(A) The director of agriculture may provide financial assistance to a statewide, multi-state, or national nonprofit livestock association to defray not more than fifty per cent of the rental costs of the Ohio expositions center for purposes of conducting a livestock species exhibition at the center. In order to obtain financial assistance under this division, a nonprofit livestock association shall apply to the director on a form prescribed by the director and in the manner prescribed in rules adopted under division (C) of this section.

Rental cost assistance authorized by this division shall be provided subject to both of the following conditions:

(1) No nonprofit livestock association shall receive in any fiscal year rental cost assistance exceeding fifty per cent of the funds available to the director in that fiscal year for the purposes of this section and designated for the purpose of defraying rental costs for livestock species exhibitions.

(2) The rental cost assistance shall be paid by the director to the Ohio expositions commission on behalf of the nonprofit livestock association by means of intrastate transfer voucher.

If the director receives more than one application for financial assistance for rental costs, the director shall consider the cost of and local economic benefit generated by each applicant's exhibition when allocating financial assistance.

(B) The director may expend not more than two per cent of the moneys available for the purposes of this section in a fiscal year to defray the costs to the department of agriculture for administering this section or to assist in recruiting livestock exhibitions to be held at the Ohio expositions center.

(C) The director, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules to carry out this section, including, without limitation, rules establishing procedures for the allocation and distribution of moneys available for the purposes of this section.

Effective Date: 06-30-1997; 2008 HB562 09-22-2008