H.B. 349
128th General Assembly
(As Introduced)
Reps. Weddington and Maag, Letson, Harris, Derickson
BILL SUMMARY
· Revises the membership, staffing, and duties of the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood.
CONTENT AND OPERATION
Current law creates the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood in the Department of Job and Family Services. The Commission consists of the following members:
· Four House members appointed by the House Speaker, not more than two from the same political party.
· Four Senate members appointed by the Senate President, not more than two from the same political party.
· Five representatives of the general public appointed by the Governor.
· The Directors of Health, Job and Family Services, Rehabilitation and Correction, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, and Youth Services and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or their designees.
· One representative of the judicial branch of government appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
· One representative of the Ohio Family and Children First Council appointed by the Council's chairperson.
· The Governor or the Governor's designee.
The bill adds to the Commission two additional representatives of the public to be appointed by the Governor, and the Assistant Director of Job and Family Services in charge of the Office of Child Support, or the Assistant Director's designee. (R.C. 5101.34(A)(5) and (7).) One of the additional public members will serve a term ending July 31, 2011, and the other public member will serve a term ending July 31, 2012 (Section 3).
Existing law requires the Department of Job and Family Services to provide staff and other support services for the Commission. The bill requires the Commission to employ an executive director and authorizes the Commission to employ other staff as necessary to perform its duties. The executive director and other staff will be in the unclassified civil service (see COMMENT) and serve at the Commission's pleasure. The Commission must specify the duties and compensation of the executive director and staff. The Department continues to be required to provide other staff and support services for the Commission. (R.C. 5101.341.)
One of the Commission's duties is to organize a state Summit on Fatherhood every four years. The bill instead requires the Commission to organize the Summit once every two-year period that begins on the first day of an odd-numbered calendar year and ends on the last day of the next succeeding even-numbered calendar year. (R.C. 5101.342(A).)
Present law also requires the Commission to prepare a report each year that identifies resources available to fund fatherhood-related programs and explores the creation of initiatives to (1) build the parenting skills of fathers, (2) provide employment-related services for low-income, noncustodial fathers, (3) prevent premature fatherhood, (4) provide services to fathers who are inmates in or have just been released from imprisonment in a state correctional institution or in any other detention facility so that they are able to maintain or reestablish their relationships with their families, and (5) reconcile fathers with their families.
The bill instead requires the Commission to identify and fund fatherhood-related initiatives operated by government agencies and private, nonprofit entities, including initiatives that seek to:
· Increase public awareness of the critical role fathers play.
· Augment father-readiness by preventing premature fatherhood, building parenting skills, and providing employment-related services for low-income fathers.
· Promote and enhance father-child bonding, family reconciliation, and fathers' involvement in schools by educating the public about topics such as childbirth, paternity establishment, child support, custody, visitation, incarceration, and re-entry into family life and society following incarceration.
· Develop fathers' relationship skills to strengthen their capacity for success in parenting, employment, and marriage. (R.C. 5101.342(B).)
The bill requires the Commission to prepare an annual report that evaluates the fatherhood-related initiatives funded under current law and the bill and to submit a copy of the report to the House Speaker, Senate President, House and Senate Minority Leaders, Governor, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (R.C. 5101.342(C)).
COMMENT
Employees in the classified civil service (1) must be hired and promoted through competitive and noncompetitive examinations, (2) have appeal rights when they are suspended, demoted, removed, reduced in pay or position, reclassified, or laid off, and (3) cannot participate in partisan political activities. These provisions do not apply to unclassified employees, who serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority.
HISTORY
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ACTION |
DATE |
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Introduced |
11-04-09 |
h0349-i-128.docx/kl