As Introduced
135th General Assembly
Regular Session H. B. No. 710
2023-2024
Representative Forhan
A BILL
To amend, for the purpose of adopting a new section 1
number as indicated in parentheses, section 2
109.082 (109.084), and to enact new section 3
109.082 and section 109.083 of the Revised Code 4
to create the Attorney General's special counsel 5
billing database. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That section 109.082 (109.084) be amended for 7
the purpose of adopting a new section number as indicated in 8
parentheses and new section 109.082 and section 109.083 of the 9
Revised Code be enacted to read as follows: 10
Sec. 109.082. (A) If the attorney general appoints special 11
counsel under section 109.07 or 109.08 of the Revised Code or 12
any other section of the Revised Code, special counsel shall do 13
both of the following: 14
(1) For each case that special counsel is appointed to, 15
special counsel shall account for all hours special counsel 16
works on each case. For each hour that special counsel works on 17
each case, special counsel shall indicate whether each hour is a 18
billable hour or a pro bono hour. 19
H. B. No. 710 Page 2
As Introduced
(2) For each case that special counsel is appointed to, 20
special counsel shall submit an invoice to the attorney general 21
through the billing system used by the attorney general for 22
special counsel billing. The invoice shall account for all hours 23
special counsel works on each case and whether each hour is a 24
billable hour or a pro bono hour. 25
(B) When the attorney general receives an invoice from 26
special counsel, the attorney general shall enter into the 27
billing system used by the attorney general for special counsel 28
billing all hours special counsel works on each case and whether 29
each hour is a billable hour or a pro bono hour. 30
Sec. 109.083. (A) The attorney general shall establish and 31
maintain the attorney general's special counsel billing database 32
on the web site of the attorney general. The database shall be 33
accessible to members of the public without charge. 34
(B) The attorney general's special counsel billing 35
database shall include information about special counsel's 36
billing, including the following: 37
(1) For each case that special counsel is appointed to, 38
the case name, case number, name of counsel, and name of special 39
counsel; 40
(2) Information contained in the billing system used by 41
the attorney general for special counsel billing, including the 42
following: 43
(a) The total number of hours special counsel works on 44
each case and whether each hour is a billable hour or a pro bono 45
hour; 46
(b) The status of invoices submitted by special counsel. 47
H. B. No. 710 Page 3
As Introduced
(C) Nothing in this section prohibits the attorney general 48
from including any information in the attorney general's special 49
counsel billing database that is not required to be included in 50
the database. 51
Sec. 109.082 109.084. The attorney general shall appoint 52
one or more problem resolution officers from among the employees 53
of the office of the attorney general. These officers shall 54
receive and review inquiries and complaints concerning 55
collections made pursuant to Chapters 5733., 5739., 5741., 56
5747., and 5751. of the Revised Code regarding which the 57
taxpayer has been unable to obtain satisfactory information 58
after several attempts to communicate with the employee of the 59
office assigned to the taxpayer's collection case or the 60
employee's immediate supervisor, or the special counsel assigned 61
to the case. 62
Section 2. That existing section 109.082 of the Revised 63
Code is hereby repealed. 64