Section 120.521 | Access to justice foundation; fund.
(A) The state public defender shall establish a charitable, tax exempt foundation, named the Ohio legal assistance foundation, to actively solicit and accept gifts, bequests, donations, and contributions for use in providing financial assistance to legal aid societies, enhancing or improving the delivery of civil legal services to indigents, and operating the foundation. The Ohio legal assistance foundation shall deposit all gifts, bequests, donations, and contributions accepted by it into the legal assistance foundation fund established under this section. If the state public defender, pursuant to section 120.52 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to June 30, 1995, established a charitable, tax exempt foundation named the Ohio legal assistance foundation and if that foundation is in existence on the day before June 30, 1995, that foundation shall continue in existence and shall serve as the Ohio legal assistance foundation described in this section.
There is hereby established the legal assistance foundation fund, which shall be under the custody and control of the Ohio legal assistance foundation. The fund shall contain all moneys distributed to the Ohio legal assistance foundation pursuant to section 120.53 of the Revised Code and all gifts, bequests, donations, and contributions accepted by the Ohio legal assistance foundation under this section.
The Ohio legal assistance foundation shall distribute or use all moneys in the legal assistance foundation fund for the charitable public purpose of providing financial assistance to legal aid societies that provide civil legal services to indigents, enhancing or improving the delivery of civil legal services to indigents, and operating the foundation. The Ohio legal assistance foundation shall establish rules governing the administration of the legal assistance foundation fund.
The Ohio legal assistance foundation shall include, in the annual report it is required to make to the governor, the general assembly, and the supreme court pursuant to division (G)(2) of section 120.53 of the Revised Code, an audited financial statement on the distribution and use of the legal assistance foundation fund. No information contained in the statement shall identify or enable the identification of any person served by a legal aid society or in any way breach confidentiality.
Membership on the board of the Ohio legal assistance foundation does not constitute holding another public office and does not constitute grounds for resignation from the senate or house of representatives under section 101.26 of the Revised Code.
(B) A foundation is tax exempt for purposes of this section if the foundation is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C. 501(a), as amended, and if the foundation has received from the internal revenue service a determination letter that is in effect stating that the foundation is exempt from federal income taxation under that subsection.
Available Versions of this Section
- July 10, 2014 – Senate Bill 82 - 130th General Assembly [ View July 10, 2014 Version ]
- October 17, 2019 – Amended by House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly [ View October 17, 2019 Version ]
- April 3, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 150 - 134th General Assembly [ View April 3, 2023 Version ]