2024 House Bill 5503

Appropriations: school aid; fiscal year 2024-2025 appropriations for K-12 school aid; provide for.

A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled “The state school aid act of 1979,” by amending sections 11 and 17b (MCL 388.1611 and 388.1617b), section 11 as amended by 2023 PA 320 and section 17b as amended by 2007 PA 137.

Introduced in the House

Feb. 22, 2024

Introduced by Reps. Regina Weiss (D-6) and Regina Weiss (D-6)

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations

May 1, 2024

Reported with substitute H-2

May 8, 2024

Substitute H-2 concurred in by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Ann Bollin (R-49)

1. Amend page 350, following line 10, by inserting:

“Sec. 164k. Funds appropriated under this article from state and federal sources must not be used to provide services, grants, or programming to an individual who is not a citizen of the United States unless the individual is a qualified alien as that term is defined in 8 USC 1641.

Sec. 164l. (1) Funds appropriated under this article that are used for grants or grant programs are subject to the following conditions:

(a) Grant funds must be provided to an entity that has been established and is operating in this state or another state for at least 2 years before approval of the grant.

(b) Grant funds must be provided to an entity that has had an office in this state or in the service area covered under any grant for at least 6 months before approval of the grant.

(c) Before a grant is awarded, all grant recipients must provide a spending plan specifying how all grant funds will be used and whether grant funds will be provided to a third party or subrecipient.

(d) Each department or agency responsible for awarding grant funds must audit the entity’s use of the grant funds for each fiscal year in which the grant is active.

(e) Grant recipients and grant recipients’ immediate family members shall not be employed by the executive branch or legislative branch of this state.

(f) Grant recipients shall not serve on any state board that has direct or indirect responsibility for the approval or auditing of grant funds disbursed by state departments and agencies.

(g) Full and complete audits of grant funds issued by a department or agency of this state must be posted, without redaction unless required by law, to a department or agency website in a conspicuous place for public review.

(2) On a quarterly basis, the department shall submit a report to the house and senate appropriations subcommittees on school aid, the house and senate fiscal agencies, the house and senate policy offices, and the state budget office on legislatively-sponsored grant funds that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(a) The status of each grant.

(b) The amount distributed for each grant.

(c) The remaining amount to be distributed for each grant.

Sec. 168b. To receive funds under this article, a district or intermediate district must post on the district’s or intermediate district’s website any amount of severance pay for a superintendent, and the name of the superintendent, not later than 14 days after a severance agreement with the superintendent is signed. By not later than February 1 of each year, districts and intermediate districts shall post the total amount of severance pay remitted to former superintendents during the previous fiscal year and the total number of former superintendents that were remitted severance pay during the previous fiscal year. As used in this section, “severance pay” means compensation that is both payable or paid on the termination of employment and in addition to either wages or benefits earned during the course of employment or generally applicable retirement benefits.

Sec. 170. By not later than August 1 of each year, the department shall submit a report to the house and senate appropriations subcommittees on school aid, the house and senate fiscal agencies, the house and senate policy offices, and the state budget office that provides a listing of all current work project accounts under this article. The report must include all of the following for each current work project account:

(a) The original work project amount.

(b) A detailed accounting of expenditures to date.

(c) The balance of the work project account.

(d) The intended use of the remaining funds in the work project account.

(e) The expected completion date of the work project.”.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Nancy DeBoer (R-86)

1. Amend page 337, line 17, after “exceed” by striking out “$955,300,000.00” and inserting “$1,587,000,000.00” and adjusting the totals in section 11 and enacting section 1 accordingly.

2. Amend page 338, line 2, after “0.25%.” by inserting “It is the intent of the legislature that for $631,700,000.00 of the state school aid fund money allocated under this section, participating entities shall forward an amount equal to the amount received to the retirement system and the retirement system shall recognize funds being received as additional assets being contributed to the pension system.”.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Nancy DeBoer (R-86)

1. Amend page 21, line 26, after “school” by striking out “$9,150.00” and inserting “9,825.00” and adjusting the totals in section 11 and enacting section 1 accordingly.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Phil Green (R-67)

1. Amend page 5, line 20, after “MCL 12.262,” by inserting “an amount not to exceed $22,700,000.00 from the school consolidation and infrastructure fund created under section 11x,” and adjusting the totals in section 11 and enacting section 1 accordingly.

2. Amend page 15, following line 14, by inserting:

“(7) From the school consolidation and infrastructure fund created in this section, there is allocated for 2024-2025 only an amount not to exceed $22,700,000.00 to public school academies for facility improvements. Funds allocated under this subsection must be allocated on a per pupil basis.” and adjusting the totals in section 11 and enacting section 1 accordingly.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Phil Green (R-67)

1. Amend page 99, line 12, after “2024-2025,” by inserting “from the general fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed $2,000,000.00 for 2024-2025,” and adjusting the totals in section 11 and enacting section 1 accordingly.

2. Amend page 102, line 1, after “district,” by inserting “nonpublic school,”.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Timothy Beson (R-96)

1. Amend page 295, line 12, after “exceed” by striking out “$6,373,200.00” and inserting “$6,973,200.00” and adjusting the totals in section 11 and enacting section 1 accordingly.

2. Amend page 295, line 13, after the second “districts” by inserting a comma and “and from the general fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated $600,000.00 for 2023-2024 2024-2025 for competitive grants to nonpublic schools,” and adjusting the totals in section 11 and enacting section 1 accordingly.

3. Amend page 296, line 6, after “be” by striking out “$4,723,200.00” and inserting “$5,323,200.00”.

4. Amend page 296, line 11, after “districts” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic schools,”.

5. Amend page 297, line 4, after the first “districts” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic schools,”.

6. Amend page 298, line 6, after the first “district” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic school,”.

7. Amend page 298, line 9, after “district” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic school,”.

8. Amend page 298, line 10, after the second “district” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic school,”.

9. Amend page 298, line 20, after “districts” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic schools,”.

10. Amend page 298, line 23, after “districts” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic schools,”.

11. Amend page 298, line 27, after “districts” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic schools,”.

12. Amend page 299, following line 1, by inserting:

“(6) A nonpublic school that receives a grant under this section may use the funds for either robotics or Science Olympiad programs.

(7) To be eligible to receive funds under this section, a nonpublic school must be a nonpublic school registered with the department and must meet all applicable state reporting requirements for nonpublic schools.” and renumbering the remaining subsections.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Timothy Beson (R-96)

1. Amend page 260, following line 7, by inserting:

“(f): Ensure that all districts located within its geographic boundaries have equitable access to the intermediate district’s coordination activities and services, intermediate district-wide or regional meetings, regularly scheduled superintendent meetings, programming, events, email distribution lists, listservs, or other coordination or collaboration activities organized by or hosted at the intermediate district. In ensuring that all districts located within the geographic boundaries of the intermediate district have equitable access to services, meetings, programming, events, email distribution lists, listservs, or activities as described in this subdivision, the intermediate district shall ensure that districts that are public school academies that are located within its geographic boundaries are not excluded from said services, meetings, programming, events, email distribution lists, listservs, or activities organized by or hosted at the intermediate district if districts that are not public school academies that are located within the geographic boundaries of the intermediate district are not excluded.”.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Luke Meerman (R-89)

1. Amend page 136, line 4, after “$150,000,00.00.” by striking the balance of the line through “least” on line 5 and inserting “Recipients shall use”.

2. Amend page 136, line 9, after “mapping” by inserting “and shall use 50% of the funds on products or activities related to improving student safety”.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Bradley Slagh (R-85)

1. Amend page 75, line 10, after “school” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic school,”.

2. Amend page 75, line 14, after “school” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic school,”.

3. Amend page 75, line 18, after “school” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic school,”.

4. Amend page 75, line 22, after “school” by inserting a comma and “nonpublic school,”.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Timothy Beson (R-96)

1. Amend page 152, line 11, after “section” by striking out “may” and inserting “shall”.

2. Amend page 152, line 14, after “(4)” by striking out the period and “An” and inserting “for at least 30% of its total allocation. For the purposes of this 30% allocation, an intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts may count children served by a Head Start grantee or delegate in a blended Head Start, GSRP extended program, and great start readiness school-day program. Children served in a program funded only through Head Start are not counted toward this 30% allocation. The”.

3. Amend page 152, line 21, after “consortium” by striking out “that contracts with community-based providers”.

4. Amend page 153, line 1, after “subrecipient.” by inserting “If the intermediate district or consortium is not able to contract for at least 30% of its total allocation, the grant recipient shall notify the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential and, if the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential verifies that the intermediate district or consortium attempted to contract for at least 30% of its total allocation and was not able to do so, then the intermediate district or consortium may retain and use all of its allocation as provided under this section. To be able to use this exemption, the intermediate district or consortium shall demonstrate to the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential that the intermediate district or consortium increased the percentage of its total allocation for which it contracts with a community-based provider and the intermediate district or consortium shall submit evidence satisfactory to the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential, and the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential must be able to verify this evidence, demonstrating that the intermediate district or consortium took measures to contract for at least 30% of its total allocation as required under this subsection, including, but not limited to, at least all of the following measures:

(a) The intermediate district or consortium notified each nonparticipating licensed child care center located in the service area of the intermediate district or consortium regarding the center’s eligibility to participate, in a manner prescribed by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential.

(b) The intermediate district or consortium provided to each nonparticipating licensed child care center located in the service area of the intermediate district or consortium information regarding great start readiness program requirements and a description of the application and selection process for community-based providers.

(c) The intermediate district or consortium provided to the public and to participating families a list of community-based great start readiness program subrecipients with a great start to quality rating of at least, for 2022-2023, 3 stars, and, for 2023-2024, enhancing quality level.

(14) If an intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts receiving a grant under this section fails to submit satisfactory evidence to demonstrate its effort to contract for at least 30% of its total allocation, as required under subsection (13), the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall reduce the allocation to the intermediate district or consortium by a percentage equal to the difference between the percentage of an intermediate district’s or consortium’s total allocation awarded to community-based providers and 30% of its total allocation.” and renumbering the remaining subsections.

5. Amend page 154, line 15, after “in” by striking out “contracting” and inserting “complying with the requirement to contract”.

6. Amend page 154, line 16, after “providers,” by inserting “for at least 30% of their total allocation,”.

7. Amend page 158, line 11, after “subsection” by striking out “(18),” and inserting “(19),”.

8. Amend page 161, line 4, after “must” by inserting “be paid in full to the entity operating the classroom and may”.

9. Amend page 161, following line 19, by striking out all of subdivision (d) and releterring the remaining subdivisions.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Timothy Beson (R-96)

1. Amend page 52, following line 12, by inserting:

“Sec. 22o. From the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2024-2025 an amount not to exceed $500,000.00 to Bay-Arenac Intermediate District for the following purposes:

(a) To reimburse parents and legal guardians of students enrolled in a constituent district of Bay-Arenac Intermediate District for toll bridge payments made when traveling to and from school and school events.

(b) To reimburse constituent districts of Bay-Arenac Intermediate District for toll bridge expenses for travel to and from school and school events.” and adjusting the totals in section 11 and enacting section 1 accordingly.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Phil Green (R-67)

1. Amend page 255, following line 3, by striking out all of section 67f and adjusting the totals in section 11 and enacting section 1 accordingly.

2. Amend page 351, line 1, after “67c,” by inserting “67f,”.

3. Amend page 351, line 10, after “388.1667c,” by inserting “388.1667f,”.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Luke Meerman (R-89)

1. Amend page 142, following line 17, by inserting:

“Sec. 31ii. (1) From the general fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed $5,000,000.00 for 2024-2025 to the department to implement a behavioral health learning collaborative. The collaborative described in this subsection must be designed to foster collaboration between districts, intermediate districts, and mental health professionals across this state.

(2) The department shall spend the funding allocated under this section as follows in developing the collaborative described in subsection (1):

(a) Not less than $1,000,000.00 for platform development.

(b) Not less than $3,500,000.00 for tool purchasing and licensing.

(3) The collaborative described in subsection (1) must meet, at a minimum, all of the following criteria:

(a) The collaborative must consist of an online training and resource center that can be accessed by professionals, youth, parents, legal guardians, teachers, and school administrators.

(b) The collaborative must include on-demand trainings and resources for assistance in the event of a crisis. The trainings and resources described in this subdivision must provide for the following:

(i) A system through which youth, families, educators, and crisis centers can access student mental health best practices through a public platform.

(ii) A system through which health professionals can access community summits, curricula, data, trainings, peer-reviewed materials, and the bhworks portal, through a private platform.

(c) The collaborative must create a statewide standard for mental health needs and best practices for treatment for districts and intermediate districts.

(4) For purposes of this section, the department shall procure any licensing of tools and assessments for districts and intermediate districts that require those licenses or tools for use by the collaborative in treating student mental health needs.

(5) The funds allocated under this section for 2024-2025 are a work project appropriation, and any unexpended funds for 2024-2025 are carried forward into 2025-2026. The purpose of the work project is to provide and deploy an online portal for tools and best practices for treatment for student mental health needs. The estimated completion date of the work project is September 30, 2026.” and adjusting the totals in section 11 and enacting section 1 accordingly.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Passed in the House 56 to 50 (details)

Motion to give immediate effect by Rep. Jimmie Wilson (D-32)

The motion prevailed by voice vote