Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 3599 | Offenses and Penalties
Section 3599.031 | Payroll Deductions of Political Contributions - Separate Account.

Effective: March 31, 2005
Latest Legislation: House Bill 1SPECIALSESSION - 125th General Assembly
(A) Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the contrary and subject to division (C) of section 3517.09 of the Revised Code and division (B) of this section, any employer may deduct from the wages and salaries of its employees amounts for an account described in division (B) of this section, a separate segregated fund, a political action committee of the employer, a political action committee of a labor organization of the employer's employees, a political action committee of an association of which the employer is a member, a political party, a person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, or a ballot issue that the employee by written authorization may designate and shall transmit any amounts so deducted as a separate written authorization described in division (B) of this section shall direct. Any authorization authorizing a deduction from an employee's wages or salary may be on a form that is used to apply for or authorize membership in or authorize payment of dues or fees to any organization, but the authorization for a deduction shall be stated and signed separately from the application for membership or the authorization for the payment of dues or fees. The employer either may deduct from the amount to be so transmitted a uniform amount determined by the employer to be necessary to defray the actual cost of making such deduction and transmittal, or may utilize its own funds in an amount it determines is necessary to defray the actual administrative cost, including making the deduction and transmittal.
(B) If an employer establishes a separate account in the name of an employee for the purpose of depositing into the account amounts deducted from the wages and salary of the employee pursuant to division (A) of this section or amounts directly given by the employee to the employer for the support of a candidate, a separate segregated fund, a political action committee of the employer, a political action committee of a labor organization of the employer's employees, a political action committee of an association of which the employer is a member, a political party, a legislative campaign fund, a person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, or a ballot issue, the employee shall sign a written authorization designating the recipient of a disbursement from that account. The written authorization required under this division is separate and distinct from a written authorization required under division (A) of this section. The authorization required under this division shall clearly identify and designate the candidate, separate segregated fund, political action committee of the employer, political action committee of a labor organization of the employer's employees, political action committee of an association of which the employer is a member, political party, legislative campaign fund, person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications, or ballot issue that is to receive any disbursement from the account established pursuant to this division. No person shall designate the recipient of a disbursement from the account except the employee from whose account the disbursement is made. No employer shall make a disbursement from the account of an employee established under this division unless the employer has received the written authorization required under this division.
(C) An employer shall furnish the recipient of any amount transmitted pursuant to this section with the employer's full name and the full name of the labor organization of which the employee whose amount is being transmitted is a member, if any. An employer shall keep and maintain the authorization forms of all its employees from whose wages and salaries any amounts were deducted pursuant to division (A) of this section and the authorizations of disbursements from accounts established under division (B) of this section for a period of at least six years after the year in which the deductions and disbursements were made.
(D) An employee who has made an authorization pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section may revoke that authorization at any time. A revocation of the authorization does not affect any deduction already made from an employee's wages and salary or any amounts already transmitted or disbursed under this section.
(E) For purposes of this section and for the purpose of the information required to be filed under division (B)(4)(b)(iii) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code:
(1) If an employer is a corporation, each subsidiary of a parent corporation shall be considered an entity separate and distinct from any other subsidiary and separate and distinct from the parent corporation.
(2) Each national, regional, state, and local affiliate of a labor organization shall be considered a distinct entity.
(F) Whoever violates division (B) of this section shall be fined not less than fifty nor more than five hundred dollars for each disbursement made in violation of that division.
(G) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting agreements between employee organizations and public employers, this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of agreements between labor organizations and public employers that are entered into on or after the effective date of this amendment pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.
(H) As used in this section:
(1) "Electioneering communication," "legislative campaign fund," "labor organization," "political action committee," and "separate segregated fund" have the same meanings as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.
(2) "Public employer" means an employer that is the state or a state agency, authority, commission, or board, a political subdivision of the state, a school district or state institution of higher learning, a public or special district, or any other public employer.
(3) "Employee" includes only an employee who is a resident of or is employed in this state.

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