As Introduced
135th General Assembly
Regular Session H. B. No. 69
2023-2024
Representatives Stewart, Willis
A BILL
To amend sections 5901.02 and 5901.03 of the Revised Code to require county veterans service commissions to include two members who served in the military after September 11, 2001, and to require one member of the commission to be appointed by the board of county commissioners.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 5901.02 and 5901.03 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:
Sec.
5901.02. (A)
In
each county there shall be a commission known as "the veterans
service commission." Except as provided in section 5901.021 of
the Revised Code, the commission shall be composed of five residents
of the county appointed to five-year terms
by
a judge of the court of common pleas.
At the time of appointment or reappointment to the commission, no
commission member appointed under this section shall be an employee
of the commission or hold an elective or other appointive office of
the county served by the commission.
(B)
Each
member of the commission appointed under this section shall be an
honorably discharged or honorably separated veteran. Within sixty
days after the date of appointment, each such member shall file the
member's form DD214 with the department of veterans services in
accordance with guidelines established by the director of that
department. Such appointments shall be made from lists of recommended
persons, in the manner specified in the
following paragraphthis
section.
One person shall be a representative recommended by the American
Legion; one person shall be a representative recommended by the
Veterans of Foreign Wars; one person shall be a representative
recommended by the Disabled American Veterans; one person shall be a
representative recommended by the AMVETS; and one person shall be a
representative recommended by the Military Order of the Purple Heart
of the U.S.A., the Vietnam Veterans of America, or the Korean War
Veterans Association. If any such organization has no post or chapter
located in the county, the appointment shall be made from lists of
recommended persons submitted by posts or chapters of any other
congressionally chartered veterans organizations located in the
county. If no such other organizations have posts or chapters located
in the county, the judge
responsible for making appointments under this section appointing
authority may
appoint any qualified veteran to represent the veteran community.
(C)
On
or before the fifteenth day of October of each year, the appointing
judge
authority
shall
notify each post or chapter of each organization within the county
from which the member may or must be appointed that it may submit a
list containing three recommendations of persons who are eligible for
appointment.
At least one of the persons recommended shall have served in the
military after September 11, 2001.
Except as provided under division (D) of this section, and not later than January 15, 2024, at which time appointments shall have been made under divisions (E)(4) and (5) of this section for 2023 and 2024 respectively, a veterans service commission shall consist of at least two members who served in the military after September 11, 2001. The appointing authority, before making an appointment, shall ascertain the current composition of the commission to determine if appointment of a person who served in the military after September 11, 2001, is necessary to comply with this section.
(D)
If
the judge
appointing
authority does
not receive any recommendations within sixty days after providing the
required notification, the judge
appointing
authority may
appoint any qualified veteran to represent the veteran community. The
judge
appointing
authority shall
make the appointment on or before the fifteenth day of January of
each year. Any vacancy in a membership appointed under this section
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments.
Beginning
in the year 2000, appointment (E)
Appointment of
members to the commission under this section shall be made as
follows:
(A)
(1)
Appointments
for members to represent the American Legion shall be made by
the judge of the court of common pleas of the county for
terms to commence in years ending in zero and five.
(B)
(2)
Appointments
for members to represent the Veterans of Foreign Wars shall be made
by
the judge of the court of common pleas of the county for
terms to commence in years ending in one and six.
(C)
(3)
Appointments
for members to represent the Disabled American Veterans shall be made
by
the judge of the court of common pleas of the county for
terms to commence in years ending in two and seven.
(D)
(4)
Appointments
for members to represent the AMVETS shall be made by
the judge of the court of common pleas of the county for
terms to commence in years ending in three and eight.
(E)
(5)
Appointments
for members to represent the Military Order of the Purple Heart of
the U.S.A., the Vietnam Veterans of America, or the Korean War
Veterans Association shall be made
by
the board of commissioners of the county. These appointments shall be
for
terms to commence in years ending in four and nine.
The
terms immediately preceding the initial appointments made under
divisions (A) to (E) of this section may be for periods of less than
five years.
(F)
The
appointing authority shall remove a
any
member
who
was appointed by that appointing authority and
who
fails to maintain certification or whose certification is revoked by
the director of veterans services.
The
appointing authority may remove, for cause, any member of the
commission appointed by that appointing authority and shall fill
vacancies occurring among memberships for the unexpired terms in the
manner provided for the original appointments.
Sec.
5901.03. The
veterans service commission shall select one of its members as
president, one as vice-president, and one as secretary. The
commission shall meet at least once each month.
A judge of the court of common pleas may remove, for cause, any
member of the commission appointed under section 5901.02 of the
Revised Code, and shall fill vacancies occurring among memberships
appointed under that section for the unexpired terms in the manner
provided for the original appointments.
The commission's duties shall include but are not limited to the following:
(A) Employing such staff as are necessary to carry out the commission's duties, and fixing their compensation;
(B) Establishing policies and procedures for the administration of the commission and the veterans service office;
(C) Establishing policies and procedures for the administration of assistance as provided under this chapter;
(D) Causing the budgets of the veterans service commission and veterans service office to be presented to the board of county commissioners for approval;
(E) Establishing programs of outreach and coordination with other agencies to enhance available services to veterans within the county;
(F) Promoting, monitoring, and providing funding for ongoing education and training for veterans service commissioners and staff;
(G) Making reports to the organizations represented on the commission, as provided in section 5901.02 of the Revised Code, and to others, upon request;
(H) Establishing regularly scheduled transportation for veterans to and from veterans administration medical centers whose districts the county is within, through contractual agreements or through other arrangements determined by the commission to be most cost-effective;
(I) Participating in appropriate memorial and commemorative activities to help promote patriotism and veterans services;
(J) Taking any other actions required by this chapter.
Section 2. That existing sections 5901.02 and 5901.03 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.