first ten million dollars of wellhead gross receipts after deduction for payments to holders of a royalty interest from the first sale of oil and gas and received by a severer or other person for oil and gas severed from a horizontal well the first day of production of which is on or after October 1, 2013, is exempt from the tax imposed under division (C) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code. As used in this section, "holder of a royalty interest" means a person authorized by written agreement to share in the value or proceeds of a horizontal well's production, except a person that has a working interest in that well.

Sec. 5749.06.  (A)(1) Each severer liable for the tax imposed by section 5749.02 of the Revised Code and each severer or owner liable for the amounts due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code or required to report the information described in division (J)(1) of this section shall make and file returns with the tax commissioner in the prescribed form and as of the prescribed times, computing and reflecting therein the tax as required by this chapter and amounts due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code.

(2) The returns shall be filed for every quarterly period, which periods shall end on the thirty-first day of March, the thirtieth day of June, the thirtieth day of September, and the thirty-first day of December of each year, as required by this section, unless a different return period is prescribed for a taxpayer by the commissioner.

(B)(1) A separate return shall be filed for each calendar quarterly period, or other period, or any part thereof, during which the severer holds a license as provided by section 5749.04 of the Revised Code, or is required to hold the license, or during which an owner is required to file a return. The return shall be filed within forty-five sixty days after the last day of each such calendar month, or other period, or any part thereof, for which the return is required. The tax due is payable along with the return. All such returns shall contain such information as the commissioner may require to fairly administer the tax.

(2) All returns shall be signed by the severer or owner, as applicable, shall contain the full and complete information requested, and shall be made under penalty of perjury.

(C) If the commissioner believes that quarterly payments of tax would result in a delay that might jeopardize the collection of such tax payments, the commissioner may order that such payments be made weekly, or more frequently if necessary, such payments to be made not later than seven days following the close of the period for which the jeopardy payment is required. Such an order shall be delivered to the taxpayer personally or by certified mail and shall remain in effect until the commissioner notifies the taxpayer to the contrary.

(D) Upon good cause the commissioner may extend for thirty days the period for filing any notice or return required to be filed under this section, and may remit all or a part of penalties that may become due under this chapter.

(E) Any tax and any amount due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code not paid by the day the tax or amount is due shall bear interest computed at the rate per annum prescribed by section 5703.47 of the Revised Code on that amount due from the day that the amount tax was originally required to be paid to the day of actual payment or to the day an assessment was issued under section 5749.07 or 5749.10 of the Revised Code, whichever occurs first.

(F) A severer or owner, as applicable, that fails to file a complete return or pay the full amount due under this chapter within the time prescribed, including any extensions of time granted by the commissioner, shall be subject to a penalty not to exceed the greater of fifty dollars or ten per cent of the amount due for the period.

(G)(1) A severer or owner, as applicable, shall remit payments electronically and, if required by the commissioner, file each return electronically. The commissioner may require that the severer or owner use the Ohio business gateway, as defined in section 718.051 of the Revised Code, or another electronic means to file returns and remit payments electronically.

(2) A severer or owner that is required to remit payments electronically under this section may apply to the commissioner, in the manner prescribed by the commissioner, to be excused from that requirement. The commissioner may excuse a severer or owner from the requirements of division (G) of this section for good cause.

(3) If a severer or owner that is required to remit payments or file returns electronically under this section fails to do so, the commissioner may impose a penalty on the severer or owner not to exceed the following:

(a) For the first or second payment or return the severer or owner fails to remit or file electronically, the greater of five per cent of the amount of the payment that was required to be remitted or twenty-five dollars;

(b) For every payment or return after the second that the severer or owner fails to remit or file electronically, the greater of ten per cent of the amount of the payment that was required to be remitted or fifty dollars.

(H)(1) All amounts that the commissioner receives under this section shall be deemed to be revenue from taxes imposed under this chapter or from the amount due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code, as applicable, and shall be deposited in the severance tax receipts fund, which is hereby created in the state treasury.

(2) The director of budget and management shall transfer from the severance tax receipts fund to the tax refund fund amounts equal to the refunds certified by the commissioner under section 5749.08 of the Revised Code. Any amount transferred under division (H)(2) of this section shall be derived from receipts of the same tax or other amount from which the refund arose.

(3) After the director of budget and management makes any transfer required by division (H)(2) of this section, but not later than the fifteenth first day of the second month following the end of each calendar quarter, the commissioner shall certify to the director the total amount remaining in the severance tax receipts fund organized according to the amount attributable to each natural resource and according to the amount attributable to a each tax imposed by this chapter and the amounts due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code.

(I) Penalties imposed under this section are in addition to any other penalty imposed under this chapter and shall be considered as revenue arising from the tax levied under this chapter or the amount due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code, as applicable. The commissioner may collect any penalty or interest imposed under this section in the same manner as provided for the making of an assessment in section 5749.07 of the Revised Code. The commissioner may abate all or a portion of such interest or penalties and may adopt rules governing such abatements.

(J)(1) Each severer subject to the tax levied under division (C) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code shall report on its return filed under this section the severer's or other person's wellhead gross receipts, even if those receipts are exempt from that tax under section 5749.031 of the Revised Code, and the proportionate amount of such wellhead gross receipts that are attributable to horizontal wells located in each county, arranged according to those counties.

(2) Not later than the fifteenth day of June of each year, the commissioner shall report to the director of budget and management the proportion of wellhead gross receipts attributable to each county by dividing wellhead gross receipts reported under division (J)(1) of this section attributable to each county for the preceding calendar year by the total amount of wellhead gross receipts for all counties reported under that division for the preceding calendar year.

(K) For the purposes of this section:

(1) "Tax imposed by section 5749.02 of the Revised Code" and "tax" includes amounts due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Severer" includes an owner with regard to amounts due from an owner under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5749.07.  (A) If any severer required by this chapter to make and file returns and pay the tax levied imposed by section 5749.02 of the Revised Code, or any severer or owner liable for the amounts due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code, fails to make such return or pay such tax or amounts, the tax commissioner may make an assessment against the severer or owner based upon any information in the commissioner's possession.

No assessment shall be made or issued against any severer for any tax imposed by section 5749.02 of the Revised Code or against any severer or owner for any amount due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code more than four years after the return was due or was filed, whichever is later. This section does not bar an assessment against a severer or owner who fails to file a return as required by this chapter, or who files a fraudulent return.

The commissioner shall give the party assessed written notice of such assessment in the manner provided in section 5703.37 of the Revised Code. With the notice, the commissioner shall provide instructions on how to petition for reassessment and request a hearing on the petition.

(B) Unless the party assessed files with the commissioner within sixty days after service of the notice of assessment, either personally or by certified mail, a written petition for reassessment signed by the party assessed or that party's authorized agent having knowledge of the facts, the assessment becomes final and the amount of the assessment is due and payable from the party assessed to the treasurer of state. The petition shall indicate the objections of the party assessed, but additional objections may be raised in writing if received by the commissioner prior to the date shown on the final determination. If the petition has been properly filed, the commissioner shall proceed under section 5703.60 of the Revised Code.

(C) After an assessment becomes final, if any portion of the assessment remains unpaid, including accrued interest, a certified copy of the commissioner's entry making the assessment final may be filed in the office of the clerk of the court of common pleas in the county in which the party assessed resides or in which the party's business is conducted. If the party assessed maintains no place of business in this state and is not a resident of this state, the certified copy of the entry may be filed in the office of the clerk of the court of common pleas of Franklin county.

Immediately upon the filing of such entry, the clerk shall enter a judgment for the state against the party assessed in the amount shown on the entry. The judgment may be filed by the clerk in a loose-leaf book entitled "special judgments for state severance tax," and shall have the same effect as other judgments. Execution shall issue upon the judgment upon the request of the commissioner, and all laws applicable to sales on execution shall apply to sales made under the judgment.

If the assessment is not paid in its entirety within sixty days after the day the assessment is issued, the portion of the assessment consisting of tax due or amounts due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code shall bear interest at the rate per annum prescribed by section 5703.47 of the Revised Code from the day the commissioner issues the assessment until it is paid or until it is certified to the attorney general for collection under section 131.02 of the Revised Code, whichever comes first. If the unpaid portion of the assessment is certified to the attorney general for collection, the entire unpaid portion of the assessment shall bear interest at the rate per annum prescribed by section 5703.47 of the Revised Code from the date of certification until the date it is paid in its entirety. Interest shall be paid in the same manner as the tax and may be collected by the issuance of an assessment under this section.

(D) All money collected by the commissioner under this section shall be paid to the treasurer of state, and when paid shall be considered as revenue arising from the tax imposed by section 5749.02 of the Revised Code and the amount due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code, as applicable.

(E) For the purposes of this section:

(1) "Tax imposed by section 5749.02 of the Revised Code" and "tax" includes amounts due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Severer" includes an owner with regard to amounts due from an owner under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5749.08.  The tax commissioner shall refund to taxpayers the amount of taxes levied by section 5749.02 of the Revised Code and amounts due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code that were paid illegally or erroneously or paid on an illegal or erroneous assessment. Applications for refund shall be filed with the commissioner, on the form prescribed by the commissioner, within four years from the date of the illegal or erroneous payment. On the filing of the application, the commissioner shall determine the amount of refund to which the applicant is entitled, plus interest computed in accordance with section 5703.47 of the Revised Code from the date of the payment of an erroneous or illegal assessment until the date the refund is paid. If the amount is not less than that claimed, the commissioner shall certify the amount to the director of budget and management and treasurer of state for payment from the tax refund fund created by section 5703.052 of the Revised Code. If the amount is less than that claimed, the commissioner shall proceed in accordance with section 5703.70 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5749.10.  If the tax commissioner finds that a taxpayer, person liable for tax under this chapter or for any amount due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code is about to depart from the state, or remove the taxpayer's person's property therefrom, or conceal the taxpayer's person themselves or their property, or do any other act tending to prejudice or to render wholly or partly ineffectual proceedings to collect such tax or other amount due unless such proceedings are brought without delay, or if the commissioner believes that the collection of the tax or amount due from any taxpayer person will be jeopardized by delay, the commissioner shall give notice of such findings to such taxpayer the person together with the demand for an immediate return and immediate payment of such tax or other amount due, with penalty as provided in section 5749.15 of the Revised Code, whereupon such tax or other amount due shall become immediately due and payable. In such cases the commissioner may immediately file an entry with the clerk of the court of common pleas in the same manner and with the same effect as provided in section 5749.07 of the Revised Code, provided that if such taxpayer the person, within five days from notice of the assessment, furnishes evidence satisfactory to the commissioner, under the regulations prescribed rules adopted by the commissioner, that the taxpayer is not in default in making returns or paying any tax prescribed by this chapter or amount due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code, or that the taxpayer person will duly return and pay, or post bond satisfactory to the commissioner conditioned upon payment of the tax or other amount finally determined to be due, then such tax or other amount due shall not be payable prior to the time and manner otherwise fixed for payment under section 5749.07 of the Revised Code, and the person assessed shall be restored the rights granted under such section. Upon satisfaction of the assessment the commissioner shall order the bond cancelled, securities released, and judgment vacated.

Any assessment issued under this section shall bear interest as prescribed under section 5749.07 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5749.11.  (A) There is hereby allowed a nonrefundable credit against the taxes imposed under division (A)(B)(8) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code for any severer to which a reclamation tax credit certificate is issued under section 1513.171 of the Revised Code. The credit shall be claimed in the amount shown on the certificate. The credit shall be claimed by deducting the amount of the credit from the amount of the first tax payment due under section 5749.06 of the Revised Code after the certificate is issued.

If the amount of the credit shown on a certificate exceeds the amount of the tax otherwise due with that first payment, the excess shall be claimed against the amount of tax otherwise due on succeeding payment dates until the entire credit amount has been deducted. The total amount of credit claimed against payments shall not exceed the total amount of credit shown on the certificate.

(B) A severer claiming a credit under this section shall retain a reclamation tax credit certificate for not less than four years following the date of the last tax payment against which the credit allowed under that certificate was applied. Severers shall make tax credit certificates available for inspection by the tax commissioner upon the tax commissioner's request.

Sec. 5749.12.  Any nonresident of this state who accepts the privilege extended by the laws of this state to nonresidents severing natural resources in this state, and any resident of this state who subsequently becomes a nonresident or conceals the resident's whereabouts, makes the secretary of state of Ohio the person's agent for the service of process or notice in any assessment, action, or proceedings instituted in this state against such person under this chapter or for purposes of amounts due under section 1509.50 of the Revised Code.

Such process or notice shall be served as provided under section 5703.37 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5749.13.  The tax commissioner may prescribe requirements as to the keeping of records and other pertinent documents and the filing of copies of federal income tax returns and determinations. The commissioner may require any person, by rule or by notice served on that person, to keep such records as the commissioner considers necessary to show whether that person is liable, and the extent of liability, for the tax imposed under this chapter and the amount due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code. Such records and other documents shall be open during business hours to the inspection of the commissioner, and shall be preserved for a period of four years after the date the return was required to be filed or actually was filed, whichever is later, unless the commissioner, in writing, consents to their destruction within that period, or by order requires that they be kept longer.

Sec. 5749.14.  The tax commissioner shall enforce and administer this chapter and applicable provisions of section 1509.50 of the Revised Code. In addition to any other powers conferred upon the commissioner by law, the commissioner may:

(A) Prescribe all forms required to be filed pursuant to this chapter;

(B) Promulgate Adopt such rules as the commissioner finds necessary to carry out this chapter and applicable provisions of section 1509.50 of the Revised Code;

(C) Appoint and employ such personnel as may be necessary to carry out the duties imposed upon the commissioner by this chapter.

Sec. 5749.15.  Any person who fails to file a return or pay the tax as required under this chapter or other amount due under former section 1509.50 of the Revised Code who is assessed such taxes or other amount due pursuant to section 5749.07 or 5749.10 of the Revised Code may be liable for a penalty of up to twenty-five per cent of the amount assessed. The tax commissioner may adopt rules relating to the imposition and remission of penalties imposed under this section.

Sec. 5749.18.  (A) Any term used in this section has the same meaning as in Chapter 5751. of the Revised Code.

(B) There is allowed a nonrefundable credit against the tax imposed under division (C) of section 5749.02 of the Revised Code to a severer that paid the tax imposed by section 5751.02 of the Revised Code in a calendar quarter beginning on or after October 1, 2014. The amount of the credit shall equal the amount of tax paid by the severer with respect to taxable gross receipts realized from the first sale of oil or gas severed from a horizontal well. The severer shall claim the credit for the calendar quarter in which the tax was paid. If the credit exceeds the tax otherwise due under section 5749.02 of the Revised Code for the calendar quarter, the excess shall not be carried forward to subsequent calendar quarters.

If a taxpayer is allowed a credit under this section and under section 5749.11 of the Revised Code for the same calendar quarter, the credit allowed under this section shall be subtracted from the amount of tax otherwise due before subtracting the credit allowed under section 5749.11 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5751.01.  As used in this chapter:

(A) "Person" means, but is not limited to, individuals, combinations of individuals of any form, receivers, assignees, trustees in bankruptcy, firms, companies, joint-stock companies, business trusts, estates, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, associations, joint ventures, clubs, societies, for-profit corporations, S corporations, qualified subchapter S subsidiaries, qualified subchapter S trusts, trusts, entities that are disregarded for federal income tax purposes, and any other entities.

(B) "Consolidated elected taxpayer" means a group of two or more persons treated as a single taxpayer for purposes of this chapter as the result of an election made under section 5751.011 of the Revised Code.

(C) "Combined taxpayer" means a group of two or more persons treated as a single taxpayer for purposes of this chapter under section 5751.012 of the Revised Code.

(D) "Taxpayer" means any person, or any group of persons in the case of a consolidated elected taxpayer or combined taxpayer treated as one taxpayer, required to register or pay tax under this chapter. "Taxpayer" does not include excluded persons.

(E) "Excluded person" means any of the following:

(1) Any person with not more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars of taxable gross receipts during the calendar year. Division (E)(1) of this section does not apply to a person that is a member of a consolidated elected taxpayer;

(2) A public utility that paid the excise tax imposed by section 5727.24 or 5727.30 of the Revised Code based on one or more measurement periods that include the entire tax period under this chapter, except that a public utility that is a combined company is a taxpayer with regard to the following gross receipts:

(a) Taxable gross receipts directly attributed to a public utility activity, but not directly attributed to an activity that is subject to the excise tax imposed by section 5727.24 or 5727.30 of the Revised Code;

(b) Taxable gross receipts that cannot be directly attributed to any activity, multiplied by a fraction whose numerator is the taxable gross receipts described in division (E)(2)(a) of this section and whose denominator is the total taxable gross receipts that can be directly attributed to any activity;

(c) Except for any differences resulting from the use of an accrual basis method of accounting for purposes of determining gross receipts under this chapter and the use of the cash basis method of accounting for purposes of determining gross receipts under section 5727.24 of the Revised Code, the gross receipts directly attributed to the activity of a natural gas company shall be determined in a manner consistent with division (D) of section 5727.03 of the Revised Code.

As used in division (E)(2) of this section, "combined company" and "public utility" have the same meanings as in section 5727.01 of the Revised Code.

(3) A financial institution, as defined in section 5726.01 of the Revised Code, that paid the tax imposed by section 5726.02 of the Revised Code based on one or more taxable years that include the entire tax period under this chapter;

(4) A person directly or indirectly owned by one or more financial institutions, as defined in section 5726.01 of the Revised Code, that paid the tax imposed by section 5726.02 of the Revised Code based on one or more taxable years that include the entire tax period under this chapter.

For the purposes of division (E)(4) of this section, a person owns another person under the following circumstances:

(a) In the case of corporations issuing capital stock, one corporation owns another corporation if it owns fifty per cent or more of the other corporation's capital stock with current voting rights;

(b) In the case of a limited liability company, one person owns the company if that person's membership interest, as defined in section 1705.01 of the Revised Code, is fifty per cent or more of the combined membership interests of all persons owning such interests in the company;

(c) In the case of a partnership, trust, or other unincorporated business organization other than a limited liability company, one person owns the organization if, under the articles of organization or other instrument governing the affairs of the organization, that person has a beneficial interest in the organization's profits, surpluses, losses, or distributions of fifty per cent or more of the combined beneficial interests of all persons having such an interest in the organization.

(5) A domestic insurance company or foreign insurance company, as defined in section 5725.01 of the Revised Code, that paid the insurance company premiums tax imposed by section 5725.18 or Chapter 5729. of the Revised Code, or an unauthorized insurance company whose gross premiums are subject to tax under section 3905.36 of the Revised Code based on one or more measurement periods that include the entire tax period under this chapter;

(6) A person that solely facilitates or services one or more securitizations of phase-in-recovery property pursuant to a final financing order as those terms are defined in section 4928.23 of the Revised Code. For purposes of this division, "securitization" means transferring one or more assets to one or more persons and then issuing securities backed by the right to receive payment from the asset or assets so transferred.

(7) Except as otherwise provided in this division, a pre-income tax trust as defined in division (FF)(4) of section 5747.01 of the Revised Code and any pass-through entity of which such pre-income tax trust owns or controls, directly, indirectly, or constructively through related interests, more than five per cent of the ownership or equity interests. If the pre-income tax trust has made a qualifying pre-income tax trust election under division (FF)(3) of section 5747.01 of the Revised Code, then the trust and the pass-through entities of which it owns or controls, directly, indirectly, or constructively through related interests, more than five per cent of the ownership or equity interests, shall not be excluded persons for purposes of the tax imposed under section 5751.02 of the Revised Code.

(8) Nonprofit organizations or the state and its agencies, instrumentalities, or political subdivisions.

(F) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (F)(2), (3), and (4) of this section, "gross receipts" means the total amount realized by a person, without deduction for the cost of goods sold or other expenses incurred, that contributes to the production of gross income of the person, including the fair market value of any property and any services received, and any debt transferred or forgiven as consideration.

(1) The following are examples of gross receipts:

(a) Amounts realized from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of the taxpayer's property to or with another;

(b) Amounts realized from the taxpayer's performance of services for another;

(c) Amounts realized from another's use or possession of the taxpayer's property or capital;

(d) Any combination of the foregoing amounts.

(2) "Gross receipts" excludes the following amounts:

(a) Interest income except interest on credit sales;

(b) Dividends and distributions from corporations, and distributive or proportionate shares of receipts and income from a pass-through entity as defined under section 5733.04 of the Revised Code;

(c) Receipts from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of an asset described in section 1221 or 1231 of the Internal Revenue Code, without regard to the length of time the person held the asset. Notwithstanding section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code, receipts from hedging transactions also are excluded to the extent the transactions are entered into primarily to protect a financial position, such as managing the risk of exposure to (i) foreign currency fluctuations that affect assets, liabilities, profits, losses, equity, or investments in foreign operations; (ii) interest rate fluctuations; or (iii) commodity price fluctuations. As used in division (F)(2)(c) of this section, "hedging transaction" has the same meaning as used in section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code and also includes transactions accorded hedge accounting treatment under statement of financial accounting standards number 133 of the financial accounting standards board. For the purposes of division (F)(2)(c) of this section, the actual transfer of title of real or tangible personal property to another entity is not a hedging transaction.

(d) Proceeds received attributable to the repayment, maturity, or redemption of the principal of a loan, bond, mutual fund, certificate of deposit, or marketable instrument;

(e) The principal amount received under a repurchase agreement or on account of any transaction properly characterized as a loan to the person;

(f) Contributions received by a trust, plan, or other arrangement, any of which is described in section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, or to which Title 26, Subtitle A, Chapter 1, Subchapter (D) of the Internal Revenue Code applies;

(g) Compensation, whether current or deferred, and whether in cash or in kind, received or to be received by an employee, former employee, or the employee's legal successor for services rendered to or for an employer, including reimbursements received by or for an individual for medical or education expenses, health insurance premiums, or employee expenses, or on account of a dependent care spending account, legal services plan, any cafeteria plan described in section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code, or any similar employee reimbursement;

(h) Proceeds received from the issuance of the taxpayer's own stock, options, warrants, puts, or calls, or from the sale of the taxpayer's treasury stock;

(i) Proceeds received on the account of payments from insurance policies, except those proceeds received for the loss of business revenue;

(j) Gifts or charitable contributions received; membership dues received by trade, professional, homeowners', or condominium associations; and payments received for educational courses, meetings, meals, or similar payments to a trade, professional, or other similar association; and fundraising receipts received by any person when any excess receipts are donated or used exclusively for charitable purposes;

(k) Damages received as the result of litigation in excess of amounts that, if received without litigation, would be gross receipts;

(l) Property, money, and other amounts received or acquired by an agent on behalf of another in excess of the agent's commission, fee, or other remuneration;

(m) Tax refunds, other tax benefit recoveries, and reimbursements for the tax imposed under this chapter made by entities that are part of the same combined taxpayer or consolidated elected taxpayer group, and reimbursements made by entities that are not members of a combined taxpayer or consolidated elected taxpayer group that are required to be made for economic parity among multiple owners of an entity whose tax obligation under this chapter is required to be reported and paid entirely by one owner, pursuant to the requirements of sections 5751.011 and 5751.012 of the Revised Code;

(n) Pension reversions;

(o) Contributions to capital;

(p) Sales or use taxes collected as a vendor or an out-of-state seller on behalf of the taxing jurisdiction from a consumer or other taxes the taxpayer is required by law to collect directly from a purchaser and remit to a local, state, or federal tax authority;

(q) In the case of receipts from the sale of cigarettes or tobacco products by a wholesale dealer, retail dealer, distributor, manufacturer, or seller, all as defined in section 5743.01 of the Revised Code, an amount equal to the federal and state excise taxes paid by any person on or for such cigarettes or tobacco products under subtitle E of the Internal Revenue Code or Chapter 5743. of the Revised Code;

(r) Receipts from the sale, transfer, exchange, or other disposition of motor fuel as "motor fuel" is defined in section 5736.01 of the Revised Code;

(s) In the case of receipts from the sale of beer or intoxicating liquor, as defined in section 4301.01 of the Revised Code, by a person holding a permit issued under Chapter 4301. or 4303. of the Revised Code, an amount equal to federal and state excise taxes paid by any person on or for such beer or intoxicating liquor under subtitle E of the Internal Revenue Code or Chapter 4301. or 4305. of the Revised Code;

(t) Receipts realized by a new motor vehicle dealer or used motor vehicle dealer, as defined in section 4517.01 of the Revised Code, from the sale or other transfer of a motor vehicle, as defined in that section, to another motor vehicle dealer for the purpose of resale by the transferee motor vehicle dealer, but only if the sale or other transfer was based upon the transferee's need to meet a specific customer's preference for a motor vehicle;

(u) Receipts from a financial institution described in division (E)(3) of this section for services provided to the financial institution in connection with the issuance, processing, servicing, and management of loans or credit accounts, if such financial institution and the recipient of such receipts have at least fifty per cent of their ownership interests owned or controlled, directly or constructively through related interests, by common owners;

(v) Receipts realized from administering anti-neoplastic drugs and other cancer chemotherapy, biologicals, therapeutic agents, and supportive drugs in a physician's office to patients with cancer;

(w) Funds received or used by a mortgage broker that is not a dealer in intangibles, other than fees or other consideration, pursuant to a table-funding mortgage loan or warehouse-lending mortgage loan. Terms used in division (F)(2)(w) of this section have the same meanings as in section 1322.01 of the Revised Code, except "mortgage broker" means a person assisting a buyer in obtaining a mortgage loan for a fee or other consideration paid by the buyer or a lender, or a person engaged in table-funding or warehouse-lending mortgage loans that are first lien mortgage loans.

(x) Property, money, and other amounts received by a professional employer organization, as defined in section 4125.01 of the Revised Code, from a client employer, as defined in that section, in excess of the administrative fee charged by the professional employer organization to the client employer;

(y) In the case of amounts retained as commissions by a permit holder under Chapter 3769. of the Revised Code, an amount equal to the amounts specified under that chapter that must be paid to or collected by the tax commissioner as a tax and the amounts specified under that chapter to be used as purse money;

(z) Qualifying distribution center receipts.

(i) For purposes of division (F)(2)(z) of this section:

(I) "Qualifying distribution center receipts" means receipts of a supplier from qualified property that is delivered to a qualified distribution center, multiplied by a quantity that equals one minus the Ohio delivery percentage. If the qualified distribution center is a refining facility, "supplier" includes all dealers, brokers, processors, sellers, vendors, cosigners, and distributors of qualified property.

(II) "Qualified property" means tangible personal property delivered to a qualified distribution center that is shipped to that qualified distribution center solely for further shipping by the qualified distribution center to another location in this state or elsewhere or, in the case of gold, silver, platinum, or palladium delivered to a refining facility solely for refining to a grade and fineness acceptable for delivery to a registered commodities exchange. "Further shipping" includes storing and repackaging property into smaller or larger bundles, so long as the property is not subject to further manufacturing or processing. "Refining" is limited to extracting impurities from gold, silver, platinum, or palladium through smelting or some other process at a refining facility.

(III) "Qualified distribution center" means a warehouse, a facility similar to a warehouse, or a refining facility in this state that, for the qualifying year, is operated by a person that is not part of a combined taxpayer group and that has a qualifying certificate. All warehouses or facilities similar to warehouses that are operated by persons in the same taxpayer group and that are located within one mile of each other shall be treated as one qualified distribution center. All refining facilities that are operated by persons in the same taxpayer group and that are located in the same or adjacent counties may be treated as one qualified distribution center.

(IV) "Qualifying year" means the calendar year to which the qualifying certificate applies.

(V) "Qualifying period" means the period of the first day of July of the second year preceding the qualifying year through the thirtieth day of June of the year preceding the qualifying year.

(VI) "Qualifying certificate" means the certificate issued by the tax commissioner after the operator of a distribution center files an annual application with the commissioner. The application and annual fee shall be filed and paid for each qualified distribution center on or before the first day of September before the qualifying year or within forty-five days after the distribution center opens, whichever is later.

The applicant must substantiate to the commissioner's satisfaction that, for the qualifying period, all persons operating the distribution center have more than fifty per cent of the cost of the qualified property shipped to a location such that it would be sitused outside this state under the provisions of division (E) of section 5751.033 of the Revised Code. The applicant must also substantiate that the distribution center cumulatively had costs from its suppliers equal to or exceeding five hundred million dollars during the qualifying period. (For purposes of division (F)(2)(z)(i)(VI) of this section, "supplier" excludes any person that is part of the consolidated elected taxpayer group, if applicable, of the operator of the qualified distribution center.) The commissioner may require the applicant to have an independent certified public accountant certify that the calculation of the minimum thresholds required for a qualified distribution center by the operator of a distribution center has been made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The commissioner shall issue or deny the issuance of a certificate within sixty days after the receipt of the application. A denial is subject to appeal under section 5717.02 of the Revised Code. If the operator files a timely appeal under section 5717.02 of the Revised Code, the operator shall be granted a qualifying certificate effective for the remainder of the qualifying year or until the appeal is finalized, whichever is earlier. If the operator does not prevail in the appeal, the operator shall pay the ineligible operator's supplier tax liability.

(VII) "Ohio delivery percentage" means the proportion of the total property delivered to a destination inside Ohio from the qualified distribution center during the qualifying period compared with total deliveries from such distribution center everywhere during the qualifying period.

(VIII) "Refining facility" means one or more buildings located in a county in the Appalachian region of this state as defined by section 107.21 of the Revised Code and utilized for refining or smelting gold, silver, platinum, or palladium to a grade and fineness acceptable for delivery to a registered commodities exchange.

(IX) "Registered commodities exchange" means a board of trade, such as New York mercantile exchange, inc. or commodity exchange, inc., designated as a contract market by the commodity futures trading commission under the "Commodity Exchange Act," 7 U.S.C. 1 et seq., as amended.

(X) "Ineligible operator's supplier tax liability" means an amount equal to the tax liability of all suppliers of a distribution center had the distribution center not been issued a qualifying certificate for the qualifying year. Ineligible operator's supplier tax liability shall not include interest or penalties. The tax commissioner shall determine an ineligible operator's supplier tax liability based on information that the commissioner may request from the operator of the distribution center. An operator shall provide a list of all suppliers of the distribution center and the corresponding costs of qualified property for the qualifying year at issue within sixty days of a request by the commissioner under this division.

(ii)(I) If the distribution center is new and was not open for the entire qualifying period, the operator of the distribution center may request that the commissioner grant a qualifying certificate. If the certificate is granted and it is later determined that more than fifty per cent of the qualified property during that year was not shipped to a location such that it would be sitused outside of this state under the provisions of division (E) of section 5751.033 of the Revised Code or if it is later determined that the person that operates the distribution center had average monthly costs from its suppliers of less than forty million dollars during that year, then the operator of the distribution center shall pay the ineligible operator's supplier tax liability. (For purposes of division (F)(2)(z)(ii) of this section, "supplier" excludes any person that is part of the consolidated elected taxpayer group, if applicable, of the operator of the qualified distribution center.)

(II) The commissioner may grant a qualifying certificate to a distribution center that does not qualify as a qualified distribution center for an entire qualifying period if the operator of the distribution center demonstrates that the business operations of the distribution center have changed or will change such that the distribution center will qualify as a qualified distribution center within thirty-six months after the date the operator first applies for a certificate. If, at the end of that thirty-six-month period, the business operations of the distribution center have not changed such that the distribution center qualifies as a qualified distribution center, the operator of the distribution center shall pay the ineligible operator's supplier tax liability for each year that the distribution center received a certificate but did not qualify as a qualified distribution center. For each year the distribution center receives a certificate under division (F)(2)(z)(ii)(II) of this section, the distribution center shall pay all applicable fees required under division (F)(2)(z) of this section and shall submit an updated business plan showing the progress the distribution center made toward qualifying as a qualified distribution center during the preceding year.

(III) An operator may appeal a determination under division (F)(2)(z)(ii)(I) or (II) of this section that the ineligible operator is liable for the operator's supplier tax liability as a result of not qualifying as a qualified distribution center, as provided in section 5717.02 of the Revised Code.

(iii) When filing an application for a qualifying certificate under division (F)(2)(z)(i)(VI) of this section, the operator of a qualified distribution center also shall provide documentation, as the commissioner requires, for the commissioner to ascertain the Ohio delivery percentage. The commissioner, upon issuing the qualifying certificate, also shall certify the Ohio delivery percentage. The operator of the qualified distribution center may appeal the commissioner's certification of the Ohio delivery percentage in the same manner as an appeal is taken from the denial of a qualifying certificate under division (F)(2)(z)(i)(VI) of this section.

(iv)(I) In the case where the distribution center is new and not open for the entire qualifying period, the operator shall make a good faith estimate of an Ohio delivery percentage for use by suppliers in their reports of taxable gross receipts for the remainder of the qualifying period. The operator of the facility shall disclose to the suppliers that such Ohio delivery percentage is an estimate and is subject to recalculation. By the due date of the next application for a qualifying certificate, the operator shall determine the actual Ohio delivery percentage for the estimated qualifying period and proceed as provided in division (F)(2)(z)(iii) of this section with respect to the calculation and recalculation of the Ohio delivery percentage. The supplier is required to file, within sixty days after receiving notice from the operator of the qualified distribution center, amended reports for the impacted calendar quarter or quarters or calendar year, whichever the case may be. Any additional tax liability or tax overpayment shall be subject to interest but shall not be subject to the imposition of any penalty so long as the amended returns are timely filed.

(II) The operator of a distribution center that receives a qualifying certificate under division (F)(2)(z)(ii)(II) of this section shall make a good faith estimate of the Ohio delivery percentage that the operator estimates will apply to the distribution center at the end of the thirty-six-month period after the operator first applied for a qualifying certificate under that division. The result of the estimate shall be multiplied by a factor of one and seventy-five one-hundredths. The product of that calculation shall be the Ohio delivery percentage used by suppliers in their reports of taxable gross receipts for each qualifying year that the distribution center receives a qualifying certificate under division (F)(2)(z)(ii)(II) of this section, except that, if the product is less than five per cent, the Ohio delivery percentage used shall be five per cent and that, if the product exceeds forty-nine per cent, the Ohio delivery percentage used shall be forty-nine per cent.

(v) Qualifying certificates and Ohio delivery percentages issued by the commissioner shall be open to public inspection and shall be timely published by the commissioner. A supplier relying in good faith on a certificate issued under this division shall not be subject to tax on the qualifying distribution center receipts under division (F)(2)(z) of this section. An operator receiving a qualifying certificate is liable for the ineligible operator's supplier tax liability for each year the operator received a certificate but did not qualify as a qualified distribution center.

(vi) The annual fee for a qualifying certificate shall be one hundred thousand dollars for each qualified distribution center. If a qualifying certificate is not issued, the annual fee is subject to refund after the exhaustion of all appeals provided for in division (F)(2)(z)(i)(VI) of this section. The first one hundred thousand dollars of the annual application fees collected each calendar year shall be credited to the revenue enhancement fund. The remainder of the annual application fees collected shall be distributed in the same manner required under section 5751.20 of the Revised Code.

(vii) The tax commissioner may require that adequate security be posted by the operator of the distribution center on appeal when the commissioner disagrees that the applicant has met the minimum thresholds for a qualified distribution center as set forth in division (F)(2)(z) of this section.

(aa) Receipts of an employer from payroll deductions relating to the reimbursement of the employer for advancing moneys to an unrelated third party on an employee's behalf;

(bb) Cash discounts allowed and taken;

(cc) Returns and allowances;

(dd) Bad debts from receipts on the basis of which the tax imposed by this chapter was paid in a prior quarterly tax payment period. For the purpose of this division, "bad debts" means any debts that have become worthless or uncollectible between the preceding and current quarterly tax payment periods, have been uncollected for at least six months, and that may be claimed as a deduction under section 166 of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations adopted under that section, or that could be claimed as such if the taxpayer kept its accounts on the accrual basis. "Bad debts" does not include repossessed property, uncollectible amounts on property that remains in the possession of the taxpayer until the full purchase price is paid, or expenses in attempting to collect any account receivable or for any portion of the debt recovered;

(ee) Any amount realized from the sale of an account receivable to the extent the receipts from the underlying transaction giving rise to the account receivable were included in the gross receipts of the taxpayer;

(ff) Any receipts directly attributed to a transfer agreement or to the enterprise transferred under that agreement under section 4313.02 of the Revised Code.

(gg)(i) As used in this division:

(I) "Qualified uranium receipts" means receipts from the sale, exchange, lease, loan, production, processing, or other disposition of uranium within a uranium enrichment zone certified by the tax commissioner under division (F)(2)(gg)(ii) of this section. "Qualified uranium receipts" does not include any receipts with a situs in this state outside a uranium enrichment zone certified by the tax commissioner under division (F)(2)(gg)(ii) of this section.

(II) "Uranium enrichment zone" means all real property that is part of a uranium enrichment facility licensed by the United States nuclear regulatory commission and that was or is owned or controlled by the United States department of energy or its successor.

(ii) Any person that owns, leases, or operates real or tangible personal property constituting or located within a uranium enrichment zone may apply to the tax commissioner to have the uranium enrichment zone certified for the purpose of excluding qualified uranium receipts under division (F)(2)(gg) of this section. The application shall include such information that the tax commissioner prescribes. Within sixty days after receiving the application, the tax commissioner shall certify the zone for that purpose if the commissioner determines that the property qualifies as a uranium enrichment zone as defined in division (F)(2)(gg) of this section, or, if the tax commissioner determines that the property does not qualify, the commissioner shall deny the application or request additional information from the applicant. If the tax commissioner denies an application, the commissioner shall state the reasons for the denial. The applicant may appeal the denial of an application to the board of tax appeals pursuant to section 5717.02 of the Revised Code. If the applicant files a timely appeal, the tax commissioner shall conditionally certify the applicant's property. The conditional certification shall expire when all of the applicant's appeals are exhausted. Until final resolution of the appeal, the applicant shall retain the applicant's records in accordance with section 5751.12 of the Revised Code, notwithstanding any time limit on the preservation of records under that section.

(hh) In the case of amounts collected by a licensed casino operator from casino gaming, amounts in excess of the casino operator's gross casino revenue. In this division, "casino operator" and "casino gaming" have the meanings defined in section 3772.01 of the Revised Code, and "gross casino revenue" has the meaning defined in section 5753.01 of the Revised Code.

(ii) Receipts realized from the sale of agricultural commodities by an agricultural commodity handler, both as defined in section 926.01 of the Revised Code, that is licensed by the director of agriculture to handle agricultural commodities in this state.

(jj) Receipts realized by a taxpayer that is a severer from the first sale of oil or gas severed from the soil or water of this state on or after October 1, 2014, on the basis of which the severer is liable for a tax imposed under section 5749.02 of the Revised Code, if the severer is subject to the tax imposed under section 5747.02 of the Revised Code on income from that sale or is a pass-through entity, the direct or indirect owners of which are subject to that tax on the income from that sale. A pass-through entity may exclude only those receipts proportionate to such direct or indirect owners' distributive or proportionate shares of the pass-through entity. As used in division (F)(2)(jj) of this section, "severer" has the same meaning as in division (I)(2) of section 5749.01 of the Revised Code.

(kk) Any receipts for which the tax imposed by this chapter is prohibited by the constitution or laws of the United States or the constitution of this state.

(3) In the case of a taxpayer when acting as a real estate broker, "gross receipts" includes only the portion of any fee for the service of a real estate broker, or service of a real estate salesperson associated with that broker, that is retained by the broker and not paid to an associated real estate salesperson or another real estate broker. For the purposes of this division, "real estate broker" and "real estate salesperson" have the same meanings as in section 4735.01 of the Revised Code.

(4) A taxpayer's method of accounting for gross receipts for a tax period shall be the same as the taxpayer's method of accounting for federal income tax purposes for the taxpayer's federal taxable year that includes the tax period. If a taxpayer's method of accounting for federal income tax purposes changes, its method of accounting for gross receipts under this chapter shall be changed accordingly.

(G) "Taxable gross receipts" means gross receipts sitused to this state under section 5751.033 of the Revised Code.

(H) A person has "substantial nexus with this state" if any of the following applies. The person:

(1) Owns or uses a part or all of its capital in this state;

(2) Holds a certificate of compliance with the laws of this state authorizing the person to do business in this state;

(3) Has bright-line presence in this state;

(4) Otherwise has nexus with this state to an extent that the person can be required to remit the tax imposed under this chapter under the Constitution of the United States.

(I) A person has "bright-line presence" in this state for a reporting period and for the remaining portion of the calendar year if any of the following applies. The person:

(1) Has at any time during the calendar year property in this state with an aggregate value of at least fifty thousand dollars. For the purpose of division (I)(1) of this section, owned property is valued at original cost and rented property is valued at eight times the net annual rental charge.

(2) Has during the calendar year payroll in this state of at least fifty thousand dollars. Payroll in this state includes all of the following:

(a) Any amount subject to withholding by the person under section 5747.06 of the Revised Code;

(b) Any other amount the person pays as compensation to an individual under the supervision or control of the person for work done in this state; and

(c) Any amount the person pays for services performed in this state on its behalf by another.

(3) Has during the calendar year taxable gross receipts of at least five hundred thousand dollars.

(4) Has at any time during the calendar year within this state at least twenty-five per cent of the person's total property, total payroll, or total gross receipts.

(5) Is domiciled in this state as an individual or for corporate, commercial, or other business purposes.

(J) "Tangible personal property" has the same meaning as in section 5739.01 of the Revised Code.

(K) "Internal Revenue Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C. 1, as amended. Any term used in this chapter that is not otherwise defined has the same meaning as when used in a comparable context in the laws of the United States relating to federal income taxes unless a different meaning is clearly required. Any reference in this chapter to the Internal Revenue Code includes other laws of the United States relating to federal income taxes.

(L) "Calendar quarter" means a three-month period ending on the thirty-first day of March, the thirtieth day of June, the thirtieth day of September, or the thirty-first day of December.

(M) "Tax period" means the calendar quarter or calendar year on the basis of which a taxpayer is required to pay the tax imposed under this chapter.

(N) "Calendar year taxpayer" means a taxpayer for which the tax period is a calendar year.

(O) "Calendar quarter taxpayer" means a taxpayer for which the tax period is a calendar quarter.

(P) "Agent" means a person authorized by another person to act on its behalf to undertake a transaction for the other, including any of the following:

(1) A person receiving a fee to sell financial instruments;

(2) A person retaining only a commission from a transaction with the other proceeds from the transaction being remitted to another person;

(3) A person issuing licenses and permits under section 1533.13 of the Revised Code;

(4) A lottery sales agent holding a valid license issued under section 3770.05 of the Revised Code;

(5) A person acting as an agent of the division of liquor control under section 4301.17 of the Revised Code.

(Q) "Received" includes amounts accrued under the accrual method of accounting.

(R) "Reporting person" means a person in a consolidated elected taxpayer or combined taxpayer group that is designated by that group to legally bind the group for all filings and tax liabilities and to receive all legal notices with respect to matters under this chapter, or, for the purposes of section 5751.04 of the Revised Code, a separate taxpayer that is not a member of such a group.

Section 2.  That existing sections 1509.02, 1509.071, 1509.11, 1509.34, 1513.08, 1513.182, 1514.11, 5703.052, 5705.27, 5705.32, 5747.98, 5749.01, 5749.02, 5749.03, 5749.06, 5749.07, 5749.08, 5749.10, 5749.11, 5749.12, 5749.13, 5749.14, 5749.15, and 5751.01, and section 1509.50 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section 3.  This act takes effect October 1, 2014.

Section 4.  On or before the effective date of this act, the Chief of the Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management shall prepare a plan for the development of the inventory described in division (B) of section 1509.075 of the Revised Code and deliver that plan to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. The plan shall include the time and internal or external resources that the Chief believes are necessary to complete that inventory.