(A) Each county auditor who is elected to a full term of office shall attend and successfully complete at least sixteen hours of continuing education courses during the first year of the auditor's term of office, and complete at least another eight hours of such courses by the end of that term. Each such county auditor shall include at least two hours of ethics and substance-abuse training in the total twenty-four hours of required courses. To be counted toward the twenty-four hours required by this section, a course must be approved by the county auditors association of Ohio. Any county auditor who teaches an approved course shall be entitled to credit for the course in the same manner as if the county auditor had attended the course.

That association shall record and, upon request, verify the completion of required course work for each county auditor, and issue a statement to each county auditor of the number of hours of continuing education the county auditor has successfully completed. Each year the association shall send a list of the continuing education courses, and the number of hours each county auditor has successfully completed, to the auditor of state and the tax commissioner, and shall provide a copy of this list to any other individual who requests it.

The auditor of state shall issue a certificate of completion to each county auditor who completes the continuing education courses required by this section. The auditor of state shall issue a "notice of failure" to any county auditor required to complete continuing education courses under this section who fails to successfully complete at least sixteen hours of continuing education courses during the first year of the county auditor's term of office or to complete a total of at least twenty-four hours of such courses by the end of that term. This notice is for informational purposes only and does not affect any individual's ability to hold the office of county auditor.

(B) Each board of county commissioners shall approve, from money appropriated to the county auditor, a reasonable amount requested by the county auditor of its county to cover the costs the county auditor must incur to meet the requirements of division (A) of this section, including registration fees, lodging and meal expenses, and travel expenses.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 10, §1, eff. 3/23/2015.

Effective Date: 05-08-1996 .