Legislative Information:
THE BILL AS IT READS
3701.65. "Choose life" fund.
(A) There is hereby created in the state treasury the "choose
life" fund. The fund shall consist of the contributions that are
paid to the registrar of motor vehicles by applicants who
voluntarily elect to obtain "choose life" license plates
pursuant to section 4503.81 of the Revised Code and any money
returned to the fund under division (E)(1)(d) of this section.
All investment earnings of the fund shall be credited to the
fund.
(B) (1) At least annually, the director of health shall
distribute the money in the fund to any private, nonprofit
organization that is eligible to receive funds under this
section and that applies for funding under division (C) of this
section.
(2) The director shall distribute the funds based on the county
in which the organization applying for funding is located and in
proportion to the number of "choose life" license plates issued
during the preceding year to vehicles registered in each county.
Within each county, eligible organizations that apply for
funding shall share equally in the funds available for
distribution to organizations located within that county.
(C) Any organization seeking funds under this section annually
shall apply for distribution of the funds. The director shall
develop an application form and may determine the schedule and
procedures that an organization shall follow when annually
applying for funds. The application shall inform the applicant
of the conditions for receiving and using funds under division
(E) of this section. The application shall require evidence that
the organization meets all of the following requirements:
(1) Is a private, nonprofit organization;
(2) Is committed to counseling pregnant women about the option
of adoption;
(3) Provides services within the state to pregnant women who
are planning to place their children for adoption, including
counseling and meeting the material needs of the women;
(4) Does not charge women for any services received;
(5) Is not involved or associated with any abortion activities,
including counseling for or referrals to abortion clinics,
providing medical abortion-related procedures, or pro-abortion
advertising;
(6) Does not discriminate in its provision of any services on
the basis of race, religion, color, age, marital status,
national origin, handicap, gender, or age.
(D) The director shall not distribute funds to an organization
that does not provide verifiable evidence of the requirements
specified in the application under division (C) of this section
and shall not provide additional funds to any organization that
fails to comply with division (E) of this section in regard to
its previous receipt of funds under this section.
(E) (1) An organization receiving funds under this section
shall do all of the following:
(a) Use not more than sixty per cent of the funds distributed
to it for the material needs of pregnant women who are planning
to place their children for adoption or for infants awaiting
placement with adoptive parents, including clothing, housing,
medical care, food, utilities, and transportation;
(b) Use not more than forty per cent of the funds distributed
to it for counseling, training, or advertising;
(c) Not use any of the funds distributed to it for
administrative expenses, legal expenses, or capital
expenditures;
(d) Annually return to the fund created under division (A) of
this section any unused money that exceeds ten per cent of the
money distributed to the organization.
(2) The organization annually shall submit to the director an
audited financial statement verifying its compliance with
division (E)(1) of this section.
(F) The director, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the
Revised Code, shall adopt rules to implement this section.
It is not the intent of the general assembly that the
department create a new position within the department to
implement and administer this section. It is the intent of the
general assembly that the implementation and administration of
this section be accomplished by existing department personnel.
In the event of any amendments made to this bill contact the Ohio Department of Health for a copy of the Choose Life bill.
Revised:2012