Section 107.23 - Duties of commission(A) The commission on eastern European affairs shall do all of the following:(1) Gather and disseminate information and conduct hearings, conferences, investigations, and special studies on issues and programs concerning eastern European people;(2) Secure appropriate recognition of accomplishments and contributions of eastern European people to the state;(3) Promote public awareness of the issues facing eastern European people by conducting a program of public education;(4) Develop, coordinate, and assist other public and private organizations that serve eastern European people, including conducting training programs for community leadership and service project staff;(5) Advise the governor, general assembly, and state departments and agencies regarding the nature, magnitude, and priorities of the issues of eastern European people;(6) Advise the governor, general assembly, and state departments and agencies on the special needs of eastern European people regarding education, employment, energy, health, housing, welfare, and recreation and develop and implement policies and programs to address those needs;(7) Propose new programs concerning eastern European people to public and private agencies and evaluate any existing programs within agencies;(8) Review and approve grants from federal, state, or private funds that are administered or subcontracted by the office of eastern European affairs under section 107.24 of the Revised Code;(9) Review and approve the annual report prepared by the office of eastern European affairs under section 107.24 of the Revised Code;(10) Coordinate and provide information regarding available state services to meet the needs of eastern European people;(11) Appoint a director to the office of eastern European affairs.(B) As used in this section and sections 107.22 and 107.24 of the Revised Code, "eastern European people" means persons who self-identify as possessing ancestry relative to any of the following: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
Added by 135th General Assembly, HB 33,§101.01, eff. 10/3/2023.