CIVIL INFRACTION ASSESSMENT - S.B. 677 (S-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 677 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Philip E. Hoffman
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to increase from $5 to $10 the Secondary Road Patrol and Training assessment which is currently placed on each civil infraction determination, except for a parking violation or a violation for which the total fine and costs imposed are $10 or less; and change the State department responsible for the administration of those funds from the Department of State Police to the Department of Management and Budget. The bill also would require that the General Fund appropriation for the secondary road patrol and training program be reduced proportionally to additional revenue collected and remitted as a result of the increased assessment. Additionally, the bill would add a $5 assessment to civil infractions for the jail reimbursement program administered by the Department of Corrections, which would be used to reimburse counties for housing and custody of convicted felons.
FISCAL IMPACT
Senate Bill 677 (S-1) would have the potential of doubling the approximately $7.0 million collected each year from the $5 Secondary Road Patrol and Training assessment on civil infractions, to $14.0 million annually. Approximately 90% of this revenue provides county sheriff departments with funding for patrol of county and local roads outside the corporate limits of cities and villages under P.A. 416 of 1978, and 10% of these funds support law enforcement training grants under P.A. 203 of 1965. Collections for these two grant programs for a recent five-year period were as follows:
| FY 1995-96 | FY 1996-97 | FY 1997-98 | FY 1998-99 | FY 1999-2000 | |
| Secondary Road Patrol Funding | $5,445,668 | $5,726,568 | $6,045,781 | $6,109,672 | $6,378,774 |
| Training Grants | 592,327 | 622,881 | 651,940 | 654,801 | 683,641 |
| Total | $6,037,995 | $6,349,449 | $6,697,721 | $6,764,473 | $7,062,415 |
Annual collections for the proposed $5 assessment to be earmarked for the jail reimbursement program would be expected to be similar to the amount created by the additional assessment to the secondary road patrol under the bill, approximately $6.5 to $7.0 million. The FY 2001-02 appropriation for the program is $18.5 million.
The actual amount of additional revenue collected under the bill would depend on several variables, including the degree of court compliance in administering the assessment.
Date Completed: 11-1-01 - Fiscal Analyst: B. BakerFloor\sb677 - Bill Analysis @ http://www.senate.state.mi.us/sfa
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.