Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

As Introduced
134th General Assembly
   Regular Session                                       H. B. No. 487
       2021-2022
                         Representative Young, T.
               Cosponsors: Representatives Ray, Seitz, White
                                A BILL
            To amend sections 3505.13 and 3505.14 of the                 1
               Revised Code to change the bidding process for            2
               contracts for ballot printing, to eliminate the           3
               requirement that all contracts for ballots for            4
               Ohio elections are rewarded to vendors within             5
               the state and printed within the state, and to            6
               declare an emergency.                                     7
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
     Section 1. That sections 3505.13 and 3505.14 of the                 8
Revised Code be amended to read as follows:                              9
     Sec. 3505.13. (A) A contract for the printing of ballots            10
involving a cost in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars shall         11
not be let awarded until after five days' a proposal period of           12
fifteen days. During the proposal period, a notice shall be              13
published once in a newspaper of general circulation published           14
in the county and posted electronically by email or other                15
electronic means by the board of elections, or upon notice shall         16
be given by mail by the board of elections, addressed to the             17
responsible printing offices within the state.                           18
H. B. No. 487                                                      Page 2
As Introduced
       Except (B) Except as otherwise provided in this section,             19
each bid proposal for such printing a contract described in                 20
division (A) of this section must be accompanied by a bid bond              21
with at least two sureties, or a surety company, satisfactory to            22
the board, in a sum double of ten per cent of the amount of the             23
bid, conditioned upon the faithful performance of the contract              24
for such printing as is awarded and for the payment as damages              25
by such bidder to the board of any excess of cost over the bid              26
which it may be obliged to pay for such work by reason of the               27
failure of the bidder to complete the contractproposal. No bid              28
proposal unaccompanied by such bid bond shall be considered by              29
the board. The board may, however, waive the requirement that               30
each bid be accompanied by a bond if the cost of the contract is            31
twenty-five thousand dollars or less.                                       32
       The (C) The contract shall be let awarded to the lowest              33
most qualified responsible bidder in the state. All ballots                 34
shall be printed within the stateproposer that meets the minimum            35
standards established by the secretary of state under division              36
(D) of this section. The proposer shall post a performance bond             37
equal to one hundred per cent of a single election's contract               38
amount. If the contract is for multiple elections, then the                 39
board instead may require the proposer to post a performance                40
bond of a sum equal to one hundred per cent of the board's                  41
estimated ballot printing costs for the largest election to be              42
conducted during the contract period. The board may, however,               43
waive the performance bond requirement if the cost of the                   44
contract is twenty-five thousand dollars or less.                           45
       (D) The secretary of state shall adopt rules establishing            46
printing, mailing, and security standards for vendors that print            47
ballots under contracts entered into under this section, in                 48
accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.                           49
H. B. No. 487                                                      Page 3
As Introduced
       Sec. 3505.14. After the letting awarding of the contract             50
for the printing of the ballots as provided in section 3505.13              51
of the Revised Code, the board of elections shall secure from               52
the printer printed proofs of the ballot, and shall notify the              53
chairman chairperson of the local executive committee of each               54
party or group represented on the ballot by candidates or                   55
issues, and post such proofs in a public place in the office of             56
the board for a period of at least twenty-four hours for                    57
inspection and correction of any errors appearing thereon. The              58
board shall cause such proofs to be read with care and after                59
correcting any errors shall return the corrected copy to the                60
printer.                                                                    61
       Section 2. That existing sections 3505.13 and 3505.14 of             62
the Revised Code are hereby repealed.                                       63
       Section 3. This act is hereby declared to be an emergency            64
measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public              65
peace, health, and safety. The reason for such necessity is to              66
alleviate the effect of unprecedented supply chain shortages,               67
especially in paper, on Ohio's electoral process. Therefore,                68
this act shall go into immediate effect.                                    69
Statutes affected: 
As Introduced: 3505.13, 3505.14
As Reported By House Committee: 3505.13, 3505.14
As Passed By House: 3505.13, 3505.14