To enact section 5902.021 of the Revised Code to require the Director of Veterans Services to issue disabled veteran's certificates that prove service-related disabilities.

Section 1. That section 5902.021 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 5902.021.  The director of veterans services shall issue disabled veteran's certificates. A disabled veteran's certificate is sufficient to prove the service-related disability and level of service-related disability of the disabled veteran named in the certificate. A state agency and a political subdivision of the state that provides a benefit to disabled veterans shall accept a disabled veteran's certificate as proof of the facts it states.

The director shall issue a disabled veteran's certificate to an individual who is a resident of this state, who is a veteran of the armed services, who has a service-related disability, and who applies to the director on a form prescribed by the director.

The application for a disabled veteran's certificate shall require a disabled veteran to enter the disabled veteran's name, address, telephone number or electronic mail address, branch of the armed services, service-related disability, and level of service-related disability, and to provide any other information the director needs to prepare a disabled veteran's certificate for the disabled veteran. The application shall require a disabled veteran to attach supporting documentation that the director needs to verify the facts asserted in the application. A supporting document may be in the form of a photographic copy of the original.

If the director verifies the information a disabled veteran provides in the application, the director shall prepare and issue a disabled veteran's certificate to the disabled veteran. If the director is unable to verify the information a disabled veteran provides in the application, the director shall notify the disabled veteran of the deficiency. The disabled veteran may reapply for a disabled veteran's certificate.

A disabled veteran's certificate shall state the date of its issuance, the disabled veteran's name, that the disabled veteran has a service-related disability, the level of the disabled veteran's service-related disability, and any other information the director determines necessary to achieve the purposes of the disabled veteran's certificate. A disabled veteran's disabled veteran's certificate is not valid unless the disabled veteran named in the certificate has signed the certificate. The director shall provide a place for the signature on the certificate.

A disabled veteran's certificate expires on the date that is five years after the date on which it was issued. A disabled veteran whose disabled veteran's certificate has expired may apply to the director for the issuance of a new disabled veteran's certificate. The director may authorize disabled veterans to apply for new disabled veteran's certificates in anticipation of the expiration of their current disabled veteran's certificates.

If a disabled veteran loses, misplaces, or damages the disabled veteran's disabled veteran's certificate, the veteran may provide the disabled veteran's name and address to the director, together with an explanation of the loss, misplacing, or damage. If the director verifies the facts asserted with regard to the lost, misplaced, or damaged disabled veteran's certificate, the director shall issue a replacement disabled veteran's certificate to the disabled veteran.

If, because of a disabled veteran's service-related disability, the disabled veteran is unable personally to perform an act required by this section, the disabled veteran may cause the act to be performed. Such a substituted performance has the same validity as if the disabled veteran personally had performed the act.

The director, under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules that are necessary for the successful and efficient issuance of disabled veteran's certificates. In particular, the director shall adopt the rules so as to deter fraud in the issuance of disabled veteran's certificates.

Section 2. The Director of Veterans Services, not later than the date that is six months after the effective date of this section, shall adopt the initial rules that are necessary to implement section 5902.021 of the Revised Code.