RONALD WILSON REAGAN MEMORIAL MONUMENT:
CREATE COMMISSION AND FUND
House Bills 6033 and 6034
Sponsor: Rep. Leon Drolet
Committee: Government Operations
Complete to 6-28-04
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 6033 AND 6034 AS INTRODUCED 6-22-04
House Bill 6034 would create the Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Monument Fund Commission Act to establish a commission to oversee the financing, design, and construction of a memorial monument dedicated to President Reagan. The commission would have to solicit designs and would select the final design. In consultation with the Michigan Capitol Park Commission, the monument commission would site the Reagan Memorial on land under the jurisdiction of the park commission, but the memorial could not be located on the grounds of the state capitol. The commission would be the overseer of the monument fund created by House Bill 6033, and would be a type II agency in the Department of Management and Budget
House Bill 6033 would create the Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Monument Fund Act to create a separate fund in the Department of Treasury for which the state treasurer would have to seek appropriate federal tax status. The state treasurer would credit to the fund money received for the fund under the commission act created by House Bill 6034, all money appropriated to the fund, as well as accrued interest.
Commission Members and Terms
The commission would consist of all of the following; the state treasurer or a designee, the attorney general or a designee, the secretary of state or a designee, two members appointed by the governor, two members appointed by the Senate Majority Leader, and two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. There would be one member appointed by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
Members of the commission would serve four years or until a successor was appointed, whichever is later. If a vacancy were to occur, the vacancy would be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
Commission Meetings
The commission would be required to initially convene within six months after the first deposit of money in the memorial fund, and it would have to meet often enough to expedite the completion of the monument. The commission would be subject to the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act. For the purpose of conducting business, a majority of the commission would constitute a quorum.
Funds, Grants, and Gifts
The commission would be permitted to accept on behalf of the monument fund grants or gifts from the federal government, an individual, a public or private corporation, an organization, or a foundation, or any other source. However, the acceptance and use of federal funds would not obligate the legislature to continue the purposes for which federal money was made available. The commission would be required to transmit money received to the state treasurer for deposit in the memorial fund.
Fund Prohibitions
Under the bill, a person would not be permitted to do any of the following: solicit or collect money through telemarketing; conduct fund-raising activities in the name of the Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Monument Fund without prior written approval from the commission; and use the name or logo of the Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Fund or Commission in any fund-raising activity without prior written approval of the commission.
A violation would be a misdemeanor for each separate violation, punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
Dissolution of Commission
After construction of the monument was completed and all amounts due in connection with the monument paid, the commission would be dissolved and any balance remaining in the fund would be used to maintain the monument.
FISCAL IMPACT:
As written, the bill does not appear to have any significant fiscal impact.
Legislative Analyst: E. Best/Chris Couch
■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.