(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Political subdivision" has the meaning defined in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) "State agency" means any organized body, office, agency, institution, or other entity established by the laws of the state for the exercise of any function of state government. The term includes a state institution of higher education as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.

(B)

(1) When legally authorized to do so, a political subdivision may enter into an agreement with another political subdivision or a state agency whereby the contracting political subdivision or state agency agrees to exercise any power, perform any function, or render any service for the contracting recipient political subdivision that the contracting recipient political subdivision is otherwise legally authorized to exercise, perform, or render.

(2) When legally authorized to do so, a state agency may enter into an agreement with a political subdivision whereby the contracting political subdivision agrees to exercise any power, perform any function, or render any service for the contracting recipient state agency that the contracting recipient state agency is otherwise legally authorized to exercise, perform, or render.

(C) In the absence in the agreement of provisions determining by what officer, office, department, agency, or other authority the powers and duties of a contracting political subdivision shall be exercised or performed, the legislative authority of the contracting political subdivision shall determine and assign the powers and duties.

An agreement shall not suspend the possession by a contracting recipient political subdivision or state agency of any power or function that is exercised or performed on its behalf by the other contracting political subdivision or the contracting state agency under the agreement.

A political subdivision shall not enter into an agreement to levy any tax or to exercise, with regard to public moneys, any investment powers, perform any investment function, or render any investment service on behalf of a contracting subdivision. Nothing in this paragraph prohibits a political subdivision from entering into an agreement to collect, administer, or enforce any tax on behalf of another political subdivision or to limit the authority of political subdivisions to create and operate joint economic development zones as provided in section 715.691, joint economic development districts as provided in sections 715.70 to 715.83, or municipal utility districts as provided in section 715.84 of the Revised Code.

(D) No county elected officer may be required to exercise any power, perform any function, or render any service under an agreement entered into under this section without the written consent of the county elected officer. No county may enter into an agreement under this section for the exercise, performance, or rendering of any statutory powers, functions, or services of any county elected officer without the written consent of the county elected officer.

(E) No power shall be exercised, no function shall be performed, and no service shall be rendered by a contracting political subdivision or state agency pursuant to an agreement entered into under this section within a political subdivision that is not a party to the agreement, without first obtaining the written consent of the political subdivision that is not a party to the agreement and within which the power is to be exercised, a function is to be performed, or a service is to be rendered.

(F) Chapter 2744. of the Revised Code, insofar as it applies to the operation of a political subdivision, applies to the political subdivisions that are parties to an agreement and to their employees when they are rendering a service outside the boundaries of their employing political subdivision under the agreement. Employees acting outside the boundaries of their employing political subdivision while providing a service under an agreement may participate in any pension or indemnity fund established by the political subdivision to the same extent as while they are acting within the boundaries of the political subdivision, and are entitled to all the rights and benefits of Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code to the same extent as while they are performing a service within the boundaries of the political subdivision.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 483, §101.01, eff. 9/15/2014.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 289, §1, eff. 6/5/2014.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.64, HB 225, §1, eff. 3/22/2012.