Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

SENATE BILL NO. 526
     September 26, 2023, Introduced by Senators ALBERT, HOITENGA, BELLINO, LINDSEY and
        THEIS and referred to the Committee on Economic and Community Development.
          A bill to amend 2018 PA 540, entitled
    "Economic development incentive evaluation act,"
    by amending sections 3, 5, and 7 (MCL 18.1753, 18.1755, and
1757), and by adding section 7a.
                   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
       Sec. 3. As used in this act:
       (a) "Contractor" means the private entity, nonprofit entity,
 or academic institution selected by the department under section 5
 to evaluate certain economic development incentives.
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       (b) "Department" means the department of technology,
 management, and budget.
       (c) "Economic development incentive" means the abatements, tax
 credits, exemptions, grants, loans, or loan guarantees related to
 economic development activities in this state as determined by the
 Michigan strategic fund provided under the following acts or
 programs:
       (i) The Michigan business tax act, 2007 PA 36, MCL 208.1101 to
 208.1601.
       (ii) The income tax act of 1967, 1967 PA 281, MCL 206.1 to
 206.713.206.847.
       (iii) 1974 PA 198, MCL 207.551 to 207.572.
       (iv) The commercial redevelopment act, 1978 PA 255, MCL 207.651
 to 207.668.
       (v) The enterprise zone act, 1985 PA 224, MCL 125.2101 to
 125.2123.
       (vi) 1953 PA 189, MCL 211.181 to 211.182.
       (vii) The technology park development act, 1984 PA 385, MCL
 207.701 to 207.718.
       (viii) Part 511 of the natural resources and environmental
 protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.51101 to 324.51120.
       (ix) The neighborhood enterprise zone act, 1992 PA 147, MCL
 207.771 to 207.786.
       (x) The city utility users tax act, 1990 PA 100, MCL 141.1151
 to 141.1177.
       (xi) The city income tax act, 1964 PA 284, MCL 141.501 to
 141.787.
       (xii) The general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to
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 211.155.
       (xiii) The Michigan economic growth authority act, 1995 PA 24,
 MCL 207.801 to 207.810.
       (xiv) The Michigan renaissance zone act, 1996 PA 376, MCL
 125.2681 to 125.2696.
       (xv) The obsolete property rehabilitation act, 2000 PA 146, MCL
 125.2781 to 125.2797.
       (xvi) The brownfield redevelopment financing act, 1996 PA 381,
 MCL 125.2651 to 125.2670.
       (xvii) The Michigan strategic fund act, 1984 PA 270, MCL
 125.2001 to 125.2094.
       (xviii) SOAR.
       (xix) (xviii) Any new economic development programs as determined
 by the Michigan strategic fund.
       (d) "Exclusive economic development incentive" means an
 economic development incentive that is intended to encourage a
 single specific entity, project, or associated projects to locate,
 expand, invest, or remain in this state or to hire or retain
 employees in this state as determined by the strategic fund.
       (e) "SOAR" means the strategic outreach and attraction reserve
 fund created in section 4 of the Michigan trust fund act, 2000 PA
 489, MCL 12.254.
       (f) "SOAR project" means an economic development incentive
 that is any of the following:
       (i) Funded in whole or in part with money from SOAR.
       (ii) Provided under the critical industry program created in
 section 88s of the Michigan strategic fund act, 1984 PA 270, MCL
 125.2088s.
       (iii) Provided under the Michigan strategic site readiness
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 program created in section 88t of the Michigan strategic fund act,
 1984 PA 270, MCL 125.2088t.
       (g) (e) "The strategic fund" means the Michigan strategic fund
 created under the Michigan strategic fund act, 1984 PA 270, MCL
 125.2001 to 125.2094.
       Sec. 5. (1) The department shall contract with 1 or more
 contractors for the periodic evaluation of economic development
 incentives. The department along with the department of treasury
 and the Michigan strategic fund shall develop a scope of services
 for a request for proposals for professional services necessary to
 complete the economic development incentive evaluations under this
 act. The department may solicit input from a local governmental
 unit or 1 or more public agencies, as those terms are defined in
 section 2 of the urban cooperation act of 1967, 1967 (Ex Sess) PA
 7, MCL 124.502, or a Michigan economic development corporation
 corporate partner, in developing the scope of services for a
 request for proposal for professional services necessary to
 complete an economic development incentive evaluation under this
 act. When selecting a contractor, the department shall consider the
 ability for economic development incentive evaluations to be done
 in an objective manner.
       (2) The contractor will complete the economic development
 incentive evaluations within 270 days of entering into the
 contract. The department shall provide the economic development
 incentive evaluation with any additional information to the house
 and senate appropriations committees no not more than 30 days after
 the completion of the evaluation.
       (3) The department shall enter into contracts with contractors
 for economic development incentive evaluations as follows:
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       (a) For a SOAR project, as often as necessary to comply with
 section 7a.
       (b) (a) At least once every 6 years for economic development
 incentives, other than a SOAR project, funded with state
 appropriations of $15,000,000.00 or less each year.
       (c) (b) At least once every 4 years for all other economic
 development incentives, excluding programs that have entered into
 legacy status. A program is considered to be in legacy status if
 the Michigan strategic fund board or other governing body has not
 approved, authorized, or originated any new abatement, tax credit,
 or exemption, or distributed funds under a grant, loan, or loan
 guarantee within the immediately preceding fiscal year period.
       (d) (c) Upon On the conclusion of an economic development
 incentive, a 1-time final analysis.
       (4) At the request of the department, state agencies shall
 provide to the contractor, to the extent permitted by law, any
 records, information, data, or data analysis necessary for the
 contractors to effectively evaluate the economic development
 incentives. The contractor shall not disclose or release any data
 received from state agencies, except as permitted by law. A record
 or portion of a record, material, or other data that relates to
 financial, commercial, or proprietary information of any entity
 that received an economic development incentive provided by another
 department, agency, municipality, or political subdivision of this
 state to the department or a contractor in connection with review
 of an economic development incentive under this act shall is not be
 subject to the disclosure requirements of the freedom of
 information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246. The department
 and contractor may only use the financial or commercial information
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 for carrying out the purposes of this act and shall not disclose or
 release any data received from a department, agency, municipality,
 or political subdivision of this state.
       (5) Economic development incentive evaluations shall must be
 published on the department's website. The department shall also
 publish the name of each contractor who is awarded a contract under
 this act and a schedule of economic development incentives and when
 they shall will be evaluated.
       (6) Not less than 30 days prior to the department releasing
 the economic development incentive evaluation under subsection (2)
 or publishing it on the department's website under subsection (5),
 the department shall provide a copy of the economic development
 incentive evaluation to the Michigan strategic fund, the Michigan
 economic development corporation, the state agency that has
 oversight of the economic development incentive, and the entity
 that is the recipient of the economic development incentive. The
 Michigan strategic fund, the Michigan economic development
 corporation, the state agency that has oversight over the economic
 development incentive, and the entity that is the recipient of the
 economic development incentive may issue a response to the economic
 development incentive evaluation.
       Sec. 7. The Subject to section 7a, the department, in
 conjunction with the strategic fund and the department of treasury,
 shall, not later than February 28, 2019, develop a multiyear
 schedule that lists all economic development incentives and
 indicates the year when an economic development incentive
 evaluation will be published for each economic development
 incentive. The Except as otherwise provided in section 7a, the
 department shall consider economic development incentive sunset
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 dates and program inactivity when creating the schedule and may
 group economic development incentives for review by objective or
 policy rationale of each economic development incentive. The
 Subject to section 7a, the department shall update the schedule
 annually and include any new economic development programs as
 determined by the Michigan strategic fund. The department shall
 also list all economic development incentives that are exclusive
 economic development incentives.
       Sec. 7a. (1) A SOAR project must be evaluated and an economic
 development incentive evaluation must be published by each of the
 following dates:
       (a) The date that is 3 years after money is appropriated for
 the SOAR project by the legislature.
       (b) The date that is 5 years after money is appropriated for
 the SOAR project by the legislature.
       (c) The date that is 10 years after money is appropriated for
 the SOAR project by the legislature.
       (2) Each SOAR project must be independently evaluated.
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Statutes affected: 
Senate Introduced Bill: 18.1753