News

Allow the Forfeiture of Assets in ID Theft Cases

HB 4325

Allows assets used in the commission of identity theft to be forfeited. The bill is modeled after the current drug forfeiture statute.

Include ID Theft in Racketeering Statute

HB 4326

Adds the crime of identity theft and computer crimes to the definition of racketeering.

Create an Identity Theft Commission

HB 4729

House Bill 4729 creates an "Identity Theft Commission" within the Identity Theft Protection Act. The commission will be within the Department of Information Technology and will make recommendations in areas that relate to preventing identity theft.

Revise the Crime Victim's Rights Act

HB 4730

House Bill 4730 makes technical changes to the William Van Regenmorter Crime Victim's Rights Act to make it consistent with the Identity Theft Protection Act.

Prohibit Providing False information to Police

HB 4731

House Bill 4731 amends the Identity Theft Protection Act to prohibit an individual from using another person's personal information to mislead a law enforcement agency or court about the identity of a person who is under criminal investigation or who is a criminal defendant.

Require Businesses to Create Identity Theft Prevention Program

HB 4732

HB 4733

House Bill 4732 requires each "qualified person" to establish a written identity theft prevention program. A qualified person is one that has more than 50 employees and extends credit in the form of covered accounts. Individuals and businesses who are required to comply with federal identity theft rules are not required to comply with this portion of the act. HB 4733 establishes the penalties for not complying with HB 4732.

Regulate How to Dispose of Personal Data

HB 4734

House Bill 4734 amends the Identity Theft Protection Act to establish a maximum period of time that an agency can retain consumers' personal information. The bill requires a person or agency who disposes of any data from a database that includes any unencrypted, unredacted personal information to dispose of that data when it is removed from the database.

Create Remedies for ID Theft Victims

HB 4735

House Bill 4735 amends the Identity Theft Protection Act to expand the remedies available to victims of identity theft by allowing victims to file a civil action for damages.

Enhance Restitution for ID Theft Victims

HB 4736

HB 4737

HB 4738

House Bills 4736-4738 provide enhanced restitution for victims of identity theft. The bills amend various acts to allow a victim to recover damages for the time spent repairing the damage to the victim's financial records, vital records and his or her credit history, credit rating or credit score.

Prohibit Launching Boat With Aquatic Plant Attached

HB 4199

House Bill 4199 prohibits a person from launching a boat into the waters of the state if the boat has an aquatic plant attached and requires owners of public boat access sites to provide a posting, alerting boaters to the prohibition prepared by the Department of Natural Resources.  Violators are subject to a civil fine of up to $100.  The bill is aimed at preventing the spread of invasive aquatic plants.

Allow Deployed Service Members to Cancel Cell Phone Contracts

HB 5102

House Bill 5102 would allow Military Service members called to active duty to cancel cell phone agreements without penalties.

Create a Registry of Unclaimed Creamated Remains

HB 5245

House Bill 5245 allows funeral directors to compile a list of names of unclaimed cremated remains held in their possession for six months or greater for the purpose of determining if the deceased was a veteran or a spouse of a veteran of the United States Armed Services.

Provide Immunity to Funeral Directors for Disposition of Military Creamated Remains

HB 5246

House Bill 5246 provides immunity from civil liability to funeral directors for the proper disposition of unclaimed cremated remains if the proper disposition was made at least six months after the date of cremation and at least 30 days after the date the required notice was sent.

Make Divorce Law Language Gender Neutral

HB 4704

House Bill 4704 allows a man to change his last name in a judgment of divorce. Currently, women are able to change their names in a divorce but men must go through a separate court process to do so.

Extend Sunset of Boot Camp Program

HB 5311

The special alternative incarceration program (boot camp) expires on September 30, 2009. This program offers an alternative to prison for some offenders which saves the Department of Corrections money. House Bill 5311 extends the sunset to September 30, 2012.

Require School Districts to Admit Non-Resident Foster Children

HB 5298

HB 5299

House Bill 5298 amends the revised school code to ensure that a child placed in foster care could attend the school and appropriate grade in which they are placed, whether or not they are a resident of the school district. House Bill 5299 amends the school aid act to ensure that the school district educating the foster child receives state aid for the child.

Revise the Michigan Business Tax Act

SB 219

Senate Bill 219 would amend the Michigan Business Tax Act to clarify that certain royalty, expense, and interest payments made by U.S. subsidiaries to their foreign-owned parent companies are excluded from the business income tax base.

Create Certified Alternative Energy Parks

SB 428

Senate Bill 428 would amend the Local Development Financing Act to allow the creation of certified alternative energy parks. Under the bill local governments would be able to purchase and assemble land to create shovel ready sites for alternative energy.

Expand Photovoltaic MBT Credit

HB 4523

House Bill 4523 would expand certain Michigan Business Tax (MBT) credits in order to provide incentives to photovoltaic (solar energy) companies to relocate or expand into Michigan from outside of the state or the United States.

Supplemental Budget Appropriation

SB 95

Senate Bill 95 would appropriate federal funds available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to the Department of Community Health, the Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Transportation.  The bill appropriates $33.3 million in federal dollars, and increases several federal reimbursement rates to the state.  The rate changes will free up $863.6 million in state general funds that will be used to resolve the FY '09 deficit.

Michigan State Police FY '09-10' Budget

SB 253

Senate Bill 253 appropriates $267,259,200 million for fiscal year 2009-10 for the Michigan Department of State Police. This represents a difference of $11,215,300 below the Executive Recommendation and creates points of difference with the Senate in other areas. The bill will be sent to conference committee where the House and the Senate will reconcile the differences between the two versions of the bill.

Establish Animal Welfare Standards

HB 5127

House Bill 5127 would amend the Animal Industry Act by adding standards of care for "covered animals". "Covered animals" are listed as pigs during pregnancy, calves raised for veal, and egg-laying hens that are kept on a farm.

Allow Crossbow Permits for Temporarily Disabled

SB 164

Senate Bill 164 would allow the Department of Natural Resources to issue crossbow permits to individuals who are temporarily disabled. Current law only allows permits to be issued to individuals who are permanently disabled. This bill would allow people who are temporarily disabled to qualify for crossbow licenses.

Western Michigan Land Conveyance

House Bill 5207

House Bill 5207 would combine three land conveyance bills for Western Michigan University. Western hopes to acquire property for expansion of various programs and the Business Technology and Research Park and also clear the way for new development of vacant property.

Revise the Michigan Business Tax

SB 480

Senate Bill 480 would amend the Michigan Business Tax Act to reduce the MBT revenue earmarked to the School Aid Fund (SAF) by the amount earmarked to the SAF from revenues from a new use tax on medical services provided by managed care organizations.

Extend Sunset on Wastewater and Storm Water Discharge Fees

HB 5223

House Bill 5223 authorizes the Department of Environmental Quality to continue collecting, through October 1, 2011, annual permit fees at existing levels paid by entities discharging wastewater or storm water into the waters of the state.

Uniform Securities: Professional Service Corporation Act

Senate Bill 700

Senate Bill 701

House Bill 703

Senate Bill 706

Senate Bill 707

Senate Bill 710

Senate Bill 712

These bills amend various statutes to update references in the acts to refer to the new Uniform Securities Act that passed last session. The new Uniform Securities Act, was designed to coordinate federal and state securities legislation, and regulate the issuance, sale, and purchase of securities, and prohibits fraudulent practices in relation to securities.

Eliminate DEQ Laboratory Data Quality Recognition Program

HB 5221

House Bill 5221 eliminates the Laboratory Data Quality Recognition program under the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), which attempted to provide additional private options to the state-run environmental lab for services used in relation to various environmental programs.  The program was not really used or adequately funded.

Eliminate Groundwater Dispute Resolution Program

HB 5222

House Bill 5222 eliminates the Groundwater Dispute Resolution Program administered by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Agriculture.  The program provides a mechanism for small-quantity water users (under 100,000 gallons per day) to be made whole should they have a credible claim that their ability to access groundwater is being hampered due to the water use of a neighboring large-quantity water user (over 100,000 gallons per day).  Comprehensive water use legislation enacted in 2008 makes this program less necessary.

Revise the Michigan Business Tax

HB 5295

House Bill 5295 amends the definition of "financial institution" under the Michigan Business Tax Act to include a federally chartered farm credit system institution so that these institutions could pay the financial institution net capital tax.

Eliminate DEQ Marina Operating Permit Program

HB 5055

House Bill 5055 implements an Executive Order from December 2008 to eliminate the Marina Operating Permit Program under the Inland Lakes and Streams Act.  The bill further establishes marina construction criteria in statute similar to criteria that are currently in administrative rules.  A person would no longer need to renew a 3-year permit to "maintain or operate" a marina and pay a $50 renewal fee.  The bill clarifies that a person needs a permit to "construct, reconfigure, or expand" a marina within an inland lake or stream.

Allow Release of Prisoners For Deportation

HB 4130

House Bill 4130 amends the Corrections Code to allow the Department of Corrections to parole certain prisoners who have had final orders of deportation issued.  If an individual returns to the United States after being deported, that individual will be returned to the department's custody and will serve the maximum of the remaining sentence.

Implement the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

HB 5234

House Bill 5234 aligns Michigan law with changes adopted by Congress in the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. House Bill 5234 prohibits insurers that provide supplemental policies to Medicare recipients from denying benefits based on preexisting conditions or on the basis of genetic information about the policy holder. House Bill 5234 also prohibits supplemental Medicare insurance providers from using an individual's genetic information to impose higher premium rates.

Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act

House Bill 5235

House Bill 5235 aligns Michigan law with changes adopted by Congress in the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act. House Bill 5235 provides the federal guidelines on the minimum offerings that Medigap providers must make available to consumers. The measure requires that Medigap providers in Michigan continue to provide a Plan C benefit, an offering not currently required by federal law. House Bill 5235 also broadens the definition of insurer to include health maintenance organizations (HMO's). This change opens the door for HMO's to begin selling Medigap insurance in Michigan.

Suspend Funding Restrictions on the 21st Century Jobs Fund

HB 5100

House Bill 5100 would change the statutory funding restrictions on the 21st Century Jobs Fund. The funding restrictions on the 21st Century Jobs Fund would be suspended for only FY 09 and FY 10.

MBT Battery Credit Extension

SB 777

Senate Bill 777 would increase the number of Michigan Business Tax (MBT) credits available for battery systems. The bill would require that the new credits be awarded for manufacturing of large scale power systems designed to convert renewable power into firm dispatchable power. Also included in the bill is a 500 job creation threshold, federal loan guarantee requirement, and a penalty for failure to meet the terms of the credit agreement. As a penalty the MEDC could reduce or terminate the credits received by a company or require them to payback a portion of the credit already claimed.

Establish Animal Welfare Standards

HB 5127

House Bill 5127 would amend the Animal Industry Act by adding standards of care for "covered animals". "Covered animals" are listed as gestating sows, calves raised for veal, and egg-laying hens that are kept on a farm.

Economic Development Loans-Federal Intermediate Re-lending Program

HB 4744

HB 4744 makes a series of technical changes in order to allow qualified rural communities to take advantage of the Federal Intermediate Re-lending Program, including allowing local units of government to accept federal loans for the assistance of business as well as allowing locals to issue loan revenue notes in addition to bonds.

Extend Community Mental Health Program Sunset

HB 5126

House Bill 5126 amends the Mental Health Code and would allow Community Mental Health Service Providers to continue to be able to carry forward up to 5% of their fund balance into the next fiscal year. This provision was currently set to sunset after September 30, 2009.

Extend Special Alternative Incarceration Sunset

HB 5311

House Bill 5311 extends the sunset of the special alternative incarceration program (SAI) until September 30, 2010. The bill also changes eligibility requirements to allow prisoners serving their first sentences to participate in SAI programming. SAI was formerly known as "boot camp" and allows prisoners who meet the requirements to compete the program in lieu of serving a prison sentence.

Wetlands Protection Act Reforms

HB 5463

SB 785

Senate Bill 785  and HB 5463 are identical bills that amend the Wetlands Protection Act to: make state program requirements more consistent with federal requirements; streamline the permitting process for categories of activities that are likely to have minimal adverse affects on aquatic resources and for activities within areas of both state and federal jurisdiction; provide assistance for potential development of new cranberry production enterprises; foster new efforts to involve local governments and conservation districts in providing assistance in program administration; specify wetland mitigation requirements; and establish a Wetland Advisory Council to make recommendations for future program changes. The amendments to the Act, however, do not take place until $6 million is transferred from certain restricted funds to help fund the program for the next 3 years.

FY 2009-10 Supplemental Appropriation - Restore Various Budget Cuts

HB 5403

House Bill 5403 would partially restore Fiscal Year 2009-10 cuts to the Michigan Promise Grant Program, State Aid to Libraries, the Department of Community Health, and to statutory revenue sharing. All together, the bill would appropriate $434.7 million ($173.6 federal, and $261.2 restricted). The restricted funds come from two newly-created sources: the "Michigan Future" fund and the "Michigan Health Care Rebate" fund.

One-Month Continuation Budget - Excludes School Aid

SB 831

Senate Bill 831 is a one-month continuation budget. This bill would have been necessary if all Fiscal Year 2009-10 budget bills had not been sent to the Governor by the end of the fiscal year. All general fund budgets have been passed by both the House and the Senate, but the Senate has not yet transmitted six budgets to the Governor to be signed into law. This bill may still be necessary in the event the Senate continues to refuse to send these budgets to the Governor, or if the Governor vetoes any of the FY '10 budgets that the legislature approved. This bill would allow state departments to continue operate for one month. With a few exceptions, the bill would use Fiscal Year 2009-10 departmental target numbers to determine spending levels for each Department over the month.

One-Month Continuation Budget for School Aid

SB 252

Senate Bill 252 is a one-month continuation budget for School Aid. This bill will be necessary in the event that the FY '10 School Aid budget bill, HB 4447, is not passed by both chambers of the legislature by the end of the fiscal year. Senate Bill 252 would allow schools to continue operate for one month.

FY 2009-10 School Aid Budget

HB 4447

The bill appropriates $12,778,064,000 for Fiscal Year 2009-10; this is a 3.6% or a $481,742,800 reduction from year to date. The conference report cuts $218 per pupil, which equals a $347,591,800 overall cut. This is not a foundation cut, but a per-pupil cut to schools' total state aid. This cut will allow schools to choose locally what priorities they want to set and what cuts they want to make individually, outside of a few programs that, by law, must be funded. The report also reduced Intermediate School District general operations funding by 44.36% for a $36 million cut, but maintained funding for both Special Education Millage Equalization and Vocational Education Millage Equalization.

FY 2009-10 Department of Agriculture Budget

SB 237

The conference report decreases restricted funds by $6,159,500 and increases general funds by $2,042,300. The State Services Fee revenue eliminated in the Governors budget recommendation would be added back into the budget in the conference report. $3.2 million in state service fees would fund the Office of the Racing Commissioner. The bill also retains money for premiums at state and county fairs as well as building track improvements at county fairs. Many of the line items previously funded by the State Services Fund would be replaced in part by the Agriculture Equine Industry Development Fund (AEIDF), including horse racing and county fairs.

FY 2009-10 Higher Education Budget

HB 4441

The Higher Education Budget funds 15 public universities, the Agricultural Experiment Station, the Cooperative Extension Program, and various financial aid programs.  The conference report contains a gross appropriation of $1,612,243,300 which was a 8.3 % decrease from Fiscal Year 2008-09. This reflects $140 million cut that eliminates the Michigan Promise Grant.  Other cuts included a reduction in financial aid programs, including a $3 million cap on how much money private universities can receive from students using the Tuition Grant.

FY 2009-10 Department of Labor and Economic Growth Budget

SB 243

The Department of Labor, Energy and Economic Growth (DELEG) has primary responsibility for the regulatory functions that relate specifically to commercial, business, and workers' issues. It also includes various employment training-related programs for displaced workers, adults, and youth, and employment services for the disabled as well as welfare recipients. The gross appropriation for the DELEG budget is $1,424,391,200, which is a 2.3% increase from funding levels in Fiscal Year 2008-09. The bill: increased funding for the Centers for Independent Living (CIL), which provide supportive services to persons with disabilities, by $250,000; reduces funding for No Worker Left Behind to $4.5 million; and reduces funding for the Michigan Nursing Corps to $300,000.

FY 2009-10 Judiciary Budget

SB 249

The Judiciary Budget provides funding to operate the Michigan Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and related judicial agencies. Judicial salaries for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals are included in the budget, along with partial funding for judges in the Circuit, District and Probate courts. Additionally, the budget provides assistance to local courts for operation costs through grant programs. The budget for the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year assumes that approximately $1.3 million will be transferred from the Juror Compensation Fund, which typically has excess dollars. The Conference Report includes across the board reductions in amounts identified by the Judiciary.

FY 2009-10 Department of Corrections Budget

HB 4437

The MDOC submitted an amended Executive Recommendation on July 29, 2009 which recommended appropriating $1.97 billion to the MDOC, $72 million less than in the current fiscal year. The House adopted the Governor's recommendation with an additional $10 million in cuts. The Senate reduced the budget by $28 million from the House-passed amount by reducing various lines and implementing a per-prisoner reduction of $841.

The Conference Committee agreed to adopt the Senate's per-prisoner approach and included a per-prisoner reduction of $841. Based on a population of 45,433, there will be a reduction of an additional $38.2 million over the cuts already incorporated into the revised Executive Recommendation plus an additional $4.3 million for County Jail Reimbursement Program savings

FY 2009-10 Department of Human Services Budget

SB 248

The budget provides funding for programs and services to assist Michigan's most vulnerable families, including public assistance programs that provide direct cash support, assistance with food, day care, and other emergency needs. Funding is provided to protect children and assist families by administering foster care, adoption and family preservation programs, and enforcing child support laws. The Department also provides juvenile justice services, licenses day care, adult foster care, and child welfare agencies. The gross appropriation in this bill is $5.9 billion, which is $1.3 billion (27.6 %) over Fiscal Year 2008-09.  

• Child Welfare Improvements - Increase of 544 staff;
• Revises Foster Care Rates to a blended administrative rate of $27 per day for private child placing agencies;
• Establishes a new $40 administrative per diem for publicly supervised foster care cases to be shared between the State and Counties at 75% State and 25%;
• Private Agency Rate Increases include a $10 administrative rate increase for child placing agencies and a $7 per diem increase for residential facilities, as well as an increase for private adoption agencies;
• Increases Funding for Private Adoption Support Services;
• Closure of several Juvenile Justice Facilities and Juvenile Justice Reductions;
• Increases state public assistance programs by $1.47 billion over year-to-date levels;
• Reduces appropriations for child welfare program caseloads by $23.1 million;
• Reduces funding by $58 million for day care services and day care rates are restructured through a two-tier payment structure for unregulated providers;
• Reduces funding for Employment and training support services by $22.7 million;
• Increases funding for Families First by $1.5 million;
• Reduces the FIP clothing allowance to FY 08 levels; $1.1 million of the savings used for a one-time supplement for children of FIP recipients which will leverage additional federal TANF funds;
• Other specified reductions and/or elimination of programs.

FY 2009-10 General Government Budget

SB 245

Senate Bill 245 is the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 General Government Appropriations bill. It provides funding for the following departments: Attorney General, Civil Rights, Executive, Information Technology, Legislature, Auditor General, Management and Budget, State and Treasury. Gross funding for the budget is $3,006,201,700, which is a $148,907,900 reduction from Fiscal Year 2008-09.

Of the reductions in the bill, the most notable are the revenue sharing cuts. Revenue sharing has been reduced by 11.06% per local unit, including cities, villages, townships, and counties. Constitutional revenue sharing for cities, villages and townships is reduced to $622,137,900 due to declining sales tax revenue; this is a $46,928,733 reduction. Statutory revenue sharing has been reduced to $314,169,900; this is a $73,832,819 reduction.  County revenue sharing payments would be funded at $55,291,700. Under the conference report, the counties would all receive the same cut which means they will all receive a different state payment in order to total the same percentage cut across the state.  Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) was reduced in the conference report by 12% to $12,956,400.

FY 2009-10 Community Colleges Budget

HB 4435

The Community Colleges budget includes funds for operational support of the state's 28 community colleges, the At-Risk Student Success Program, and renaissance zone tax reimbursement to the colleges. Community colleges also receive operating revenue from local property taxes and student tuition and fees. This budget contains a gross appropriation of $299,360,500. The conference report restored $3,480,000 for the Renaissance Zones Reimbursements that was cut by the Senate.

FY 2009-10 Department of Military & Veterans Affairs Budget

SB 250

The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is responsible for the training and administration of Army and Air National Guard forces, providing combat-ready military forces during times of national emergency, and performing civil relief operations under the command of the governor during state emergencies. The Department's budget includes administrative and maintenance costs associated with these responsibilities as well as several National Guard-related programs such as the Challenge Program and the National Guard Education Assistance Program. The Department has oversight over the following veterans-related programs: state-licensed nursing care at veterans homes in Grand Rapids and Marquette, grant funding to veterans service organizations, and the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund. Overall, this budget appropriates $146,149,800 in gross spending, compared to $199,001,000, which was appropriate in the Fiscal Year 2008-09.

FY 2009-10 Michigan State Police Budget

SB 253

The measure funds the Michigan Department of State Police at an amount of $267,259,200. This is a reduction of $2,492,900 over the previous fiscal year. The Department of State Police provides a wide range of law enforcement services including highway patrol, criminal investigations, forensic sciences, motor carrier enforcement, emergency management, highway safety planning, fire investigation, criminal justice data processing, and various specialized law enforcement services.

FY 2009-10 Department of Education Budget

HB 4438

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is the administrative arm of the Board charged with implementing State and Federal educational mandates and administering programs. Major responsibilities of the MDE include developing and overseeing the K-12 school system, certifying teachers, disbursing funds to educational organizations, and providing technical assistance to school districts. This bill appropriates $112,871,600 in gross funding, which is an increase of 18.8% equal to $17,824,500. Please note that while the appropriations for this budget increased, it was due to the fact that the MDE took on the Library of Michigan and its functions when the Department of History, Arts and Libraries was dismantled. The State aid to libraries portion of the budget was cut by 40% from $10 million to $6 million in funding among other cuts to the MDE and other Library functions.

FY 2009-10 Department of Community Health Budget

HB 4436

The Department of Community Health (DCH) provides the following services: Medicaid/Physical Health, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Maternal and Child Health, Public Health, Services for the Elderly and Disabled, Crime Victims Services. The DCH also has responsibilities for: Health Care Facilities and Professional Licensure and Regulation, and the Developmental Disabilities Council. Overall, this measure would appropriate $13.1 billion, compared to $12.9 billion for the Fiscal Year 2008-09. The amount is higher than in previous years due to increases in federal dollars for the increasing Medicaid caseload, though overall drastic cuts were made.

Conference Report Funding Highlights include:

• Decrease in Healthy Michigan Fund- The CR decreases funding to a gross appropriation of $37,428,200 for a gross decrease of $3,541,400 but allocates the funds differently than the Executive Recommendation and includes funding for poison control centers.
• Medicaid Provider Reimbursement Rate Cut- The CR includes a 8% cut to doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and other providers who see Medicaid patients.   The CR assumed $94,885,600 GF/GP ($354,977,600 gross) in savings by carrying forward the Executive Order's 4% cut to Medicaid provider rates and adding an additional 4% cut for a total of an 8% Medicaid provider rate reduction.
• Non-Medicaid Mental Health Reduction- The budget includes a $40 million reduction to non-Medicaid Community Mental Health providers.
• The Senate split the Community Mental Health line into three line items. The CR maintains one line item as in current law.
• The CR reflects the closure of the Mt. Pleasant Center for Persons with Developmental Disabilities ($15.4 million, $3.1 million GF/GP).
• The CR does not assume savings from the consolidation of substance abuse coordinating agencies with CMHSP's, but does include boilerplate that counties shall consider the option if cost savings are likely.

FY 2009-10 Department Of Natural Resources/Department of Environmental Quality Budget

HB 4446

The DNR and DEQ budgets were combined into one budget bill, which recommends the recombination of the departments.  This budget assumes $350,000 in administrative savings from the recombination, which will not be recognized until an implementing Executive Order is issued.  This allows the department to keep employees on staff after the new fiscal year begins and to reorganize when the details of the combination are made available by the Governor.

DNR

The Gross Appropriation for the Department of Natural Resources is $315,298,500, which is an increase from the current appropriation of $20,770,100, partly due to the incorporation of some Department of History Arts and Libraries Programs.  $16.7 million is appropriated from the General Fund.  Bovine TB funding has been increased by $195,900 from the House passed version of the bill. The current funding ensures that our federal split state status will be maintained. This status allows beef and dairy farmers to move and sell cattle. Game and Fish Protection Fund programs have been cut by $8,964,200.

DEQ

The Gross Appropriation for the Department of Environmental Quality is $388,989,600.  The General Fund appropriation is $26,950,500, which is nearly a 40% cut from the original Fiscal Year 2008-09 budget.  The Wetlands Program is maintained, but with only partial year funding in the bill along with a statement of legislative intent to provide supplemental funding later.  The Air Quality Program is cut by $1.5 million, about half of which comes from permitting for new or expanded facilities.  Minor programs are eliminated, including Groundwater Dispute Resolution, On-Site Wastewater Oversight, Marina Operating Permits, and Laboratory Data Quality Recognition.

FY 2009-10 Department of Transportation Budget

SB 254

The Gross Appropriation for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) budget is $3,257,748,000. This is a decrease of $343,381,300, or 9.5 percent from the Fiscal Year 2008-09 budget.  The budget has nearly $93.5 million less in state-restricted funds primarily due to declining revenue from the state gas tax.  $12.0 million from the Transportation Economic Development Fund is transferred to the General Fund.

The budget does not redirect $11.5 million from the Comprehensive Transportation Fund (CTF) to the General Fund as proposed by the Senate. $5.75 million of the difference is made up by instead redirecting funds from the Rail Infrastructure Loan Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loans for private rail infrastructure projects. The budget matches the Executive Recommendation of $5.7 million from the CTF for AMTRAK, which is between 1/2 and 3/4 what is likely needed for full-year service on all routes.

Consensus boilerplate language regarding the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) is included that allows for continuing preliminary work needed to solicit a private-sector request for proposals for a public-private partnership. Such proposals shall be submitted to the Legislature by May 1, 2010 along with a traffic projection study. Spending for these activities from state transportation revenue is capped at $2.5 million.

Use Money from The 21st Century Jobs Fund Help Balance the FY 2009-10  Budget

HB 4182

Current law allows for any interest and earnings from investment of the 21st Century Jobs Trust Fund to be deposited into the General Fund (GF). This bill adds language to allow an additional $42 M from the fund to be transferred into the GF for FY '09. Of this total, $20 M is related to various statutory changes that were enacted through the year, and $22 M is related to EO 2009-22, which cut over $350 M from the last quarter of this fiscal year.

Use Money from The 21st Century Jobs Fund Help Balance the FY 2009-10

HB 5072

HB 5073

House Bill 5072 is necessary following Executive Order (EO) 2009-22, which made over $340 million in budget cuts from the FY '09 budget. Among other things, the EO stipulated that $12 million was to be transferred from the Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF) into the state General Fund. Since the TEDF is a restricted fund, statutory changes are necessary to fully effectuate this transfer. House Bill 5072 and 5073 are meant to work together. Each amends a different Act to make these technical changes.

Revise Certain Department of State Fees

SB 494

SB 495

SB 540

Each of these bills direct fees from different sources into the Transportation Administration Collection Fund (TACF). The bills would delay several October 1, 2009 sunsets by two years. Currently, the ability of the state to continue to collect several fees under these Acts will sunset on October 1, 2009.

Carry Forward Unspent Funds from the Cobo Expansion into FY 2009-10

HB 5120

House Bill 5120 would allow $6.6 million of unspent funds left over from the Cobo Hall expansion deal to be carried forward into Fiscal Year '10 to resolve the anticipated budget deficit for that year. These funds were originally allocated for bond arrangements that would have been needed to finance the Cobo deal in Fiscal Year '09. However, since the Cobo expansion was finalized so late in the fiscal year, those funds have not actually been expended yet.

FY '09-'10 School Aid Budget

HB 4447

The bill appropriates $12,877,563,500 for Fiscal Year 2009-10, this is a $382,243,300 reduction from year to date. The conference report cuts $165 per pupil, which equals a $263,000,000 reduction. This cut will allow schools to choose locally what priorities they want to set and what cuts they want to make individually, outside of a few programs that, by law, must be funded. The conference report also reduced Intermediate School District general operations funding by 20% ($16,344,300) for a funding total of $65,376,800.

Freeze the Income Tax Personal Exemption Inflation Adjustment

HB 5352

House Bill 5352 would amend the Income Tax Act to freeze the inflationary adjustment that taxpayers make to their personal exemption for the 2009 and 2010 tax years. Taxpayers could again claim the adjustment when filing their taxes for the 2011 tax year.

Create the Health Care Rebate; Assess and Collect a Quality Assurance Assessment

HB 5386

House Bill 5386 would amend the Public Health Code to create the Michigan Health Care Rebate and assess and collect a quality assurance assessment on physicians to finance Medicaid physician services reimbursement payments. This will allow the state to leverage federal funding for health care.

Provide a MBT Credit for Certain Expenses for QAAP Taxpayers

HB 5384

House Bill 5384 would amend the Michigan Business Tax to provide certain taxpayers under the Quality Assurance Assessment Program (QAAP) a credit for the portion of the Michigan Business Tax gross receipts liability attributable to the cost of medications administered either by injection or intravenously that were purchased from other persons.

Create the Guaranteed Asset Protection Act

HB 4989

HB 4990

HB 4991

HB 4992

These bills create the Guaranteed Asset Protection Act and amend related parts of law to clarify the intention of this new Act.  A Guaranteed Asset Protection waiver is a contractual agreement which can be added into, or onto a finance agreement. In the event that a vehicle is deemed a total loss or an unrecoverable theft, the creditor agrees to cancel or "waive" all or part of amounts due on a borrower's finance agreement. Buyers would get a 30 day "free look period" to cancel the waiver without penalty or fees. This covers personal and commercial vehicles, but does not include devices that move on or guided by a track or travels through the air. It also does not apply to any other non-motor vehicle product purchased with an installment payment plan.