HB 297 — Regards funds provided by county for Memorial Day expenses

As(136th PassedGeneralAssembly) by(Amended House Bill Number 297) ANACT To amend section 307.66 of the HouseRevised 136thCode Generalto Assemblyincrease Regularthe Sessionamount Am.a county may provide to military and veterans organizations, and civic organizations, for Memorial Day expenses.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio:

SECTION 1.

That section 307.66 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec.

307.66.

The board of county commissioners, annually, shall appropriate, and advance upon application made no more than one hundred twenty days prior to memorial day, to each garrison or naval branch of the Army and Navy Union, U.S.A.

and to each chartered post, garrison, or naval branch of any organization of veterans recognized and chartered by the congress, upon request of their officials, in the county, a sum of money not to exceed five hundred one thousand dollars to aid in defraying the expenses of memorial day.

Each such organization applying for an advance of funds shall submit with its application a statement of expenses incurred up to the time the application for an advance is submitted.

Each such organization receiving money from this appropriation shall file a sworn statement accounting for the complete expenditures of the funds with the board within sixty days after the memorial day for which the funds were provided.

Any unexpended funds shall be returned to the board of county commissioners within this period.

Any organization failing to file a sworn statement within the prescribed time accounting for the complete expenditure of the funds shall not be eligible to receive an appropriation the following year.

Two or more separate veterans' organizations, or two or more posts, garrisons, or naval branches of one or more veterans' organizations, or both, may pool their entitlements to funds and submit a joint or consolidated statement of expenses.

Allowable items shall include expenses for arrangement of, support of, or participation in, local or countywide observances as may be desirable in the community;

expenses for mapping, marking, and decorating graves of veterans;

and other items incidental to these expenses.

The board of township trustees may, on or before the fifteenth day of May in each year, appropriate a sum to be determined by the board for each post within the township, from the general expense fund of the township, for the purpose of properly observing memorial day within the township, and if any post is located within the township, the appropriation shall be made to that post.

Any municipal corporation located within a township may cooperate with the township, or with the county, in observing memorial day, and the legislative authority of the municipal corporation may make the necessary appropriation for the observance.

If any posts have become extinct or unable to attend to memorial day services, the Am.

297 2025-2026136th RepresentativesG.A. Ritter, Newman Cosponsors:

Representativesappropriation Richardson,by Mathews,the T.,board Lawson-Rowe,of Dovilla,county Ghanbari,commissioners Hall,or D.,the Lampton,board McNally,of Abrams,township Barhorst,trustees Bird,shall Brennan,be Brent,made Brewer,to Bryanta Bailey,post Claggett,or Click,unit Deeter,of Glassburn,the Gross,sons Hall,of T.,union Hiner,veterans Holmes,of Hoops,the Humphrey,civil Isaacsohn,war, John,woman's Kishman,relief Klopfenstein,corps, Lett,or Miller,daughters J., Miller, M., Odioso, Oelslager, Piccolantonio, Plummer, Ray, Robb Blasdel, Roemer, Russo, Salvo, Schmidt, Sigrist, Sims, Stewart, Thomas, C., Tims, Troy, Upchurch, White, A., White, E., Workman, Young To amend section 307.66 of theveterans, Revisedor Code to 1any increasecivic theor amountpatriotic aorganization countywilling mayand provideable to 2undertake military and veteransperform organizations,the andwork civicof 3commemoration organizations,and forobservance Memorialof Daymemorial expenses.day.

4If BEthe ITappropriation ENACTEDby BYthe THEboard GENERALof ASSEMBLYcounty OFcommissioners THEis STATEmade OFto OHIO:a civic organization, it shall not exceed one two hundred dollars.

SectionSECTION 1.2.

That existing section 307.66 of the Revised Code beis 5hereby amendedrepealed. to read as follows:

6Am. Sec.

307.66.

The board of county commissioners, annually, 7 shall appropriate, and advance upon application made no more 8 than one hundred twenty days prior to memorial day, to each 9 garrison or naval branch of the Army and Navy Union, U.S.A.

and 10 to each chartered post, garrison, or naval branch of any 11 organization of veterans recognized and chartered by the 12 congress, upon request of their officials, in the county, a sum 13 of money not to exceed five hundred one thousand dollars to aid 14 in defraying the expenses of memorial day.

15 Am.

297 Page136th 2G.A. As Passed by the House Each such organization applying for an advance of funds 16 shall submit with its application a statement of expenses 17 incurred up to the time the application for an advance is 18 submitted.

EachSpeaker such___________________ organizationof receiving money from this 19 appropriation shall file a sworn statement accounting for the 20House complete expenditures of theRepresentatives. funds with the board within sixty 21 days after the memorial day for which the funds were provided.

22President Any___________________ unexpendedof funds shall be returned to the boardSenate. of county 23 commissioners within this period.

AnyPassed organization________________________, failing20____ toApproved 24________________________, file20____ aGovernor. sworn statement within the prescribed time accounting for 25 the complete expenditure of the funds shall not be eligible to 26 receive an appropriation the following year.

TwoAm. or more 27 separate veterans' organizations, or two or more posts, 28 garrisons, or naval branches of one or more veterans' 29 organizations, or both, may pool their entitlements to funds and 30 submit a joint or consolidated statement of expenses.

Allowable 31 items shall include expenses for arrangement of, support of, or 32 participation in, local or countywide observances as may be 33 desirable in the community;

expenses for mapping, marking, and 34 decorating graves of veterans;

and other items incidental to 35 these expenses.

36 The board of township trustees may, on or before the 37 fifteenth day of May in each year, appropriate a sum to be 38 determined by the board for each post within the township, from 39 the general expense fund of the township, for the purpose of 40 properly observing memorial day within the township, and if any 41 post is located within the township, the appropriation shall be 42 made to that post.

Any municipal corporation located within a 43 township may cooperate with the township, or with the county, in 44 observing memorial day, and the legislative authority of the 45 municipal corporation may make the necessary appropriation for 46 Am.

297 Page136th 3G.A. As Passed by the House the observance.