New Ohio laws

There are some 14 bills passed by the Ohio General Assembly which have gone into effect this week or will be next week, including Ohio’s “Castle Doctrine” law (SB 184) which became effective Tuesday.

Others include:

SB183 IMPORTUNING requires the imposition of a mandatory prison term for the offense
of "importuning" if an offender previously has been convicted of a sexually
oriented offense or a child-victim oriented offense; adds the following prohibitions that constitute the offense of "compelling prostitution" (R.C. 2907.21(A)(2)(b), (3)(b), (4)(b), and (5)(b)): Eff. 9/11/2008

HB138 JUDICIAL SALE-PROPERTY - To require purchasers of real property at a judicial sale to provide certain identifying information and to make other changes in judicial sales of real property.
Eff. 9/11/2008

SB229 RADIOLOGIST ASSISTANTS -Requires the State Medical Board to regulate the practice of radiologist assistants and establishes criminal penalties for unauthorized practice
Eff. 9/11/2008; sec. 4774.02 9 months later

HB404 VIATICAL SETTLEMENTS Making numerous changes to the law governing viatical settlements, including requiring a business that is licensed as a viatical settlement broker to
maintain at least one individual who individually is licensed as a viatical settlement broker, and individuals who are licensed as viatical settlement brokers to complete continuing education requirements.
Eff. 9/11/08; sec. 3916.02(A) 90 days later

SB302 WILL SIGNING - To require a will to be attested and subscribed by the witnesses in the conscious presence, instead of in the presence, of the testator and to provide that a decedent who signs a document that is a purported will sign in the conscious presence of the witnesses. Eff. 9/11/2008

SB334 WORKERS' COMPENSATION - To prohibit an employee from receiving workers' compensation benefits in this state if the employee has received a decision on the merits of a claim filed in another state for the same injury or occupational disease, to allow an Ohio employer to obtain, through the Administrator of Workers' Compensation or an insurance company, worker's compensation insurance for claims arising in other states, and to make other changes to the Workers' Compensation Law regarding interstate workers' compensation claims. Eff. 9/11/2008


HB499 OHIO TRUST CODE –Modifications to the Ohio Trust Code, including provision that the administration of a trust is governed by the law designated in the terms of the trust to govern trust administration and, in the absence of such designation, the law of the trust's principal place of
administration.; Adds powers of trustees; and Outright repeals former fiduciary law that limits the liability of any excluded fiduciary when certain powers, including the authority to direct the acquisition, disposition, or retention of any investment, are granted to other persons and retains a similar provision in the OTC.
Eff. 9/12/2008

SB175 GRIEVING PARENTS ACT - To enact the Grieving Parents Act, regarding fetal death certificates for, and burials of, the product of human conception that suffers a fetal death.
Eff. 9/12/2008

HB346 HOSPITAL STAFFING GUIDELINES - Requires each hospital to create a nursing care committee to create & recommend written nursing services staffing plans and specifies the committee's duties and membership
Eff. 9/12/2008

HB181 SCHOOL RECORDS-MISSING CHILDREN - To require public and nonpublic schools to mark the records of students identified as missing children and to notify law enforcement of requests for those records. Eff. 9/12/2008

HB428 SCHOOL EMPLOYEES MISCONDUCT - Regarding the reporting of and the discipline for school employee misconduct. Eff. 9/12/2008

HB283 PHARMACY SCHOOLS - To permit pharmacy schools to accept for instructional purposes donations of certain dangerous drugs, including expired drugs. Eff. 9/12/2008

SB268 COUNTY CONTRACTS - To allow a county contracting authority to use competitive sealed proposals instead of competitive sealed bidding when doing so would be advantageous to the county. Eff. 9/12/2008


HB285 SMALL BUSINESSES - To waive fines or penalties for paperwork violations that are first-time offenses committed by small businesses. Eff. 9/16/2008