Act No. 414

Public Acts of 2004

Approved by the Governor

November 29, 2004

Filed with the Secretary of State

November 29, 2004

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2005

STATE OF MICHIGAN

92ND LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2004

Introduced by Rep. Ruth Johnson

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 5627

AN ACT to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled "An act to make appropriations to aid in the support of the public schools and the intermediate school districts of the state; to make appropriations for certain other purposes relating to education; to provide for the disbursement of the appropriations; to supplement the school aid fund by the levy and collection of certain taxes; to authorize the issuance of certain bonds and provide for the security of those bonds; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, the state board of education, and certain other boards and officials; to create certain funds and provide for their expenditure; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts," by amending section 18 (MCL 388.1618), as amended by 2003 PA 158.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 18. (1) Except as provided in another section of this act, each district or other entity shall apply the money received by the district or entity under this act to salaries and other compensation of teachers and other employees, tuition, transportation, lighting, heating, ventilation, water service, the purchase of textbooks which are designated by the board to be used in the schools under the board's charge, other supplies, and any other school operating expenditures defined in section 7. However, not more than 20% of the total amount received by a district under article 2 or intermediate district under article 8 may be transferred by the board to either the capital projects fund or to the debt retirement fund for debt service. The money shall not be applied or taken for a purpose other than as provided in this section. The department shall determine the reasonableness of expenditures and may withhold from a recipient of funds under this act the apportionment otherwise due for the fiscal year following the discovery by the department of a violation by the recipient.

(2) For the purpose of determining the reasonableness of expenditures and whether a violation of this act has occurred, the department shall require that each district and intermediate district have an audit of the district's or intermediate district's financial and pupil accounting records conducted at least annually at the expense of the district or intermediate district, as applicable, by a certified public accountant or by the intermediate district superintendent, as may be required by the department, or in the case of a district of the first class by a certified public accountant, the intermediate superintendent, or the auditor general of the city. An intermediate district's annual financial audit shall be accompanied by the intermediate district's pupil accounting procedures report. A district's or intermediate district's annual financial audit shall include an analysis of the financial and pupil accounting data used as the basis for distribution of state school aid. The pupil accounting records and reports, audits, and management letters are subject to requirements established in the auditing and accounting manuals approved and published by the department. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a district shall file the annual financial audit reports with the intermediate district not later than 120 days after the end of each school fiscal year and the intermediate district shall forward the annual financial audit reports for its constituent districts and for the intermediate district, and the pupil accounting procedures report for the pupil membership count day and supplemental count day, to the department not later than November 15 of each year. The annual financial audit reports and pupil accounting procedures reports shall be available to the public in compliance with the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246. Not later than December 1 of each year, the department shall notify the state budget director and the legislative appropriations subcommittees responsible for review of the school aid budget of districts and intermediate districts that have not filed an annual financial audit and pupil accounting procedures report required under this section for the school year ending in the immediately preceding fiscal year.

(3) By November 15 of each year, each district and intermediate district shall submit to the center, in a manner prescribed by the center, annual comprehensive financial data consistent with accounting manuals and charts of accounts approved and published by the department. For an intermediate district, the report shall also contain the website address where the department can access the report required under section 620 of the revised school code, MCL 380.620.

(4) By September 30 of each year, each district and intermediate district shall file with the department the special education actual cost report, known as "SE-4096", on a form and in the manner prescribed by the department.

(5) By October 7 of each year, each district and intermediate district shall file with the department the transportation expenditure report, known as "SE-4094", on a form and in the manner prescribed by the department.

(6) Not later than July 1, 1999, the department shall approve and publish pupil accounting and pupil auditing manuals. The department shall review those manuals at least annually and shall periodically update those manuals to reflect changes in this act. The pupil accounting manuals in effect for the 1996-97 school year, including subsequent revisions issued by the superintendent, shall be the interim manuals in effect until new manuals are approved and published. However, the clarification of class-by-class accounting provided in the department's April 15, 1998 memorandum on pupil accounting procedures shall be excluded from the interim manuals.

(7) If a district that is a public school academy purchases property using money received under this act, the public school academy shall retain ownership of the property unless the public school academy sells the property at fair market value.

(8) If a district or intermediate district does not comply with subsection (2), (3), (4), or (5), the department shall withhold all state school aid due to the district or intermediate district under this act, beginning with the next payment due to the district or intermediate district, until the district or intermediate district complies with subsections (2), (3), (4), and (5). If the district or intermediate district does not comply with subsections (2), (3), (4), and (5) by the end of the fiscal year, the district or intermediate district forfeits the amount withheld.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect January 1, 2005.

Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect unless House Bill No. 5475 of the 92nd Legislature is enacted into law.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved

Governor