(A) A licensor may charge fees for issuing and renewing retail food establishment licenses. Any licensing fee charged shall be used solely for the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted under it applicable to retail food establishments.

Any licensing fee charged under this section shall be based on the licensor's costs of regulating retail food establishments, as determined according to the uniform methodologies established under section 3717.07 of the Revised Code. If the licensor is a board of health, a fee may be disapproved by the district advisory council in the case of a general health district or the legislative authority of the city in the case of a city health district. A disapproved fee shall not be charged by the board of health.

Except when a licensing fee is established as an emergency measure, the licensor shall hold a public hearing regarding the proposed fee. At least twenty days prior to holding a public hearing, the licensor shall give written notice of the hearing to each person or government entity holding a retail food establishment license that may be affected by the proposed fee. The notice shall be mailed to the last known address of the licensee and shall specify the date, time, and place of the hearing and the amount of the proposed fee. On request, the licensor shall provide the completed uniform methodology used in the calculation of the licensor's costs and the proposed fee.

(B) In addition to licensing fees, a licensor may charge fees for any of the following:

(1) Review of facility layout and equipment specifications pertaining to retail food establishments, other than mobile and temporary retail food establishments;

(2) Any necessary collection and bacteriological examination of samples from retail food establishments or similar services specified in rules adopted under this chapter by the director of agriculture;

(3) Attendance at a course of study offered by the licensor in food protection as it pertains to retail food establishments, if the course is approved under section 3717.09 of the Revised Code.

(C)

(1) The director may determine by rule an amount to be collected from applicants for retail food establishment licenses for use by the director in administering and enforcing the provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted under it applicable to retail food establishments. Licensors shall collect the amount prior to issuing an applicant's new or renewed license. If a licensing fee is charged under this section, the licensor shall collect the amount at the same time the fee is collected. Licensors are not required to provide notice or hold public hearings regarding amounts to be collected .

(2) A licensor shall certify the amount collected under division (C)(1) of this section and transmit the amount to the treasurer of state according to the following schedule:

(a) For amounts received by the licensor on or after the first day of January but not later than the thirty-first day of March, transmit the amounts not later than the fifteenth day of May;

(b) For amounts received by the licensor on or after the first day of April but not later than the thirtieth day of June, transmit the amounts not later than the fifteenth day of August;

(c) For amounts received by the licensor on or after the first day of July but not later than the thirtieth day of September, transmit the amounts not later than the fifteenth day of November;

(d) For amounts received by the licensor on or after the first day of October but not later than the thirty-first day of December, transmit the amounts not later than the fifteenth day of February of the following year.

(3) All amounts received under division (C)(2) of this section shall be deposited into the food safety fund created in section 915.24 of the Revised Code. The director shall use the amounts solely for the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted under it applicable to retail food establishments.

(4) When adopting rules regarding the amounts collected under division (C)(1) of this section, the director shall make available during the rule making process the current and projected expenses of administering and enforcing the provisions of this chapter and the rules adopted under it applicable to retail food establishments and the total of all amounts that have been deposited in the food safety fund pursuant to division (C)(3) of this section.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 11-21-2001 .