(A) There is hereby created the industrial commission nominating council consisting of five employer representatives , four labor representatives, one representative from the Ohio association for justice, and two members of the public, each of a different political party, who are appointed by the governor. The nominating council shall make recommendations to the governor for the appointment of members to the industrial commission as provided in section 4121.02 of the Revised Code.

(B) In making the appointments, the governor shall select the members representing employees from a list of eight names submitted by the Ohio federation of labor, the member representing the Ohio association for justice from a list of two names submitted by the Ohio association of justice, and the members representing employers from a list of ten names submitted jointly by the Ohio industry organizations . The governor shall appoint at least one member from each of the Ohio industry organizations . Of the list submitted by the Ohio industry organizations , two individuals from each of the Ohio industry organizations shall be included in the list. Terms of office of employer and employee representatives are for four years, each term ending on the same day as the date of their original appointment. The Ohio federation of labor for a vacancy of an employee representative on the council, and the Ohio industry organizations, for a vacancy of an employer representative on the council, shall submit to the governor a list containing two names for appointment and the governor shall appoint an individual from the list to fill the vacancy provided that the list submitted to fill an industry representative vacancy shall contain the names of individuals who represent the organizations for which a vacancy has occurred. One public member shall represent the interests of small business . Public members shall serve for a term of two years, each term ending on the same day as the date of their original appointment. The governor shall fill a vacancy occurring on the nominating council for a public member in the same manner as for the original appointment but only for the unexpired part of the term. As used in this division, "small business" means any manufacturing establishment employing five hundred or fewer employees or any retail, or other service establishment employing one hundred or fewer employees. The representative from the Ohio association for justice shall serve for a term of four years, each term ending on the twentieth day of October of the appropriate year. The governor shall fill a vacancy occurring on the nominating council for the representative from the Ohio association for justice in the same manner as the original appointment. In the event that an appointment to the council does not conform to this division, such organizations may challenge the appointment pursuant to division (E) of this section, provided that the industry organizations only may challenge the appointment of an industry representative, and further provided that the labor organization only may challenge the appointment of a labor representative.

(C) The nominating council annually shall meet and elect such officers as it determines appropriate and shall meet at such other times as it determines appropriate in order to make recommendations to the governor for the appointment of industrial commission members pursuant to section 4121.02 of the Revised Code.

(D) Members of the nominating council shall be paid fifty dollars per day and their actual and necessary expenses while engaged in the performance of their duties as members of the nominating council, which the industrial commission shall pay from funds which the industrial commission uses to pay its operating expenses.

(E) An association generally recognized as representing the interests of labor or industry may file, within fifteen days after the governor's appointment of a member, a challenge in the common pleas court of Franklin county asserting that a representative named to represent its interests is not representative of the interests the appointee has been appointed to represent. An appointee whose appointment has been challenged shall not receive any pay nor serve on the nominating council until the court, acting without a jury and following the expedited timetable provided for hearing on restraining orders in Civil Rule 65, makes a determination that the appointee is a true and qualified representative of the group for which the appointee is selected and possesses all of the qualifications.

A challenged appointee may request the attorney general to represent the appointee in an action brought under this division and the attorney general shall provide the appointee with competent representation without charge.

(F) As used in this section, "Ohio industry organizations" means all of the following organizations:

(1) The Ohio self-insurers' association;

(2) The Ohio manufacturers' association;

(3) The Ohio council of retail merchants;

(4) The Ohio chamber of commerce;

(5) The national federation of independent business.

Amended by 128th General Assemblych.39, HB 16, §101, eff. 6/30/2009.

Effective Date: 12-02-1996 .

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