HB 536

As Introduced
136th General Assembly
   Regular Session  H. B. No. 536
       2025-2026
  Representative Humphrey
  To amend section 1901.026 of the Revised Code to  1
  modify the manner current operating costs are  2
  apportioned for a municipal court with respect  3
  to caseloads for civil traffic tickets.  4
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
     Section 1. That section 1901.026 of the Revised Code be  5
amended to read as follows:  6
     Sec. 1901.026. (A) The current operating costs of a  7
municipal court, other than a county-operated municipal court,  8
that has territorial jurisdiction under section 1901.02 or  9
1901.182 of the Revised Code that extends beyond the corporate  10
limits of the municipal corporation in which the court is  11
located shall be apportioned pursuant to this section among all  12
of the municipal corporations and townships that are within the  13
territory of the court. Each municipal corporation and each  14
township within the territory of the municipal court shall be  15
assigned a proportionate share of the current operating costs of  16
the municipal court that is equal to the percentage of the total  17
criminal and civil caseload of the municipal court that arose in  18
that municipal corporation or township. Each municipal  19
corporation and each township then shall be liable for its  20
assigned proportionate share of the current operating costs of  21
H. B. No. 536  Page 2
As Introduced
the court, subject to division (B) of this section.  22
       For purposes of this section, the criminal and civil  23
caseload that arose in a municipal corporation or township is  24
the total number of criminal cases filed in the municipal court  25
during the preceding calendar year that arose out of offenses  26
that occurred in the municipal corporation or township, the  27
total number of civil actions filed in the municipal court  28
during the preceding calendar year concerning a violation of a  29
state traffic law or a municipal traffic ordinance that occurred  30
in the municipal corporation, and the total number of other  31
civil cases filed in the municipal court during the preceding  32
calendar year in which the address of the majority of the  33
defendants that are designated in the caption of the case and  34
that have addresses within municipal corporations or townships  35
within the territory of the court is within the municipal  36
corporation or township or, if there is no majority of such  37
defendants, in which the address of the first such defendant is  38
within the municipal corporation or township.  39
       (B) A municipal corporation or township within the  40
territory of a municipal court is not required to pay that part  41
of its proportionate share of the current operating costs of the  42
court, as determined in accordance with division (A) of this  43
section, that exceeds the total amount of costs, fees, fines,  44
bail, or other moneys that was disbursed by the clerk of the  45
court under division (F) of section 1901.31 of the Revised Code,  46
to the municipal corporation or township during the period for  47
which its proportionate share of the current operating costs was  48
determined. The municipal corporation in which the court is  49
located is liable, in addition to its proportionate share, for  50
any part of the proportionate share of a municipal corporation  51
or township that the municipal corporation or township is not  52
H. B. No. 536  Page 3
As Introduced
required to pay under this division.  53
       (C) The auditors or chief fiscal officers of each of the  54
municipal corporations and townships within the territory of a  55
municipal court for which the current operating costs are  56
apportioned under this section shall meet not less than once  57
each six months at the office of the auditor or chief fiscal  58
officer of the municipal corporation in which the court is  59
located to determine the proportionate share due from each  60
municipal corporation and each township, to determine whether  61
any municipal corporation or township is not required to pay any  62
part of its proportionate share under division (B) of this  63
section, and to adjust accounts. The meetings shall be held at  64
the direction of the auditor or chief fiscal officer of the  65
municipal corporation in which the court is located, and the  66
auditor or chief fiscal officer shall preside at the meetings.  67
The proportionate share of each of the municipal corporations  68
and townships, as reduced or increased in accordance with  69
division (B) of this section, is payable from the general fund  70
of the municipal corporation or township or from any other fund  71
designated or funds appropriated for the purpose of paying the  72
particular municipal corporation's or township's proportionate  73
share of the current operating costs of the court.  74
       The court of common pleas of the county in which a  75
municipal court for which the current operating costs are  76
apportioned under this section is located has jurisdiction over  77
any civil action that is commenced to determine the current  78
operating costs of the court, the proportionate share of the  79
current operating costs to be paid by a particular municipal  80
corporation or township within the territory of the court, or  81
whether a municipal corporation or township is not required to  82
pay any part of its proportionate share under division (B) of  83
H. B. No. 536  Page 4
As Introduced
this section.  84
        (D) For purposes of this section:  85
        (1) "Operating costs" means the figure that is derived by  86
subtracting the total of all costs that are collected and paid  87
to the city treasury by the clerk of the municipal court  88
pursuant to division (F) of section 1901.31 of the Revised Code  89
and all interest received and paid to the city treasury in  90
relation to the costs pursuant to division (G) of section  91
1901.31 of the Revised Code from the total of the amounts  92
payable from the city treasury for the operation of the court  93
pursuant to sections 1901.10, 1901.11, 1901.111, 1901.12,  94
1901.31, 1901.311, 1901.312, 1901.32, 1901.33, 1901.331,  95
1901.36, 1901.37, and 1901.38 of the Revised Code, other than  96
any amounts payable from the city treasury for the operation of  97
the court involving construction, capital improvements, rent, or  98
the provision of heat and light.  99
        (2) "Township" means a township that has adopted a limited  100
home rule government pursuant to Chapter 504. of the Revised  101
Code.  102
        (3) "Criminal caseload" when used in regard to a township  103
means cases arising from a violation of a township resolution  104
for which a fine is imposed under Chapter 504. of the Revised  105
Code.  106
        Section 2. That existing section 1901.026 of the Revised  107
Code is hereby repealed.  108