Substitute For

HOUSE BILL NO. 5279

"Michigan military act,"

(MCL 32.501 to 32.851) by adding section 323.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 323. (1) The agency shall create and operate a buddy-to-buddy program offering personal, 1-on-1 mentorship and support to currently serving members of the military, including the Michigan National Guard or military reserves, and veterans residing in this state. The director of the agency shall designate an official in the agency to oversee the implementation and operation of the program. The program must include, but not be limited to, connecting individuals to both of the following through volunteer mentors:

(a) Benefits and resources related to education, employment, family-related issues, financial matters, and health care.

(b) Advocates, including, but not limited to, veteran navigators, who can help with mental health and substance use disorders.

(2) An individual who is not a veteran may serve as a mentor in the program, but the agency shall make every reasonable effort to recruit veterans to serve as mentors in the program.

(3) The agency may receive funding for the program from any source.

(4) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by the agency or the office of mental health and suicide prevention within the agency in the performance of an official function under this section and that contains information specific to an individual service member or veteran is not subject to disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.

(5) As used in this section:

(a) "Agency" means the Michigan veterans affairs agency.

(b) "Program" means the buddy-to-buddy program created in subsection (1).

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect unless all of the following bills of the 102nd Legislature are enacted into law:

(a) House Bill No. 5276.

(b) House Bill No. 5277.

(d) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5720 (request no. 05797'24).