Senate Bill No. 1553 introduces significant amendments to existing laws concerning early voting and municipal revenue sharing. The bill modifies the early voting period for special elections and presidential preference primaries by excluding April 20, 2025, from the early voting timeframe, replacing the previously designated date of March 31, 2024. Early voting will now commence five days prior to the election and conclude two days before the election, allowing for a total of four days of early voting, while ensuring that legal holidays are excluded from this period. Additionally, the bill revises the definition of "municipal spending" within the municipal revenue sharing account, introducing exclusions for debt service, special education, disaster-related expenses, and capital expenditures of $100,000 or more.

The bill also addresses property tax grants for municipalities and districts, particularly focusing on motor vehicle property tax grants. It stipulates that municipalities with mill rates exceeding 32.46 mills will receive grants based on the difference between the taxes they would have levied at that rate versus their actual rate. Furthermore, it allows municipalities to distribute revenue sharing grant funds to districts within their jurisdiction. The conditions for reducing municipal revenue sharing grants if a municipality exceeds its budget cap have been modified, with new provisions exempting certain municipalities from reductions based on population increases. Notably, municipalities exceeding the budget cap for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, will not face grant reductions. The bill also clarifies the definition of "mill rate" and outlines a framework for distributing any excess funds remaining after specified reductions to other municipalities.

Statutes affected:
New Bill: 4-66l
Public Act No. 25-3: 4-66l