Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 3517 - Ohio Revised Code | Ohio Laws
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 3517.15 (2026)

[Former R.C. 3517.153, amended and renumbered as R.C. 3517.15 by H.B. 96, 136th General Assembly, effective 9/30/2025] Jurisdiction and powers of commission

✓ current as of May 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section ORCcodes.ohio.gov (official) Justiaon Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
Effective:
September 30, 2025
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 96 - 136th General Assembly
PDF:
Download Authenticated PDF
 

(A)(1) No prosecution shall commence for a violation of a provision in sections 145.054, 742.043, 3307.073, 3309.073, 3517.08 to 3517.12, 3517.13, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, 3599.031, or 5505.045 of the Revised Code unless a complaint has been filed with the secretary of state under section 3517.16 of the Revised Code and all proceedings under sections 3517.16 to 3517.18 of the Revised Code are completed.

(2) A complaint may be filed with the secretary of state under section 3517.16 of the Revised Code for a violation of a provision in sections 3501.35, 3599.13, 3599.14, or 3599.21, division (A) of section 3599.11, or division (A)(1) or (2) of section 3599.12 of the Revised Code that occurs on or after the effective date of this amendment. A prosecution may commence for a violation of such a provision at any time before or after a complaint has been filed with the secretary of state under section 3517.16 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) The Ohio election integrity commission shall hear all matters referred to the commission by the secretary of state under division (E)(3) of section 3517.16 of the Revised Code.

(2) The commission may recommend legislation and render advisory opinions concerning the provisions of the Revised Code listed in division (A) of this section for persons over whose acts the commission has or may have jurisdiction. When the commission renders an advisory opinion relating to a specific set of circumstances involving any of those sections stating that there is no violation of a provision in those sections, the person to whom the opinion is directed or a person who is similarly situated may reasonably rely on the opinion and is immune from criminal prosecution and a civil action, including, without limitation, a civil action for removal from public office or employment, based on facts and circumstances covered by the opinion. An advisory opinion issued by the Ohio elections commission that is in effect as of the effective date of this amendment is considered an advisory opinion of the Ohio election integrity commission, unless and until the Ohio election integrity commission amends or rescinds the advisory opinion.

(C) The secretary of state and the boards of elections shall furnish the information that the commission requests. The commission or a member of the commission may administer oaths, and the commission may issue subpoenas to any person in the state compelling the attendance of witnesses and the production of relevant papers, books, accounts, and reports. Section 101.42 of the Revised Code governs the issuance of subpoenas insofar as applicable. Upon the refusal of any person to obey a subpoena or to be sworn or to answer as a witness, the commission may apply to the court of common pleas of Franklin county under section 2705.03 of the Revised Code. The court shall hold proceedings in accordance with Chapter 2705. of the Revised Code.

(D) The Ohio election integrity commission shall establish a web site on which it shall post, at a minimum, all decisions and advisory opinions issued by the commission, all decisions and advisory opinions issued by the Ohio elections commission before the effective date of this amendment, and copies of each election law as it is amended by the general assembly. The Ohio election integrity commission shall update the web site regularly to reflect any changes to those decisions and advisory opinions and any new decisions and advisory opinions.

Last updated October 3, 2025 at 10:11 AM

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases, 1987–2011 · leading case: State ex rel. Taft v. Court of Common Pleas, 586 N.E.2d 114 (Ohio 1992).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
State ex rel. Taft v. Court of Common Pleas, 586 N.E.2d 114 (Ohio 1992). · cites it 2× “When the commission has jurisdiction under R.C. 3517.15 and 3599.09, it must, upon finding a violation, do only one of three things: (1) impose a civil fine established under R.”
Toledo Area AFL-CIO Council v. Pizza, 898 F. Supp. 554 (N.D. Ohio 1995). · cites it 3× “Central bodies, with few employees and no members other than affiliated union organizations, have precious few solicitees left if the quoted provisions become viable, unless the definition of “members” as amplified and/or adopted by the Secretary of State in regulations…”
State Ex Rel. Citizens for Van Meter v. Ohio Elections Comm'n, 604 N.E.2d 775 (Ohio Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 2× “14, this rulemaking function of the Secretary of State bears no relation whatsoever to the adjudicatory action of the commission at issue in this case.”
Pestrak v. Ohio Elections Comm'n, 670 F. Supp. 1368 (S.D. Ohio 1987). · cites it 2× “The commission or a member of the commission may administer oaths, and the commission may issue and enforce subpoenas with regard to an investigation under this section in the same manner as provided in division (C) of section 3517.15 of the Revised Code. The commission shall…”
State v. Gwinn, 2011 Ohio 5457 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011). “{¶ 20} Yost filed a complaint with the OEC against Susan Gwinn and her campaign committee for the alleged election-law violations as required by R.C. 3517.15(A). The complaint alleged that Gwinn violated R.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 3517.15(A) — 3 cases
State Ex Rel. Citizens for Van Meter v. Ohio Elections Comm'n, 604 N.E.2d 775 (Ohio Ct. App. 1992). “14, this rulemaking function of the Secretary of State bears no relation whatsoever to the adjudicatory action of the commission at issue in this case.”
State v. Gwinn, 2011 Ohio 5457 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011). “{¶ 20} Yost filed a complaint with the OEC against Susan Gwinn and her campaign committee for the alleged election-law violations as required by R.C. 3517.15(A). The complaint alleged that Gwinn violated R.”
Toledo Area AFL-CIO Council v. Pizza, 898 F. Supp. 554 (N.D. Ohio 1995). “Central bodies, with few employees and no members other than affiliated union organizations, have precious few solicitees left if the quoted provisions become viable, unless the definition of “members” as amplified and/or adopted by the Secretary of State in regulations…”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 3517.15(B) — 1 case
State ex rel. Taft v. Court of Common Pleas, 586 N.E.2d 114 (Ohio 1992). “When the commission has jurisdiction under R.C. 3517.15 and 3599.09, it must, upon finding a violation, do only one of three things: (1) impose a civil fine established under R.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 3517.15(B)(1) — 1 case
State Ex Rel. Citizens for Van Meter v. Ohio Elections Comm'n, 604 N.E.2d 775 (Ohio Ct. App. 1992). “14, this rulemaking function of the Secretary of State bears no relation whatsoever to the adjudicatory action of the commission at issue in this case.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.