(A) Any organization, individual, or group of individuals may give to the state or to any county or township by way of private contribution money to pay the expenses the state or county or township incurs in maintaining, repairing, or reconstructing highways and roads upon which animal-drawn vehicles travel.

(1) All money the state receives under this division shall be credited to the highway operating fund created by section 5735.051 of the Revised Code to be expended by the department of transportation as described in this division. If money is contributed to the state under this section, the donor may direct that the contribution be used to pay the maintenance, repair, or reconstruction expenses of a particular state highway or portion of state highway by specifically designating that state highway or portion thereof at the time of the contribution, and the department shall so expend the contribution. If the donor does not make such a designation, the department shall use the contribution to pay the maintenance, repair, or reconstruction expenses of a portion of state highway located within the county in which the donor resides or in which the organization maintains property and upon which animal-drawn vehicles regularly travel. The department may accumulate contributions designated for a particular highway until such time as the contributions can be expended in a meaningful manner.

(2) If a donor contributes money to a county or township, the donor is not permitted to make any specific road or highway designation. However, the county or township shall expend all contributions received under this section to maintain, repair, or reconstruct any road located within the county or township upon which animal-drawn vehicles travel. A county or township may accumulate contributions received under this section until such time as the contributions can be expended in a meaningful manner.

(B) Not later than the first day of April of every year, the department and every county and township that receives money under this section shall issue a written report detailing the amount of money the state, county, or township received under this section during the previous calendar year; the amount of money expended during the previous calendar year pursuant to this section; the amount of money received under this section but not expended during the previous calendar year; the highway or road projects for which the expenditures were made; and any other relevant data.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 26, §101.01, eff. 1/1/2018.

Effective Date: 03-31-2003 .