Ohio § 102.031

§ 102.031.

(A) As used in this section: (1) “ Business associate ” means a person with whom a member of the general assembly is conducting or undertaking

a financial transaction. (2) “Contribution” has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code . (3) “Employee” does not include a member of the general assembly whose nonlegislative

position of employment does not involve the performance of or the authority to perform

administrative or supervisory functions;  or whose nonlegislative position of employment,

if the member is a public employee, does not involve a substantial and material exercise

of administrative discretion in the formulation of public policy, expenditure of public

funds, enforcement of laws and rules of the state or a county or city, or execution

of other public trusts. (B) No member of the general assembly shall vote on any legislation that the member knows

is then being actively advocated if the member is one of the following with respect

to a legislative agent or employer that is then actively advocating on that legislation: (1) An employee; (2) A business associate; (3) A person, other than an employee, who is hired under contract to perform certain

services, and that position involves a substantial and material exercise of administrative

discretion in the formulation of public policy. (C) No member of the general assembly shall knowingly accept any of the following from

a legislative agent or a person required to file a statement described in division (A)(2) of section 102.021 of the Revised Code : (1) The payment of any expenses for travel or lodging except as otherwise authorized

by division (H) of section 102.03 of the Revised Code ; (2) More than seventy-five dollars aggregated per calendar year as payment for meals

and other food and beverages, other than for those meals and other food and beverages

provided to the member at a meeting at which the member participates in a panel, seminar,

or speaking engagement, at a meeting or convention of a national organization to which

any state agency, including, but not limited to, any legislative agency or state institution

of higher education as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code , pays membership dues, or at a dinner, party, or function to which all members of

the general assembly or all members of either house of the general assembly are invited; (3) A gift of any amount in the form of cash or the equivalent of cash, or a gift of

any other thing of value whose value exceeds seventy-five dollars.  As used in division (C)(3) of this section, “gift” does not include any contribution

or any gifts of meals and other food and beverages or the payment of expenses incurred

for travel to destinations either inside or outside this state that is received by

a member of the general assembly and that is incurred in connection with the member's

official duties. (D) It is not a violation of division (C)(2) of this section if, within sixty days after

receiving notice from a legislative agent that the legislative agent has provided

a member of the general assembly with more than seventy-five dollars aggregated in

a calendar year as payment for meals and other food and beverages, the member of the

general assembly returns to that legislative agent the amount received that exceeds

seventy-five dollars. (E) The joint legislative ethics committee may impose a fine of not more than one thousand

dollars upon a member of the general assembly who violates division (B) of this section.