(A) There is hereby established within the office of the attorney general the crime victims assistance office.

(B) There is hereby established the state victims assistance advisory council. The council shall consist of a chairperson, to be appointed by the attorney general, three ex officio members, and seventeen members to be appointed by the attorney general as follows: one member who represents the Ohio victim-witness association; three members who represent local victim assistance programs, including one from a municipally operated program and one from a county-operated program; one member who represents the interests of elderly victims; one member who represents the interests of individuals with mental illness; one member who is a board member of any statewide or local organization that exists primarily to aid victims of domestic violence or who is an employee of, or counselor for, such an organization; one member who is a board member of any statewide or local organization that exists primarily to aid victims of sexual violence or who is an employee of or a counselor for an organization that exists primarily to aid victims of sexual violence; one member who is an employee or officer of a county probation department or a probation department operated by the department of rehabilitation and correction; one member who is a county prosecuting attorney; one member who is a city law director; one member who is a county sheriff; one member who is a member or officer of a township or municipal police department; one member who is a court of common pleas judge; one member who is a municipal court judge or county court judge; and two members who are private citizens and are not government employees.

The council shall include the following ex officio, nonvoting members: the attorney general, one member of the senate to be designated by the president of the senate, and one member of the house of representatives to be designated by the speaker of the house.

Members of the council shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel and other necessary expenses that are incurred in the conduct of their official duties as members of the council. The chairperson and members of the council appointed by the attorney general shall serve at the pleasure of the attorney general. The attorney general shall serve on the council until the end of the term of office that qualified the attorney general for membership on the council. The member of the senate and the member of the house of representatives shall serve at the pleasure of the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, respectively.

(C) The victims assistance advisory council shall perform all of the following duties:

(1) Advise the crime victims assistance office in determining crime and delinquency victim service needs, determining crime and delinquency victim policies for the state, and improving and exercising leadership in the quality of crime and delinquency victim programs in the state;

(2) Review and recommend to the crime victims assistance office the victim assistance programs that should be considered for the receipt of state financial assistance pursuant to section 109.92 of the Revised Code. The financial assistance allocation recommendations of the council shall be based on the following priorities:

(a) Programs in existence on July 1, 1985, shall be given first priority;

(b) Programs offering or proposing to offer the broadest range of services and referrals to the community served, including medical, psychological, financial, educational, vocational, and legal services that were not in existence on July 1, 1985, shall be given second priority;

(c) Other qualified programs shall be given last priority.

(3) Provide advice and counsel to the attorney general in determining the needs of victims of domestic violence and developing a policy for the attorney general in the administration of the domestic violence program fund created under section 109.46 of the Revised Code;

(4) Make recommendations to the attorney general in the distribution of domestic violence program funds under section 109.46 of the Revised Code.

(D) As used in this section and section 109.92 of the Revised Code, "victim assistance program" includes, but is not limited to a program that provides at least one of the following:

(1) Services to victims of any offense of violence or delinquent act that would be an offense of violence if committed by an adult;

(2) Financial assistance or property repair services to victims of crime or delinquent acts;

(3) Assistance to victims of crime or delinquent acts in judicial proceedings;

(4) Assistance to victims of crime or delinquent acts under the operation of any political subdivision of the state or a branch of the criminal justice system set forth in division (B)(1)(a), (b), or (c) of section 5502.61 of the Revised Code;

(5) Technical assistance to persons or organizations that provide services to victims of crime or delinquent acts under the operation of a branch of the criminal justice system set forth in division (B)(1)(a), (b), or (c) of section 5502.61 of the Revised Code.

A victim assistance program does not include the program for the reparation of crime victims established pursuant to Chapter 2743. of the Revised Code.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2017.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.39, SB 171, §1, eff. 6/30/2011.

Effective Date: 12-02-1996; 06-30-2005

Related Legislative Provision: See 129th General AssemblyFile No.39, SB 171, §4 .