The bill introduced by Senator Hicks-Hudson, with cosponsors Senators DeMora and Ingram, aims to amend section 5705.19 and enact section 307.852 of the Revised Code to authorize counties and political subdivisions to place tax levies on the ballot specifically for pre-kindergarten programs. The new section 307.852 establishes criteria for nonprofit entities eligible to receive funds from these levies, ensuring that the funds are directed to licensed child care centers and preschool programs serving children aged four and above, with a focus on assisting families with incomes not exceeding four hundred percent of the federal poverty line. Additionally, the bill empowers county commissioners to demand refunds from nonprofits that misuse the funds and allows for civil action to recover those funds if necessary.

The legislation also amends section 5705.19 to expand the purposes for which tax levies can be imposed, specifically for pre-kindergarten programs and services. It introduces provisions for taxing authorities to reduce or terminate levies deemed unnecessary or excessive and allows for the combination of resolutions from detention facility districts and combined districts. Furthermore, it permits county commissioners to levy taxes exceeding the ten-mill limitation for sewage disposal projects for up to twenty years. The bill also streamlines the legal framework by repealing the existing section 5705.19, while ensuring that tax levies for 9-1-1 systems are only imposed in areas receiving the service, with immediate effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 5705.19