4121.02 Industrial commission. - Ohio Statutes

4121.02 Industrial commission.

(A) There is hereby created the industrial commission. The commission shall consist of three members appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate. One member shall be an individual who, on account of the individual’s previous vocation, employment, or affiliations, can be classed as a representative of employers; one shall be an individual who, on account of the individual’s previous vocation, employment, or affiliations, can be classed as a representative of employees; and one shall be an individual who, on account of the individual’s previous vocation, employment, or affiliations, can be classed as a representative of the public. Each member shall have six or more years of recognized expertise in the field of workers’ compensation, and at least one member shall be an attorney registered to practice law in this state. No more than two members of the industrial commission shall belong to or be affiliated with the same political party.

(B) Within thirty days after the industrial commission nominating council submits its list to the governor under division (D) of this section, the governor shall make initial appointments to the commission. Of the initial appointments, the member who is a representative of employees shall serve a term ending on June 30, 1995; the member who is a representative of employers shall serve a term ending on June 30, 1997; and the member who is a representative of the public shall serve a term ending on June 30, 1999. Thereafter, terms of office are for six years, beginning on the first day of July and ending on the thirtieth day of June.

(C) Each member shall hold office from the date of the member’s confirmation by the senate, as provided in division (E) of this section, until the end of the term for which the member was appointed, except that if a member has not been appointed by the end of the term, the member shall remain in office until the member’s successor takes office, or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first. However, if a member is appointed to fill a full term subsequent to an initial appointment, the term of office is as provided in division (B) of this section. The governor shall not appoint any person to more than two full six-year terms of office on the commission. This restriction does not prevent the governor from appointing a person to fill a vacancy caused by death, resignation, or removal of a commission member, or from appointing that person twice to full terms on the commission, or from appointing a person previously appointed to fill less than a full term twice to full terms on the commission. Except for the public member’s tenure as chairperson of the self-insuring employer’s evaluation board, a member of the commission shall hold no other public office or position of trust or profit, engage in any other occupation or business, or serve on any committee of any political party and shall devote full time to the member’s duties as a member of the commission.

(D) In making appointments to the commission, the governor shall select the members from the list of the names submitted by the industrial commission nominating council pursuant to this division. Within thirty days after the effective date of this section, the nominating council shall submit to the governor for the initial appointments a list containing three separate names for the employer, employee, and public members to be filled. Within seven days of the submission of the initial list, the governor shall either appoint individuals from the list or request the nominating council to submit another list of three names for each member the governor has not appointed from the original list, which list the nominating council shall submit to the governor within seven days of the governor’s request. The governor then shall appoint, within seven days of the submission of the second list, individuals from either list to fill each position for which the governor has not made an appointment from the original list. Thereafter, within sixty days of a vacancy occurring as a result of the expiration of a term and within thirty days after other vacancies occurring on the commission, the nominating council shall submit an initial list containing three names for each vacancy. Within seven days of the submission of the initial list, the governor shall either appoint individuals from the list or request the nominating council to submit another list of three names for each member the governor has not appointed from the original list, which list the nominating council shall submit to the governor within fourteen days of the governor’s request. The governor then shall appoint, within seven days of the submission of the second list, one of the individuals from either list to fill the vacancy for which the governor has not made an appointment from the original list. In order for a name of an individual to be submitted to the governor under this division, the nominating council shall approve the individual by an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of its members.

(E) The governor shall notify the senate of the names of the individuals for whom the governor is making the initial appointments to the commission within thirty days after the submission of the names to the governor by the industrial commission nominating council under division (D) of this section. For appointments subsequent to the initial appointments under this division, if the appointment is to fill a member’s term which is to expire, the governor shall notify the senate of the name of the individual to be appointed to fill that position by no later than the first day of June of the year that the term is to expire. For subsequent appointments to fill a vacancy on the commission occurring as a result of the death, resignation, or removal of the commission member, the governor shall notify the senate of the name of the individual to be appointed to fill the remainder of that term within thirty days after the submission of the names to the governor by the nominating council under division (D) of this section. For all appointments, the senate shall refer the matter to an appropriate standing committee for consideration of the appointments, and the committee shall hold a public hearing to consider the appointments. After conclusion of the public hearing, the standing committee shall make its recommendations to the senate. The senate shall not confirm any appointee if the individual does not meet the qualifications of division (A) of this section or if the individual has not been approved by the industrial commission nominating council as provided in division (D) of this section. If the full senate fails to take a final vote on an appointment within thirty days after the governor submits the names to the senate under this division, the individual’s appointment is deemed confirmed by the senate and the individual shall take the office of commission member subject to removal as provided in division (F) of this section.

(F) The governor may remove or suspend a member of the commission pursuant to section 3.04 of the Revised Code. The governor shall notify the senate of any decision to remove or suspend a commission member. The senate shall refer the matter to an appropriate standing committee for consideration and the committee shall hold a public hearing to consider the matter. At the hearing, the governor or the governor’s authorized representative may present evidence and give testimony in support of the decision. The commission member or the member’s authorized representatives may appear and present evidence and testimony. After conclusion of the public hearing, the committee shall make its recommendation to the senate.

Upon receipt of a recommendation from the standing committee, the senate shall vote on the issue of whether to advise and consent to the removal or suspension of the member. The senate shall vote on the matter within sixty legislative days from the date the governor communicates the decision to remove or suspend the member.

(G) The governor shall determine the compensation of the members of the commission, based upon such facts as the governor considers appropriate, provided that the salary of each member shall be no less than seventy-five thousand dollars per year. In addition, each commission member shall receive an annual salary increase based upon the average salary increases of other state department directors for that year, not to exceed five per cent per year.

(H) Before entering upon the duties of office, each member shall take and subscribe to the constitutional oath of office and swear and affirm that the member holds no position under any committee of a political party, which oath or affirmation the member shall file in the office of the governor. Each member shall give a bond in the sum of fifty thousand dollars, which bond shall be approved by the governor and filed with the treasurer of state. All employees or deputies of the commission who receive or disburse state funds shall give a bond to the state in the amounts and surety approved by the industrial commission.

Effective Date: 09-29-1997