Effective: April 6, 2017
Latest Legislation: House Bill 388 - 131st General Assembly
(A)(1) A manufacturer of ignition interlock devices that desires for its devices to be certified under section 4510.43 of the Revised Code and then to be included on the list of certified devices that the department of public safety compiles and makes available to courts pursuant to that section first shall obtain a license from the department under this section. The department, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt any rules that are necessary to implement this licensing requirement.
(2) A manufacturer shall apply to the department for the license and shall include all information the department may require by rule. Each application, including an application for license renewal, shall be accompanied by an application fee of one hundred dollars, which the department shall deposit into the state treasury to the credit of the indigent drivers alcohol treatment fund created by section 4511.191 of the Revised Code. Each application also shall be accompanied by a signed agreement, in a form established by the director, affirming that the manufacturer agrees to install and monitor all devices produced by that manufacturer and affirming that the manufacturer agrees to charge a reduced fee, established by the department, for the installation and monitoring of a device used by a person who is deemed to be an indigent offender by the court that granted limited or unlimited driving privileges to the offender subject to the condition that the offender use a certified ignition interlock device.
(3) Upon receipt of a completed application, if the department finds that a manufacturer has complied with all application requirements, the department shall issue a license to the manufacturer. A manufacturer that has been issued a license under this section is eligible immediately to have the models of ignition interlock devices it produces certified under section 4510.43 of the Revised Code and then included on the list of certified devices that the department compiles and makes available to courts pursuant to that section.
(4)(a) A license issued under this section shall expire annually on a date selected by the department. The department shall reject the license application of a manufacturer if any of the following apply:
(i) The application is not accompanied by the application fee or the required agreement.
(ii) The department finds that the manufacturer has not complied with all application requirements.
(iii) The license application is a renewal application and the manufacturer failed to file the annual report or failed to pay the fee as required by division (B) of this section.
(iv) The license application is a renewal application and the manufacturer failed to monitor or report violations as required under section 4510.46 of the Revised Code.
(b) The department may reject the license application of a manufacturer if the manufacturer has a history of failing to properly install immobilizing or disabling devices.
(c) A manufacturer whose license application is rejected by the department may appeal the decision to the director of public safety. The director or the director's designee shall hold a hearing on the matter not more than thirty days from the date of the manufacturer's appeal. If the director or the director's designee upholds the denial of the manufacturer's application for a license, the manufacturer may appeal the decision to the Franklin county court of common pleas. If the director or the director's designee reverses the denial of the manufacturer's application for a license, the director or the director's designee shall issue a written order directing that the department issue a license to the manufacturer.
(B) Every manufacturer of ignition interlock devices that is issued a license under this section shall file an annual report with the department on a form the department prescribes on or before a date the department prescribes. The annual report shall state the amount of net profit the manufacturer earned during a twelve-month period specified by the department that is attributable to the sales of that manufacturer's certified ignition interlock devices to purchasers in this state. Each manufacturer shall pay a fee equal to five per cent of the amount of the net profit described in this division.
The department may permit annual reports to be filed via electronic means.
(C) The department shall deposit all fees it receives from manufacturers under this section into the state treasury to the credit of the indigent drivers alcohol treatment fund created by section 4511.191 of the Revised Code. All money so deposited into that fund that is paid by the department of mental health and addiction services to county indigent drivers alcohol treatment funds, county juvenile indigent drivers alcohol treatment funds, and municipal indigent drivers alcohol treatment funds shall be used only as described in division (H)(3) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code.
(D)(1) The director may make an assessment, based on any information in the director's possession, against any manufacturer that fails to file an annual report or pay the fee required by division (B) of this section. The director, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules governing assessments and assessment procedures and related provisions. In adopting these rules, the director shall incorporate the provisions of section 5751.09 of the Revised Code to the greatest extent possible, except that the director is not required to incorporate any provisions of that section that by their nature are not applicable, appropriate, or necessary to assessments made by the director under this section.
(2) A manufacturer may appeal the final determination of the director regarding an assessment made by the director under this section. The director, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules governing such appeals. In adopting these rules, the director shall incorporate the provisions of section 5717.02 of the Revised Code to the greatest extent possible, except that the director is not required to incorporate any provisions of that section that by their nature are not applicable, appropriate, or necessary to appeals of assessments made by the director under this section.
(E) The director, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt a penalty schedule setting forth the monetary penalties to be imposed upon a manufacturer that is issued a license under this section and fails to file an annual report or pay the fee required by division (B) of this section in a timely manner. The penalty amounts shall not exceed the maximum penalty amounts established in section 5751.06 of the Revised Code for similar or equivalent facts or circumstances.
(F)(1) No manufacturer of ignition interlock devices that is required by division (B) of this section to file an annual report with the department or to pay a fee shall fail to do so as required by that division.
(2) No manufacturer of ignition interlock devices that is required by division (B) of this section to file an annual report with the department shall file a report that contains incorrect or erroneous information.
(G) Whoever violates division (F)(2) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. The department shall remove from the list of certified devices described in division (A)(1) of this section the ignition interlock devices manufactured by a manufacturer that violates division (F)(1) or (2) of this section.