Ohio Code § 101.30

§ 101.30.

(A) As used in this section: (1) “ Legislative document ” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following: (a) A working paper, work product, correspondence, preliminary draft, note, proposed

bill or resolution, proposed amendment to a bill or resolution, analysis, opinion,

memorandum, or other document in whatever form or format prepared by legislative staff,

general assembly staff, or a member of the general assembly for a member of the general

assembly or for general assembly staff; (b) Any document or material in whatever form or format provided by a member of the general

assembly or general assembly staff to legislative staff, general assembly staff, or

a member of the general assembly that requests, or that provides information or materials

to assist in, the preparation of any of the items described in division (A)(1)(a)

of this section; (c) Any summary of a bill or resolution or of an amendment to a bill or resolution in

whatever form or format that is prepared by legislative staff for a member of the

general assembly or general assembly staff, if the summary is prepared before the

bill, resolution, or amendment is filed for introduction or presented at a committee

hearing or floor session, as applicable. (2) “ Legislative staff ” means the staff of the legislative service commission or any other legislative agency

included in the legislative service commission budget group. (3) “ General assembly staff ” means an officer or employee of either house of the general assembly who acts on

behalf of a member of the general assembly or on behalf of a committee or either house

of the general assembly. (B)(1) Legislative staff shall maintain a confidential relationship with each member of

the general assembly, and with each member of the general assembly staff, with respect

to communications between the member of the general assembly or general assembly staff

and legislative staff.  Except as otherwise provided in this division and division (C) of this section,

a legislative document arising out of this confidential relationship is not a public

record for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code .  When it is in the public interest and with the consent of the commission, the director

of the commission may release to the public any legislative document in the possession

of the commission staff arising out of a confidential relationship with a former member

of the general assembly or former member of the general assembly staff who is not

available to make the legislative document a public record as provided in division

(C) of this section because of death or disability, whom the director is unable to

contact for that purpose, or who fails to respond to the director after the director

has made a reasonable number of attempts to make such contact. (2) A legislative document that is not otherwise exempt from disclosure as a public record

under division (B)(1) of this section is not a public record for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code during the general assembly in which the legislative document was created.  After the general assembly in which the legislative document was created has adjourned

sine die, the legislative document is a public record for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code unless the legislative document would be privileged under Ohio Constitution, Article II, Section 12 . (C)(1) A legislative document is a public record for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code if it is an analysis, synopsis, fiscal note, or local impact statement prepared by

legislative staff that is required to be prepared by law, or by a rule of either house

of the general assembly, for the benefit of the members of either or both of those

houses or any legislative committee and if it has been presented to those members. (2) A legislative document is a public record for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code if a member of the general assembly for whom legislative staff prepared the legislative

document does any of the following: (a) Files it for introduction with the clerk of the senate or the clerk of the house

of representatives, if it is a bill or resolution; (b) Presents it at a committee hearing or floor session, if it is an amendment to a bill

or resolution or is a substitute bill or resolution; (c) Releases it, or authorizes general assembly staff or legislative staff to release

it, to the public. (D) Nothing in this section or section 149.43 of the Revised Code diminishes, extinguishes, or otherwise limits or restricts the privileges set forth

in, or that emanate from, Ohio Constitution, Article II, Section 12 .