Section 121.68. Statements are public records

(A) The joint legislative ethics committee shall keep on file the statements required by sections 121.62, 121.63, and 121.64 of the Revised Code. These statements are public records and open to public inspection, and the joint committee shall computerize them so that the information contained in them is readily accessible to the general public. The joint committee shall provide copies of the statements to the general public on request and may charge a reasonable fee not to exceed the cost of copying and delivering the statement.

(B) Not later than the last day of February and October of each year, the joint committee shall compile from the registration statements filed with it a complete and updated list of registered executive agency lobbyists and their employers, and distribute the list to each elected executive official and the director of each department created under section 121.02 of the Revised Code, who shall distribute the list to the appropriate personnel under his jurisdiction. The joint committee shall provide copies of the list to the general public upon request and may charge a reasonable fee not to exceed the cost of copying and delivering the list.

(C) The joint committee shall maintain a list of all executive agencies. The joint committee shall provide copies of the list to the general public on request and may charge a reasonable fee not to exceed the cost of copying and delivering the document.

(D) The joint committee shall prescribe and make available an appropriate form for the filings required by sections 121.62, 121.63, and 121.64 of the Revised Code. The form shall contain the following notice in boldface type: "ANY PERSON WHO KNOWINGLY FILES A FALSE STATEMENT IS GUILTY OF FALSIFICATION UNDER

(E) The joint committee may adopt rules as necessary to implement sections 121.60 to 121.69 of the Revised Code, and any such rules it adopts shall be adopted in accordance with section 111.15 of the Revised Code.

(F) The joint committee shall publish a handbook that explains in clear and concise language the provisions of sections 121.60 to 121.69 of the Revised Code and make it available free of charge to executive agency lobbyists, employers, and any other interested persons.

Effective Date: 05-12-1994