Effective: September 29, 2013
Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly
(A) There is hereby created the Ohio advisory council for the aging, which shall consist of twelve members to be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. Two ex officio members of the council shall be members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and shall be members of two different political parties. Two ex officio members of the council shall be members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate and shall be members of two different political parties. The medicaid director and directors of mental health and addiction services, developmental disabilities, health, and job and family services, or their designees, shall serve as ex officio members of the council. The council shall carry out its role as defined under the "Older Americans Act of 1965," 79 Stat. 219, 42 U.S.C. 3001, as amended.
At the first meeting of the council, and annually thereafter, the members shall select one of their members to serve as chairperson and one of their members to serve as vice-chairperson.
(B) Members of the council shall be appointed for a term of three years, except that for the first appointment members of the Ohio commission on aging who were serving on the commission immediately prior to July 26, 1984, shall become members of the council for the remainder of their unexpired terms. Thereafter, appointment to the council shall be for a three-year term by the governor. Each member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of the term. No member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term unless reappointed under the provisions of this section, and no member shall serve more than three consecutive terms on the council.
(C) Membership of the council shall represent all areas of Ohio and shall be as follows:
(1) A majority of members of the council shall have attained the age of fifty and have a knowledge of and continuing interest in the affairs and welfare of the older citizens of Ohio. The fields of business, labor, health, law, and human services shall be represented in the membership.
(2) No more than seven members shall be of the same political party.
(D) Any member of the council may be removed from office by the governor for neglect of duty, misconduct, or malfeasance in office after being informed in writing of the charges and afforded an opportunity for a hearing. Two consecutive unexcused absences from regularly scheduled meetings constitute neglect of duty.
(E) The director of aging may reimburse a member for actual and necessary traveling and other expenses incurred in the discharge of official duties. But reimbursement shall be made in the manner and at rates that do not exceed those prescribed by the director of budget and management for any officer, member, or employee of, or consultant to, any state agency.
(F) Council members are not limited as to the number of terms they may serve.
(G)(1) The department of aging may award grants to or enter into contracts with a member of the advisory council or an entity that the member represents if any of the following apply:
(a) The department determines that the member or the entity the member represents is capable of providing the goods or services specified under the terms of the grant or contract.
(b) The member has not taken part in any discussion or vote of the council related to whether the council should recommend that the department of aging award the grant to or enter into the contract with the member of the advisory council or the entity that the member represents.
(2) A member of the advisory council is not in violation of Chapter 102. or section 2921.42 of the Revised Code with regard to receiving a grant or entering into a contract under this section if the conditions of division (G)(1)(a) and (b) of this section have been met.