COLUMBUS (January 4, 2007) - Governor Bob Taft today signed the following bills, which will be filed with the Secretary of State's office.

Substitute House Bill 239, sponsored by state Representative Michelle G. Schneider (R-Cincinnati), declares that it is the public policy of the state to prefer childbirth over abortion, to permit any person to petition a court of common pleas for an order enjoining the operation of a health care facility without a license, to modify the laws governing public funding of abortions, and to prohibit the use of funds appropriated for genetic services to be used for abortion-related purposes. The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

Substitute House Bill 251, sponsored by state Representative Joseph W. Uecker (R-Miami Township), specifies certain energy efficiency and conservation standards relating to facility construction and leasing that the Office of Energy Services in the Department of Administrative Services must promulgate and with which state agencies must comply; requires certain additional duties, and additional cooperation between the Office and the Office of Energy Efficiency of the Department of Development, relating to state purchasing; to require boards of trustees of state institutions of higher education to adopt rules to carry out on- and off-campus building, energy efficiency and conservation guidelines developed by a committee of those institutions in consultation with the Office of Energy Services; makes other changes relative to energy programs; increases the maximum amount that can be assessed to fund the Oil and Natural Gas Marketing Program; changes the Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Program into an Advanced Energy Program; and makes an appropriation. The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

Amended Substitute House Bill 272, sponsored by state Representative Michelle G. Schneider (R-Cincinnati), makes statutory changes regarding the state retirement systems. The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

Substitute Senate Bill 281, sponsored by state Senator Steve Stivers (R-Columbus), mandates up to 24 hours a year of continuing professional training for peace officers and state highway patrol troopers, to provide a mechanism for the granting for a calendar year because of emergency circumstances of an extension of the time within which a peace officer or trooper must complete the required minimum number of hours of training, establishes the method by which the Attorney General reimburses the costs of training programs for peace officers and troopers of public appointing authorities, prohibits impersonating BCII investigators, applies the increased penalties for aggravated vehicular homicide when the victim is a peace officer to when the victim is a BCII investigator, and makes an appropriation. The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

Amended House Bill 282, sponsored by state Representative Larry L. Flowers (R-Canal Winchester), designates September 11 as "Ohio Public Safety Employee Day." The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

Substitute House Bill 343, sponsored by state Representative Tom Raga (R-Mason), places certain restrictions on the operation of motor vehicles by probationary license holders and temporary instruction permit holders who are less than 18 years of age, to require children who are between four and fifteen years of age to be restrained in either a child restraint system or an occupant restraining device when being transported in a motor vehicle, eliminates the nonresident exemption from the motor vehicle child restraint law. The bill goes into effect 90 days upon the Governor's signature and filing with the Secretary of State.

Substitute House Bill 401, sponsored by state Representative Randy Law (R-Warren), provides for the adoption of rules governing firefighter training The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

Amended Substitute House Bill 403, sponsored by state Representative Diana M. Fessler (R-New Carlisle), makes changes to the occupational therapy, physical therapy, and athletic trainers licensing laws. The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

Substitute House Bill 443, sponsored by state Representative Joseph W. Uecker (R-Miami Township), revises the statutes governing the Department of Natural Resources; makes changes to the law governing coal mining, including increasing the severance tax on coal and revising the distribution of revenue from that tax; makes changes to the law governing the mining of industrial minerals, including revising zoning provisions related to such mining; establishes requirements governing mercury; and makes other changes. The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

Substitute House Bill 454, sponsored by state Representative Bill Coley (R-West Chester), modifies the Financial Institutions Law with respect to debt suspension and cancellation contracts, trust powers, boards of directors, on premises police officers, and bankers' banks; to revise the Money Transmitters Law, including with respect to licensing, net worth, reporting, investigations, and enforcement; and modifies the Title Insurance Law relative to lender's title insurance, closing or settlement protection, and annual reviews of escrow and other accounts. The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

Amended Substitute House Bill 468, sponsored by state Representative John P. Hagan (R-Alliance), eliminates the prescription drug component of the Golden Buckeye Card Program and transfers the Ohio's Best Rx Program to the Department of Aging. The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

House Bill 571, sponsored by state Representative Jim Hughes (R-Columbus), amends sections 109.741 and 313.08 and enacts sections 2901.41 and 2901.42 of the Revised Code relative to missing persons in Ohio. The bill goes into effect 90 days after it is signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State.

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Media Contact: Mark Rickel, Governor's Press Secretary, at (614) 644-0957.

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