STUDENT SAFETY ACT; REPEAL SUNSET                                                 H.B. 5850 (S-1):

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                      REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

House Bill 5850 (Substitute S-1 as reported)

Sponsor:  Representative Brandt Iden

House Committee:  Appropriations

Senate Committee:  Education

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Student Safety Act to repeal an enacting section that will repeal the Act on October 1, 2021.

The Act provides for the development and implementation of a program that allows for confidential reports of potential self-harm or potential harm or criminal acts directed at students, school employees, or schools, to a hotline. The Act took effect on December 13, 2013, and will be repealed on October 1, 2021.

The bill would eliminate that sunset date.

MCL 752.911-752.918                                                Legislative Analyst:  Nathan Leaman

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on the State. To date, the only funding appropriated to the Student Safety Fund is the initial appropriation of $3.5 million that was appropriated upon creation of the Fund in 2013. Of that appropriation, the Department of the Attorney General received $2,371,000 and the Michigan State Police received the remaining $1,129,000. The Michigan State Police has spent all of its initially-appropriated funds while the Department of Attorney General has a current remaining balance of just under $500,000. Repealing the Act's sunset date would allow the continuance of the program. The Department of the Attorney General has $470,000 appropriated in the enacted fiscal year (FY) 2018-19 budget for the OK2SAY program's administrative costs, funded from the initial appropriation to the Student Safety Fund. The remaining balance of nearly $500,000 in the Student Safety Fund within the Department of the Attorney General should be sufficient for one additional year of administrative costs.

The bill would have no fiscal impact on local government.

Date Completed:  11-29-18                                                  Fiscal Analyst:  Joe Carrasco

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.