Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3718.03 – Sewage treatment system technical advisory committee

(A) There is hereby created the sewage treatment system technical advisory committee consisting of the director of health or the director's designee and thirteen members who are knowledgeable about sewage treatment systems and technologies. The director or the director's designee shall serve as committee secretary and may vote on actions taken by the committee. Of the thirteen members, five shall be appointed by the governor, four shall be appointed by the president of the senate, and four shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
1. (1) Of the members appointed by the governor, one shall represent academia and shall be active in teaching or research in the area of on-site wastewater treatment, one shall be a representative of the public who is not employed by the state or any of its political subdivisions and who does not have a pecuniary interest in sewage treatment systems, one shall be a registered professional engineer employed by the environmental protection agency, one shall be selected from among soil scientists in the division of soil and water resources in the department of natural resources, and one shall be a representative of a statewide organization representing townships.
2. (2) Of the members appointed by the president of the senate, one shall be a health commissioner who is a member of and recommended by the association of Ohio health commissioners, one shall represent the interests of manufacturers of sewage treatment systems, one shall represent installers and service providers, and one shall be a person with demonstrated experience in the design of sewage treatment systems.
3. (3) Of the members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, one shall be a health commissioner who is a member of and recommended by the association of Ohio health commissioners, one shall represent the interests of manufacturers of sewage treatment systems, one shall be a sanitarian who is registered under Chapter 4736. of the Revised Code and who is a member of the Ohio environmental health association, and one shall be a registered professional engineer with experience in sewage treatment systems.
(B) Terms of members appointed to the committee shall be for three years, with each term ending on the same day of the same month as did the term that it succeeds. Each member shall serve from the date of appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. Members may be reappointed. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as provided for original appointments. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration date of the term for which the member was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term. A member shall continue to serve after the expiration date of the member's term until the member's successor is appointed or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first. The applicable appointing authority may remove a member from the committee for failure to attend two consecutive meetings without showing good cause for the absences.
(C) The technical advisory committee annually shall select from among its members a chairperson and a vice-chairperson. The secretary shall keep a record of its proceedings. A majority vote of the members of the full committee is necessary to take action on any matter. The committee may adopt bylaws governing its operation, including bylaws that establish the frequency of meetings.
(D) Serving as a member of the sewage treatment system technical advisory committee does not constitute holding a public office or position of employment under the laws of this state and does not constitute grounds for removal of public officers or employees from their offices or positions of employment. Members of the committee shall serve without compensation for attending committee meetings.
(E) A member of the committee shall not have a conflict of interest with the position. For the purposes of this division, "conflict of interest" means the taking of any action that violates any provision of Chapter 102. or 2921. of the Revised Code.
(F) The sewage treatment system technical advisory committee shall do all of the following:
1. (1) Develop with the department of health standards, guidelines, and protocols for approving or disapproving a sewage treatment system or components of a system under section 3718.04 of the Revised Code. Any guideline requiring the submission of scientific information or testing data shall specify, in writing, the protocol and format to be used in submitting the information or data.
2. (2) Develop with the department an application form to be submitted to the director by an applicant for approval or disapproval of a sewage treatment system or components of a system and specify the information that must be included with an application form;
3. (3) Make recommendations to the director regarding the approval or disapproval of an application sent to the director under section 3718.04 of the Revised Code requesting approval of a sewage treatment system or components of a system;
4. (4) Pursue and recruit in an active manner the research, development, introduction, and timely approval of innovative and cost-effective sewage treatment systems and components of a system for use in this state, which shall include conducting pilot projects to assess the effectiveness of a system or components of a system.
(G) The chairperson of the committee shall prepare and submit an annual report concerning the activities of the committee to the general assembly not later than ninety days after the end of the calendar year. The report shall discuss the number of applications submitted under section 3718.04 of the Revised Code for the approval of a new sewage treatment system or a component of a system, the number of such systems and components that were approved, any information that the committee considers beneficial to the general assembly, and any other information that the chairperson determines is beneficial to the general assembly. If other members of the committee determine that certain information should be included in the report, they shall submit the information to the chairperson not later than thirty days after the end of the calendar year.
(H) The department shall provide meeting space for the committee. The committee shall be assisted in its duties by the staff of the department.
(I) Sections 101.82 to 101.87 of the Revised Code do not apply to the sewage treatment system technical advisory committee.