(A)(1) The general administration and management of the state highway patrol retirement system and the making effective of this chapter are hereby vested in the state highway patrol retirement board. The board may sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, contract and be contracted with, and do all things necessary to carry out this chapter.
The board shall consist of the following members:
(a) The superintendent of the state highway patrol;
(b) Two retirant members who reside in this state;
(c) Five employee-members;
(d) One member, known as the treasurer of state's investment designee, who shall be appointed by the treasurer of state for a term of four years and who shall have the following qualifications:
(i) The member is a resident of this state.
(ii) Within the three years immediately preceding the appointment, the member has not been employed by the public employees retirement system, police and fire pension fund, state teachers retirement system, school employees retirement system, or state highway patrol retirement system or by any person, partnership, or corporation that has provided to one of those retirement systems services of a financial or investment nature, including the management, analysis, supervision, or investment of assets.
(iii) The member has direct experience in the management, analysis, supervision, or investment of assets.
(iv) The member is not currently employed by the state or a political subdivision of the state.
(e) Two investment expert members, who shall be appointed to four-year terms. One investment expert member shall be appointed by the governor, and one investment expert member shall be jointly appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate. Each investment expert member shall have the following qualifications:
(i) Each investment expert member shall be a resident of this state.
(ii) Within the three years immediately preceding the appointment, each investment expert member shall not have been employed by the public employees retirement system, police and fire pension fund, state teachers retirement system, school employees retirement system, or state highway patrol retirement system or by any person, partnership, or corporation that has provided to one of those retirement systems services of a financial or investment nature, including the management, analysis, supervision, or investment of assets.
(iii) Each investment expert member shall have direct experience in the management, analysis, supervision, or investment of assets.
(2)(a) The board shall annually elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members. The vice-chairperson shall act as chairperson in the absence of the chairperson. A majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum. The board shall meet not less than once each year, upon sufficient notice to the members. All meetings of the board shall be open to the public except executive sessions as set forth in division (G) of section121.22of the Revised Code, and any portions of any sessions discussing medical records or the degree of disability of a member excluded from public inspection by this section.
(b) Notwithstanding division (C) of section121.22of the Revised Code, the board may adopt a policy that allows a board member to attend a meeting of the board by means of video conference. The board shall include in the policy, if adopted, the following:
(i) The number of regular meetings at which each board member shall be present in person, provided that number is not less than three-quarters of the regular meetings of the board annually;
(ii) That a majority of the board members attending the meeting shall be present in person at the physical location where the meeting is conducted;
(iii) That all votes taken at the meeting shall be taken by roll call vote;
(iv) That a board member who intends to attend a meeting by means of video conference shall notify the chairperson of that intent not less than forty-eight hours before the meeting, except in the case of an emergency as defined in the policy.
(c) Notwithstanding division (C) of section121.22of the Revised Code, a board member who attends a meeting by means of video conference is considered present in person at the meeting, may vote at the meeting, and is counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the meeting.
(d) At any meeting in which a board member attends by means of video conference, the board shall ensure that the public can hear and observe the discussions and deliberations of all the members of the board, whether the member is participating in person or electronically.
(e) Except as provided in this section, no person shall do any of the following:
(i) Limit the number of board members who may attend a meeting by means of video conference;
(ii) Limit the total number of meetings that the board may allow members to attend by means of video conference;
(iii) Limit the number of meetings at which any one board member may attend by means of video conference;
(iv) Impose other limits or obligations on a board member because the board member attends a meeting by means of video conference.
(3) Any member appointed under this section shall hold office until the end of the member's term or, if later, the date the member's successor takes office.
(B) The attorney general shall prescribe procedures for the adoption of rules authorized under this chapter, consistent with the provision of section111.15of the Revised Code under which all rules shall be filed in order to be effective. Such procedures shall establish methods by which notice of proposed rules are given to interested parties and rules adopted by the board published and otherwise made available. When it files a rule with the joint committee on agency rule review pursuant to section111.15of the Revised Code, the board shall submit to the Ohio retirement study council a copy of the full text of the rule, and if applicable, a copy of the rule summary and fiscal analysis required by division (B) of section106.024of the Revised Code.
(C)(1) As used in this division, "personal history record" means information maintained by the board on an individual who is a member, former member, retirant, or beneficiary that includes the address, electronic mail address, telephone number, social security number, record of contributions, correspondence with the system, and other information the board determines to be confidential.
(2) The records of the board shall be open to public inspection and may be made available in printed or electronic format, except for the following which shall be excluded: the member's, former member's, retirant's, or beneficiary's personal history record and the amount of a monthly allowance or benefit paid to a retirant, beneficiary, or survivor, except with the written authorization of the individual concerned.
(D) All medical reports and recommendations are privileged except as follows:
(1) Copies of such medical reports or recommendations shall be made available to the individual's personal physician, attorney, or authorized agent upon written release received from such individual or such individual's agent, or when necessary for the proper administration of the fund to the board-assigned physician.
(2) Documentation required by section2929.193of the Revised Code shall be provided to a court holding a hearing under that section.
(E) Notwithstanding the exceptions to public inspection in division (C)(2) of this section, the board may furnish the following information:
(1) If a member, former member, or retirant is subject to an order issued under section2907.15of the Revised Code or an order issued under division (A) or (B) of section2929.192of the Revised Code or is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of section2921.41of the Revised Code, on written request of a prosecutor as defined in section2935.01of the Revised Code, the board shall furnish to the prosecutor the information requested from the individual's personal history record.
(2) Pursuant to a court order issued under Chapters 3119., 3121., and 3123. of the Revised Code, the board shall furnish to a court or child support enforcement agency the information required under those chapters.
(3) At the written request of any nonprofit organization or association providing services to retirement system members, retirants, or beneficiaries, the board shall provide to the organization or association a list of the names and addresses of members, former members, retirants, or beneficiaries if the organization or association agrees to use such information solely in accordance with its stated purpose of providing services to such individuals and not for the benefit of other persons, organizations, or associations. The costs of compiling, copying, and mailing the list shall be paid by such entity.
(4) Within fourteen days after receiving from the director of job and family services a list of the names and social security numbers of recipients of public assistance pursuant to section5101.181of the Revised Code, the board shall inform the auditor of state of the name, current or most recent employer address, and social security number of each member whose name and social security number are the same as those of a person whose name or social security number was submitted by the director. The board and its employees, except for purposes of furnishing the auditor of state with information required by this section, shall preserve the confidentiality of recipients of public assistance in compliance with section5101.181of the Revised Code.
(5) The system shall comply with orders issued under section3105.87of the Revised Code.
On the written request of an alternate payee, as defined in section3105.80of the Revised Code, the system shall furnish to the alternate payee information on the amount and status of any amounts payable to the alternate payee under an order issued under section3105.171or3105.65of the Revised Code.
(6) At the request of any person, the board shall make available to the person copies of all documents, including resumes, in the board's possession regarding filling a vacancy of an employee member or retirant member of the board. The person who made the request shall pay the cost of compiling, copying, and mailing the documents. The information described in this division is a public record.
(7) The system shall provide the notice required by section5505.263of the Revised Code to the prosecutor assigned to the case.
(8) The system may provide information requested by the United States social security administration, United States centers for medicare and medicaid, public employees retirement system, Ohio public employees deferred compensation program, Ohio police and fire pension fund, school employees retirement system, state teachers retirement system, or Cincinnati retirement system.
(F) A statement that contains information obtained from the system's records that is certified and signed by an officer of the retirement system and to which the system's official seal is affixed, or copies of the system's records to which the signature and seal are attached, shall be received as true copies of the system's records in any court or before any officer of this state.
(G) The board may maintain records in printed or electronic format.
Last updated January 23, 2025 at 8:51 AM