(A) No person shall act as a small dealer, dealer, or broker without first being licensed. No person shall be an employee of more than one small dealer, dealer, or broker. Except as provided in division (B) of this section, no person holding a license as a small dealer, dealer, or broker shall be an employee. No employee shall act for any small dealer, dealer, or broker unless the small dealer, dealer, or broker is licensed, and has designated the employee to act in the small dealer's, dealer's, or broker's behalf and has notified the department of agriculture in the application for license or has given official notice in writing of the appointment of the employee. The small dealer, dealer, or broker shall be accountable and responsible for all contracts pertaining to the purchase, exchange, or sale of livestock made by the employee. The small dealer, dealer, or broker who terminates the services of an employee shall notify the department in writing of the employee's termination. No person who is a licensed small dealer, dealer, or broker shall have livestock exempted pursuant to divisions (B)(1) to (6) of section 943.01 of the Revised Code.

(B)

(1) No person who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of this chapter or rules adopted under it shall act as an owner, supervisor, employee, contractor, volunteer, or agent of a person licensed under this chapter unless specifically authorized to do so by the director of agriculture.

(2) The offense established under division (B)(1) of this section is a strict liability offense and section 2901.20 of the Revised Code does not apply. The designation of this offense as a strict liability offense shall not be construed to imply that any other offense, for which there is no specified degree of culpability, is not a strict liability offense.

(C) A small dealer, dealer, or broker may be an employee of other small dealers, dealers, or brokers only when the small dealer, dealer, or broker so employed is a soliciting agent for a video auction.

(D) The director shall define by rule "soliciting agent" and "video auction" for the purposes of this section.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 131, §1, eff. 3/23/2016.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 7/17/2009.

Effective Date: 06-20-1994