H.B. 201
128th General Assembly
(As Introduced)
Reps. Mallory, S. Williams, Yuko, Slesnick, Letson, Brown, Heard, Domenick, Chandler, Foley, Combs
BILL SUMMARY
· Establishes the Bed Bug Awareness, Education, and Prevention Program in the Department of Health.
· Requires local boards of health to adopt vermin control policies treating bedbug infestations in the same manner as other infestations.
· Makes an appropriation.
CONTENT AND OPERATION
(R.C. 3701.136)
The bill establishes the Bed Bug Awareness, Education, and Prevention Program in the Department of Health. The Department must administer the program with the assistance of, and in consultation with, the research office of the Division of Travel and Tourism of the Department of Development. As part of the program, the Department of Health must make available on its web site information on the increasing incidences of bed bug infestation and post notices that bed bugs are a public nuisance dangerous to public health. The Director of Health must do all of the following:
(1) Educate hotel owners, residential dwellers, and citizens of this state on the difference between bed bugs and similar types of vermin so they can be easily recognized and treated accordingly;[1]
(2) Encourage hotel owners and residential dwellers to closely monitor floors, carpets, bed linens, and mattresses for signs of infestation to facilitate effective, timely treatment to prevent the spread and incidence of infestation;
(3) Assist in and promote the development of safe and effective treatment methods or options to eradicate bed bug infestation in hotels and residential dwellings.
The Department must operate a toll-free telephone number for any person seeking to report an incidence of bed bug infestation or to request information. This toll-free telephone number may be devoted solely to calls regarding bed bug infestation and questions or the Department may use an existing toll-free telephone number it maintains for calls about other matters.
The bill requires the Department to adopt rules as necessary, in accordance with Ohio's Administrative Procedure Act, to implement the bill's provisions.
(R.C. 3707.012)
The bill requires each board of health to adopt policies for the prevention, detection, and eradication of vermin in public places, including residential facilities other than private dwellings.[2] Under each policy, bed bug infestations shall be treated in the same manner as other vermin infestations.
(Section 2)
The bill appropriates $335,000 in fiscal year 2009 to the Department of Health to implement the bill's provisions. Because these appropriations relate to current expenses, the bill's provisions go into immediate effect when the bill becomes law.
COMMENT
This bill will require updating to reflect the conclusion of fiscal year 2009 prior to its enactment.
HISTORY
|
ACTION |
DATE |
|
|
|
|
Introduced |
06-02-09 |
h0201-i-128.docx/kl
[1] The bill defines "hotel" to mean every establishment kept, used, maintained, advertised, or held out to the public as a place where sleeping accommodations are offered to guests, in which five or more rooms are used for the accommodation of such guests, whether the rooms are in one or several structures. "Residential dwelling" means a building used or intended to be used as a personal residence by the owner, part owner, or lessee of the building, or any person authorized by such a person to use the building as a personal residence. (R.C. 3701.136.)
[2] The bill defines "board of health" to mean the board of health of a city or general health district or the city authority having the duties of a city health district board (R.C. 3707.012).