MICHIGAN CARD - S.B. 313: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
Senate Bill 313 (as introduced 2-16-99)
Sponsor: Senator Bev Hammerstrom
Committee: Government Operations
Date Completed: 2-25-99
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Older Michiganians Act to provide for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of a Michigan card program, for persons who were 65 years old or older, or disabled.
The bill would require the Secretary of State to establish a Michigan card program and provide a Michigan card to any senior or disabled resident who applied to the Secretary of State for a card. The Director of the Office of Services to the Aging would have to devise programs to provide benefits of any kind to cardholders and encourage support and participation in those programs by all persons, including governmental organizations.
Cardholders would be entitled to any benefits granted to them by private persons or organizations, State law, or ordinances or resolutions of political subdivisions of the State. A person who held a similar card from another state would be entitled to the same benefits as a cardholder whose card had been issued in Michigan, if the other state provided similar benefits to the holders of cards issued by other states. The bill would not require any person or organization to provide benefits to any cardholder.
The Secretary of State would have to bear the costs of producing, distributing, and administrating the cards.
Before issuing a Michigan card, the Director would have to verify the identity of a person who applied for a card, and verify that the person was disabled or 65 years old or older. The Director would have to promulgate rules to prevent the issuance of a card to a person not qualified to have one. A card would have to contain the signature of the cardholder and any other information that the Secretary of State considered necessary to accomplish the purposes of the bill.
A card that the Director issued would have to be held in perpetuity by the original cardholder, and would not be transferable. A person who lost his or her card could obtain another card from the Secretary of State. The bill would prohibit the use of a Michigan card to obtain a benefit for a person other than the cardholder.
Proposed MCL 400.593a - Legislative Analyst: G. Towne
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact on State government by the creation of the Michigan Card Program is indeterminate. The State would incur costs to create the card, itself, for eligible Michigan residents. There also would be administrative costs to the State to administer the program. The bill would have no fiscal impact on local government.
- Fiscal Analyst: E. LimbsS9900\s313sa
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.