H.B. No. 523 Summary

• Allows boards of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services to operate with flexible sizes of 6, 9, 12, 15, or 18 members instead of a fixed 18-member requirement.

• Changes board appointment structure so the director of mental health and addiction services appoints one-third of members and the board of county commissioners appoints two-thirds, replacing the previous 8-and-10 split.

• Requires at least one-third of board members to meet specified criteria including persons with lived experience in mental health or addiction services, parents or relatives of such persons, and clinicians with relevant experience.

• Modifies contract dispute resolution procedures to allow boards to terminate contracts with 30 days written notice instead of requiring mandatory dispute resolution through third-party entities.

• Repeals section 340.20 of the Revised Code and makes technical amendments to provisions governing joint-county districts, tax levies, and board composition requirements.