(A) As used in this section:
(1) "Academic medical center" means a medical school and its affiliated teaching hospitals.
(2) "State registrar" has the same meaning as in section3705.01of the Revised Code.
(B) There is hereby created the commission on infant mortality. The commission shall do all of the following:
(1) Conduct a complete inventory of services provided or administered by the state that are available to address the infant mortality rate in this state;
(2) For each service identified under division (B)(1) of this section, determine both of the following:
(a) The sources of the funds that are used to pay for the service;
(b) Whether the service and its funding sources have a connection with programs provided or administered by local or community-based public or private entities and, to the extent they do not, whether they should.
(3) With assistance from academic medical centers, track and analyze infant mortality rates by county for the purpose of determining the impact of state and local initiatives to reduce those rates.
(C) The commission shall consist of the following members:
(1) Two members of the senate, one from the majority party and one from the minority party, each appointed by the senate president;
(2) Two members of the house of representatives, one from the majority party and one from the minority party, each appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(3) The governor or the governor's designee;
(4) The medicaid director or the director's designee;
(5) The director of children and youth or the director's designee;
(6) The director of health or the director's designee;
(7) The director of developmental disabilities or the director's designee;
(8) The executive director of the commission on minority health or the executive director's designee;
(9) The attorney general or the attorney general's designee;
(10) A health commissioner of a city or general health district, appointed by the governor;
(11) A coroner, deputy coroner, or other person who conducts death scene investigations, appointed by the governor;
(12) An individual who represents the Ohio hospital association, appointed by the association's president;
(13) An individual who represents the Ohio children's hospital association, appointed by the association's president;
(14) Two individuals who represent community-based programs that serve pregnant women or new mothers whose infants tend to be at a higher risk for infant mortality, appointed by the governor;
(15) Two individuals who represent children's interests, one to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one to be appointed by the senate president.
(D) An appointed commission member shall hold office until a successor is appointed. A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
From among the members, the president of the senate and speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint two to serve as co-chairpersons of the commission.
A member shall serve without compensation except to the extent that serving on the commission is considered part of the member's regular duties of employment.
(E) The commission may request assistance from the staff of the legislative service commission.
(F) For purposes of division (B)(3) of this section, the state registrar shall ensure that the commission and academic medical centers located in this state have access to any electronic system of vital records the state registrar or department of health maintains, including the Ohio public health information warehouse. Not later than six months after March 19, 2015, the commission on infant mortality shall prepare a written report of its findings and recommendations concerning the matters described in division (B) of this section. On completion, the commission shall submit the report to the governor and, in accordance with section101.68of the Revised Code, the general assembly.
(G) The president of the senate and speaker of the house of representatives shall determine the responsibilities of the commission following submission of the report under division (F) of this section.
(H) The commission is not subject to sections101.82to101.87of the Revised Code.
(I) The commission shall provide information to the Ohio housing finance agency for the purposes of division (A) of section175.14of the Revised Code.
Last updated January 9, 2025 at 2:42 PM