(A) No person shall evade the payment of the known fares of a public transportation system.

(B) No person shall alter any transfer, pass, ticket, or token of a public transportation system with the purpose of evading the payment of fares or of defrauding the system.

(C) No person shall do any of the following while in any facility or on any vehicle of a public transportation system:

(1) Play sound equipment without the proper use of a private earphone;

(2) Smoke, eat, or drink in any area where the activity is clearly marked as being prohibited;

(3) Expectorate upon a person, facility, or vehicle.

(D) No person shall write, deface, draw, or otherwise mark on any facility or vehicle of a public transportation system.

(E) No person shall fail to comply with a lawful order of a public transportation system police officer, and no person shall resist, obstruct, or abuse a public transportation police officer in the performance of the officer's duties.

(F) Whoever violates this section is guilty of misconduct involving a public transportation system.

(1) Violation of division (A), (B), or (E) of this section is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

(2) Violation of division (C) of this section is a minor misdemeanor on a first offense. If a person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of any division of this section or of a municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to any division of this section, violation of division (C) of this section is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

(3) Violation of division (D) of this section is a misdemeanor of the third degree.

(G) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, seventy-five per cent of each fine paid to satisfy a sentence imposed for a violation of this section shall be deposited into the treasury of the county in which the violation occurred and twenty-five per cent shall be deposited with the county transit board, regional transit authority, or regional transit commission that operates the public transportation system involved in the violation, unless the board of county commissioners operates the public transportation system, in which case one hundred per cent of each fine shall be deposited into the treasury of the county.

(H) As used in this section, "public transportation system" means a county transit system operated in accordance with sections 306.01 to 306.13 of the Revised Code, a regional transit authority operated in accordance with sections 306.30 to 306.71 of the Revised Code, or a regional transit commission operated in accordance with sections 306.80 to 306.90 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 09-26-2003.