(A) There is hereby created a statewide consortium of county law library resources boards. The statewide consortium shall be comprised of the county law library resources board of each county.

(B) The statewide consortium board shall consist of five voting members, one of whom shall be the librarian of the supreme court of Ohio, or, if the librarian of the supreme court is unavailable, the chief justice's designee, and the other four members shall be appointed as follows:

(1) The Ohio judicial conference shall appoint one member.

(2) The county commissioners association of Ohio shall appoint two members, one of whom shall be the chief administrator of a county law library resources board.

(3) The Ohio state bar association shall appoint one member.

(C) Initial appointments to the statewide consortium board shall be made on or before July 1, 2010. Of the initial appointments, the initial term of the member appointed by the county commissioners association who is not the chief administrator of a county library resources board and the member appointed by the Ohio judicial conference shall be for a term ending December 31, 2014. The initial term of the member appointed by the Ohio state bar association and the member appointed by the county commissioners association who is the chief administrator of a county law library resources board shall be for a term ending December 31, 2016. Thereafter, terms for all members shall be for five years, with each term ending on the same day of the same month as did the term that it succeeds. Each member appointed pursuant to division (B) of this section shall hold office from the date of the member's appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. Vacancies shall be filled within sixty days after the vacancy occurs and shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration date of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office as a member for the remainder of that term. A member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the member's successor takes office or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first.

(D) The statewide consortium board shall do all of the following for the benefit of the members of the statewide consortium:

(1) Negotiate contracts that each county law library resources board may use for purchasing or obtaining access to legal research and reference materials available in any medium;

(2) Catalogue existing resources held by county law library resources boards and facilitate the sharing of those resources by the county law library resources boards;

(3) Develop and recommend guidelines for the collection of or access to legal resources that ought to be provided by a county law library resources board;

(4) Provide consultation and assistance to county law library resources boards;

(5) Issue an annual report of its activities to each county law library resources board.

(E)

(1) There is hereby created in the state treasury the statewide consortium of county law library resources boards fund. Commencing in calendar year 2011, each county treasurer shall deposit on or before the fifteenth day of February of each calendar year two per cent of the funds deposited pursuant to section 307.515 of the Revised Code into the county law library resources fund of the treasurer's county, established under section 307.514 of the Revised Code, from the immediately preceding calendar year into the statewide consortium of county law library resources boards fund. The statewide consortium board may recommend in writing and submit to each county law library resources board an increase or decrease in the percentage of funds that must be deposited into the statewide consortium fund by county treasurers pursuant to the division. Upon the receipt of written approval of the recommendation from a majority of the county law library resources boards, the recommendation shall become effective on January 1 of the succeeding year. The statewide consortium board of the county law library resources boards shall make any recommendations not later than the first day of April for the proceeding fiscal year, and any action by a county law library resources board on the recommendation shall be certified to the statewide consortium board not later than the first day of June of that year.

(2) The statewide consortium board may use the money deposited in the fund for the operation of the statewide consortium board and may provide grants to county law library resources boards.

(F) The statewide consortium board may create an advisory council that is comprised of persons with expertise in the operation and funding of law libraries.

(G) The statewide consortium board shall determine the necessary qualifications of staff and the facilities and equipment necessary for the operation of the statewide consortium.

(H) The statewide consortium board shall elect a chairperson from its membership. The statewide consortium board shall meet at least four times per year and shall keep a record of its proceedings. The record of its proceedings shall be open to the public for inspection. The chairperson or the chairperson's designee shall send a written notice of the time and place of each meeting to each member. A majority of the members of the statewide consortium board shall constitute a quorum.

Effective Date: 2008 HB562 01-01-2010.

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