LOCAL GOVT.; OFFICER TERM LIMITS H.B. 5699 - 5702:
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
House Bills 5699 through 5702 (as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative Penelope Tsernoglou (H.B. 5699)
Representative Veronica Paiz (H.B. 5700)
Representative Matt Koleszar (H.B. 5701)
Representative Sharon MacDonell (H.B. 5702)
Senate Committee: Elections and Ethics
CONTENT
House Bill 5699 and House Bill 5701 would respectively amend the Michigan Election Law and the General Law Village Act to move the date on which a township officer elected after December 31, 2024, or village officer s term of office started and on which the president pro tempore of a village council would have to be selected from the November 20 to the December 1 after the officer's election and qualification.
House Bill 5700 (H-1) and House Bill 5702 would respectively amend the Home Rule City Act and the Home Rule Village Act to provide that the terms of city or village officers elected after December 31, 2024, could not commence earlier than 12 noon on the first day of the month following the officer s election, regardless of provisions in the city or village' charter.
Additionally, each of the bills would prohibit an individual elected to fill a vacancy for these offices from taking the oath of office before the individual's election results had been certified by the appropriate board of canvassers.
MCL 168.362 & 168.370 (H.B. 5699)
Proposed MCL 117.3c (H.B. 5700)
MCL 62.4 et al. (H.B. 5701)
Proposed MCL 78.24e (H.B. 5702)
BRIEF RATIONALE
Public Act 25 of 2023 modified the Michigan Election Law to allow clerks to tabulate the ballots of absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters postmarked on or before election day if the ballots were received within six days of election day; however, city, township, and village officials take office not long after their elections. In effect, this means that local government officials could take office before the ballots of military and overseas voters were counted. Accordingly, it has been suggested that the date on which local government officials assumed office be pushed back.
Legislative Analyst: Abby Schneider
FISCAL IMPACT
The bills would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Date Completed: 12-11-24 Fiscal Analyst: Bobby Canell
Joe Carrasco, Jr.
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.