As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 522

2025-2026

Representatives Ritter, Bird

To amend section 1503.35 and to enact section 131.52 of the Revised Code regarding federal mineral royalty payments.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 1503.35 be amended and section 131.52 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 131.52. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Federal mineral royalty" means the state of Ohio's share of payments received under 30 U.S.C. 191 from oil, gas, or other mineral production on federal lands within this state, including national forest system lands.

(2) "County of origin" means the county where a wellhead or mine is located to which a federal mineral royalty is attributable.

(B) The treasurer of state shall deposit all federal mineral royalties received from the United States department of the interior's office of natural resources revenue into the federal mineral royalty clearing fund, which is hereby established and shall be in the custody of the treasurer of state but shall not be part of the state treasury. Within thirty days after each deposit, the director of the office of budget and management shall transfer from the fund to each county of origin an amount equal to the royalty payments attributable to that county.

(C) Money received by a county under division (B) of this section may be appropriated by the board of county commissioners solely for one of the following purposes:

(1) Planning;

(2) Construction and maintenance of public facilities;

(3) Provision of public services.

Sec. 1503.35. The (A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, the director of natural resources shall distribute money received by the state pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 500 from the sale of national forest timber and other national forest products to the applicable county or counties in which the national forest is situated. Money received by a county under this section shall be used by a county as follows:

(A)(1) Fifty per cent shall be used to maintain county roads and bridges;

(B)(2) Fifty per cent shall be used for the benefit of public schools.

(B) A federal mineral royalty, as defined in section 131.52 of the Revised Code, is not a forest product subject to distribution under this section. Any federal mineral royalty received by the state shall be deposited in accordance with that section.

Section 2. That existing section 1503.35 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.