(A) There is hereby created the Ohio military medal of distinction. The adjutant general shall design the medal and coordinate an eligibility establishment program. An individual is eligible for the medal if the individual was killed on or after September 10, 2001, while doing one of the following:

(1) Engaging in an action against an enemy of the United States;

(2) Engaging in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force;

(3) Serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party; or

(4) Serving in a combat zone designated by presidential order.

(B) To receive the Ohio military medal of distinction, an individual shall be at least one of the following at the time the member was killed :

(1) A national guard member who is a resident of this state;

(2) An Ohio national guard member;

(3) A United States military reserves member who is a resident of this state;

(4) A United States armed forces member who is a resident of this state .

(C)

(1) At least once per year, the adjutant general shall provide a list of eligible medal recipients to the department of veterans services and the governor. The adjutant general shall prepare a medal for each eligible medal recipient. The medal shall be presented to the recipient's primary next of kin, as designated by the recipient. If the recipient has not designated a primary next of kin or if the designated primary next of kin is deceased, the primary next of kin shall be determined under the rules of the United States department of defense.

(2) The governor and the general assembly annually shall hold a joint ceremony to recognize the medal recipients for the prior year and to present each medal to the recipient's primary next of kin, as determined under division (C)(1) of this section.

(D)

(1) If a parent of the medal recipient is the primary next of kin, as determined under division (C)(1) of this section, and the medal recipient's parents are not married to each other or are legally separated from each other, the medal recipient's other living parent may request a duplicate medal at no cost.

If neither of the medal recipient's parents is the primary next of kin, as determined under division (C)(1) of this section, the living parents of the medal recipient jointly may request a duplicate medal at no cost, except that if the parents of the medal recipient are not married to each other or are legally separated from each other, each living parent may request a duplicate medal at no cost.

If the medal recipient's spouse is not the primary next of kin, the spouse may request a duplicate medal at no cost.

The adjutant general shall prescribe a form by which a parent or spouse may request a duplicate medal under division (D)(1) of this section.

(2) A surviving spouse, a natural or adopted child who is at least eighteen years of age, a parent, a brother or sister, whether of the whole or the half blood, who is at least eighteen years of age, an aunt or uncle who is at least eighteen years of age, or a grandparent of a medal recipient may apply to the adjutant general, on a form prescribed by the adjutant general, to receive a duplicate medal. The applicant shall include with the application a fee in an amount to be determined by the adjutant general. The adjutant general shall set the fee at an amount no greater than the cost of producing the duplicate medal.

(E) There is hereby created in the state treasury the military medal of distinction fund. The fund shall consist of all fees collected from applicants for duplicate medals as well as appropriations made by the general assembly for purposes of the Ohio military medal of distinction program. The fund shall be used to pay for the production of medals. Investment earnings of the fund shall be credited to the fund.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.160, HB 532, §1, eff. 3/22/2013.

Effective Date: 09-18-1997; 2008 SB248 04-07-2009