(A) The chairperson of a standing committee of either house of the general assembly may, at any time, request the director of the legislative service commission to review any bill that is assigned to the chairperson's committee in order to determine whether the bill includes a mandated benefit. The director shall review the bill and notify the chairperson of the director's determination. If the director determines that the bill includes a mandated benefit, the presiding officer of the house that is considering the bill may request the director to arrange for the performance of an independent healthcare actuarial review of the mandated benefit. In making this arrangement, the director shall retain one or more independent actuaries on a consulting basis to determine the financial impact of the mandated benefit in accordance with section 103.146 of the Revised Code. Each actuary retained shall be a member in good standing of the American academy of actuaries. The director shall assist the actuary or actuaries in obtaining any information needed.

No later than sixty days after receiving the presiding officer's request to arrange for the performance of the actuarial review, the director shall submit the findings of the actuarial review to the chairperson of the committee to which the bill is assigned and to the ranking minority member of that committee.

(B) To assist the actuary or actuaries in obtaining information needed to perform the healthcare actuarial review, the legislative service commission may request any department, division, institution, board, commission, authority, bureau, or other instrumentality or officer of the state, a county, a municipal corporation, a township, a school district, or other governmental entity of the state to provide any information the commission requires for purposes of the review.

An instrumentality, officer, or entity shall comply with a request as soon as reasonably possible after receiving it. The commission shall specify the manner of compliance, and the period of time for compliance, in its request.

Effective Date: 12-13-2001.