Bill Text: OH HB275 | 2013-2014 | 130th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: To create the Commission on Violence Against Women and Children, to require the Commission to prepare an annual report, and to designate August as "Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children Month."

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-09-30 - To Health and Aging [HB275 Detail]

Download: Ohio-2013-HB275-Introduced.html
As Introduced

130th General Assembly
Regular Session
2013-2014
H. B. No. 275


Representatives Patmon, Barnes 



A BILL
To enact sections 5.2288, 5101.91, and 5101.92 of the 1
Revised Code to create the Commission on Violence 2
Against Women and Children, to require the 3
Commission to prepare an annual report, and to 4
designate August as "Prevention of Violence 5
Against Women and Children Month."6


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

       Section 1. That sections 5.2288, 5101.91, and 5101.92 of the 7
Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:8

       Sec. 5.2288.  The month of August is designated as 9
"Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children Month" to 10
increase awareness of and to encourage the prevention of violence 11
against women and children.12

       Sec. 5101.91.  (A) The commission on violence against women 13
and children shall study the problem of violence against women and 14
children, including emotional, physical, and socio-economic forms 15
of violence, and shall prepare an annual report in which the 16
commission makes recommendations on implementing solutions for the 17
prevention of violence against women and children. The commission 18
also shall promote awareness of methods by which violence against 19
women and children may be prevented. In studying the problem of 20
violence against women and children and in addressing the problem 21
in its report, the commission shall do all of the following:22

       (1) Determine what factors lead to violence against women and 23
children;24

       (2) Summarize in the report the initial impact and aftermath 25
of violence against women and children;26

       (3) Summarize in the report the long-term implications of 27
violence against children;28

       (4) Gather data for this state regarding missing women and 29
children and violence against women and children, and submit the 30
data in its report;31

       (5) State in its report the best methods for the timely 32
reporting of and finding missing women and children, and for 33
preventing violence against women and children; and34

       (6) Identify and suggest in the report changes in the laws of 35
this state and in the policies of state and local government 36
agencies that will reduce the number of missing women and children 37
and will stop violence against women and children.38

       (B) On or before August 1, 2014, and on or before the first 39
day of August of each year thereafter, the commission shall submit 40
its report to the governor, president and minority leader of the 41
senate, speaker and minority leader of the house of 42
representatives, and chief justice of the supreme court.43

       Sec. 5101.92. The commission on violence against women and 44
children is hereby established. The commission shall consist of 45
the following members:46

       (A) One member of the senate appointed by the president of 47
the senate;48

       (B) One member of the senate appointed by the minority leader 49
of the senate;50

       (C) One member of the house of representatives appointed by 51
the speaker of the house of representatives;52

       (D) One member of the house of representatives appointed by 53
the minority leader of the house of representatives;54

       (E) The governor, or the governor's designee;55

       (F) One representative of the judicial branch of government 56
appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court;57

       (G) The directors of health and of job and family services, 58
and the superintendent of the state highway patrol, or their 59
designees; and60

       (H) Two representatives of local law enforcement agencies 61
appointed by the governor. These members shall have experience in 62
issues related to missing women or children or violence against 63
women or children.64

       The appointing authorities shall make initial appointments to 65
the commission on violence against women and children within 66
twenty days after the effective date of this section. Members may 67
be reappointed. Vacancies shall be filled in the manner provided 68
for original appointments and children.69

        Members appointed under divisions (F) and (H) of this section 70
shall serve terms of two years. A member appointed under those 71
divisions shall serve on the commission from the date of 72
appointment until the end of the term for which the member was 73
appointed. A member appointed under those divisions to fill a 74
vacancy occurring prior to the expiration date of the term for 75
which the member's predecessor was appointed shall serve on the 76
commission for the remainder of that term. A member appointed 77
under those divisions shall continue to serve on the commission 78
subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the 79
member's successor is appointed or until a period of sixty days 80
has elapsed, whichever occurs first.81

        Members shall serve without compensation but shall be 82
reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses.83

       From among its membership, the commission shall select a 84
chairperson. The chairperson shall select a member of the 85
commission to serve as the commission's secretary. The department 86
of job and family services shall provide staff and other support 87
services as necessary for the commission to fulfill its duties. 88
The director of job and family services shall designate an 89
individual from the department whose duties are to include 90
applying for grants and any other funding for the commission, and 91
to advocate on the federal level for the prevention of violence 92
against women and children.93

       The commission may accept gifts, grants, donations, 94
contributions, benefits, and other funds from any public agency or 95
private source to carry out any or all of the commission's duties. 96
The funds shall be deposited into the prevention of violence 97
against women and children fund, which is hereby created in the 98
state treasury. All gifts, grants, donations, contributions, 99
benefits, and other funds received by the commission shall be used 100
solely to support the operations of the commission.101

       All meetings of the commission shall be held at the call of 102
the chairperson, but the commission shall hold its initial meeting 103
not later than sixty days after the effective date of this 104
section. The presence of a majority of the members of the 105
commission constitutes a quorum for the conduct of the 106
commission's business. The concurrence of at least a majority of 107
the members of the commission is necessary for any action to be 108
taken by the commission. All meetings of the commission are public 109
meetings and shall be open to the public at all times.110

       Except as provided in section 149.43 of the Revised Code and 111
as consistent with the purposes of that section, all documents and 112
records in the possession of the commission are public records.113

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