Ohio Revised Code|Section 5101.37 | Investigations and hearings by department, county or child support enforcement agency.

                                                
(A) The department of job and family services  and each county department of job and family services and child  support enforcement agency may conduct any audits or  investigations that are necessary in the performance of their  duties, and to that end they shall have the same power as a judge  of a county court to administer oaths and to enforce the  attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books  or papers. 
The department and each county department and agency shall  keep a record of their audits and investigations stating the time,  place, charges, or subject; witnesses summoned and examined; and  their conclusions.
Witnesses shall be paid the fees and mileage provided for  under section 119.094 of the Revised Code.
(B) In conducting hearings pursuant to Chapters 3119., 3121.,  and 3123. or pursuant to division (B) of section 5101.35 of the  Revised Code, the department and each child support enforcement  agency have the same power as a judge of a county court to  administer oaths and to enforce the attendance and testimony of  witnesses and the production of books or papers. The department  and each agency shall keep a record of those hearings stating the  time, place, charges, or subject; witnesses summoned and examined;  and their conclusions.
The issuance of a subpoena by the department or a child  support enforcement agency to enforce attendance and testimony of  witnesses and the production of books or papers at a hearing is  discretionary and the department or agency is not required to pay  the fees of witnesses for attendance and travel.
(C) Any judge of any division of the court of common pleas,  upon application of the department or a county department or child  support enforcement agency, may compel the attendance of  witnesses, the production of books or papers, and the giving of  testimony before the department, county department, or agency, by  a judgment for contempt or otherwise, in the same manner as in  cases before those courts.
(D) Until an audit report is formally released by the  department of job and family services, the audit report or any  working paper or other document or record prepared by the  department and related to the audit that is the subject of the  audit report is not a public record under section 149.43 of the  Revised Code.
(E) The director of job and family services may adopt rules  as necessary to implement this section. The rules shall be adopted  in accordance with section 111.15 of the Revised Code as if they  were internal management rules.