(A) Except as provided in division (C) of this section, an action for assault or battery shall be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues, except as provided in division (B) of this section, if all of the following apply regarding the action, the cause of the action, and the parties to the action:

(1) The action is brought against a mental health professional.

(2) The assault or battery claim asserted in the action is that, while the plaintiff was a mental health client or patient of the mental health professional, the mental health professional engaged in sexual conduct with, had sexual contact with, or caused one or more other persons to have sexual contact with the plaintiff.

(3) At the time of the sexual conduct or sexual contact described in division (A)(2) of this section, the plaintiff was not the spouse of the mental health professional.

(B) If the mental health service relationship between the plaintiff in an action for assault or battery that is described in division (A) of this section and the mental health professional continues after the date on which the cause of action accrues, the two-year period specified in division (A) of this section does not begin to run until the date on which that mental health service relationship is terminated by either or both of the parties.

(C) An action for assault or battery brought by a victim of childhood sexual abuse that is based on childhood sexual abuse, as defined in section 2305.111 of the Revised Code, shall be brought as provided in division (C) of that section. In all other cases, unless division (A) or (B) of this section applies, an action for assault or battery shall be brought as provided in division (B) of section 2305.111 of the Revised Code.

(D) As used in this section:

(1) "Mental health client or patient" and "mental health service" have the same meanings as in section 2305.51 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Mental health professional" has the same meaning as in section 2305.51 of the Revised Code and also includes an individual who is not licensed, certified, or registered under the Revised Code, or otherwise authorized in this state, but who regularly provides or purports to provide mental health services for compensation or remuneration at an established place of business.

(3) "Mental health service relationship" means the relationship between a mental health professional and a mental health client or patient of the mental health professional that exists for purposes of the mental health professional's provision of mental health services to the mental health client or patient.

(4) "Sexual conduct" and "sexual contact" have the same meanings as in section 2907.01 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 05-14-2002; 08-03-2006 .