HOUSE BILL NO. 5607
March 20, 2024, Introduced by Reps. Andrews, Farhat, Filler, McKinney, Steckloff, Hope,
Byrnes, McFall, Price, O'Neal, Conlin, MacDonell, Wendzel, Brenda Carter, DeBoer, Skaggs,
Bruck, Bierlein, Cavitt, Thompson, Schuette and Kunse and referred to the Committee on
Energy, Communications, and Technology.
A bill to create a nuclear and hydrogen graduate attraction
and retention program to award grants to certain graduates of a
postsecondary school who are employed in this state at a qualified
electric generation facility after graduation; to provide for the
powers and duties of certain state governmental officers and
entities; to prohibit the submission of false information and
prescribe penalties; to provide remedies; to create certain funds;
to provide for the distribution of money from certain funds; and to
allow the promulgation of rules.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
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1 Sec. 1. This act may be cited as the "nuclear and hydrogen
2 graduate attraction and retention program act".
3 Sec. 3. As used in this act:
4 (a) "Date of graduation" means the date an individual
5 graduates as described in subdivision (i)(i).
6 (b) "Department" means the department of labor and economic
7 opportunity.
8 (c) "Fund" means the nuclear and hydrogen graduate attraction
9 and retention program fund created in section 11.
10 (d) "Postsecondary school" means any degree- or certificate-
11 granting public or private college or university, junior college,
12 community college, or vocational or technical school.
13 (e) "Program" means the nuclear and hydrogen graduate
14 attraction and retention program created under section 5.
15 (f) "Program participant" means a qualified individual who is
16 accepted into the program.
17 (g) "Qualified education program" means an instructional
18 program that leads to a degree or credential that supports the
19 nuclear industry, the hydrogen industry, or both, including, but
20 not limited to, any skilled craft or engineering program that
21 supports the design, construction, operation, or maintenance of an
22 electricity-generating facility powered by nuclear or hydrogen
23 energy.
24 (h) "Qualified electric generation facility" means an electric
25 generation facility or an electric generation plant regulated by
26 the public service commission under 1939 PA 3, MCL 460.1 to 460.11,
27 that produces electricity using nuclear or hydrogen technology.
28 (i) "Qualified individual" means an individual who meets both
29 of the following requirements:
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1 (i) Graduates from an in-state or out-of-state postsecondary
2 school with a degree or credential from a qualified education
3 program.
4 (ii) Accepts employment after graduation at a qualified
5 electric generation facility in this state.
6 Sec. 5. (1) The department shall create and administer the
7 nuclear and hydrogen graduate attraction and retention program to
8 provide grants to qualified individuals as described in this
9 section.
10 (2) The department shall develop a detailed application,
11 approval, and compliance process for the program that is published
12 and available on the department's website.
13 (3) A qualified individual must apply not later than 12 months
14 after the date of graduation to be eligible for the program.
15 (4) Under the program, the department shall award a program
16 participant an annual payment for a period of 3 years. However, if
17 the program participant ceases to be employed at a qualified
18 electric generation facility in this state, the program participant
19 is no longer eligible to receive an annual payment under this
20 subsection.
21 (5) The department shall not make a payment to a program
22 participant under subsection (4) unless the program participant
23 provides documentation to the department, in the form and manner
24 prescribed by the department, that the program participant was
25 employed at a qualified electric generation facility in this state
26 during the year to which the payment relates.
27 Sec. 7. (1) If a program participant receives a payment under
28 the program to which the program participant is not entitled, the
29 program participant shall repay the payment to the department.
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1 (2) If a program participant receives a payment under the
2 program to which the program participant is not entitled and does
3 not repay the department as required under subsection (1), the
4 attorney general may bring an action to collect the required
5 repayment.
6 (3) Repayments received under this section must be transmitted
7 to the state treasurer for deposit in the fund.
8 Sec. 9. An individual who knowingly provides false information
9 to the department in an application, request for payment, or
10 documentation submitted under section 5 is guilty of a misdemeanor
11 punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days, a fine of not
12 more than $1,000.00, or both.
13 Sec. 11. (1) The nuclear and hydrogen graduate attraction and
14 retention program fund is created in the state treasury.
15 (2) The state treasurer shall deposit money and other assets
16 received under section 7 or from any other source in the fund. The
17 state treasurer shall direct the investment of money in the fund
18 and credit interest and earnings from the investments to the fund.
19 (3) Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year remains
20 in the fund and does not lapse to the general fund.
21 (4) The department is the administrator of the fund for audits
22 of the fund.
23 (5) The department shall expend money from the fund, on
24 appropriation, only for 1 or more of the following purposes:
25 (a) To administer the program.
26 (b) To provide grant awards under the program.
27 (c) To enforce violations of this act.
28 Sec. 13. The department may promulgate rules to implement this
29 act pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA
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1 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328.
2 Sec. 15. (1) By October 31 of each year, the department shall
3 submit a report regarding the status of the program to the
4 chairperson of the senate appropriations committee, the chairperson
5 of the senate energy and environment committee, the chairperson of
6 the house of representatives appropriation committee, the
7 chairperson of the house of representatives energy, communications,
8 and technology committee, and the senate and house fiscal agencies.
9 The report must include all of the following information for the
10 immediately preceding fiscal year:
11 (a) The total number of program participants.
12 (b) The number of program participants in each year of the 3-
13 year period.
14 (c) The number of program participants who completed the 3-
15 year period.
16 (d) The number of program participants who ceased to qualify
17 for an annual payment because they are no longer employed at a
18 qualified electric generation facility in this state.
19 (e) A breakdown of active program participants by nuclear
20 industry or hydrogen industry.
21 (2) As used in this section:
22 (a) "Active program participant" means a program participant
23 whose 3-year period has not ended.
24 (b) "3-year period" means the 3-year period described in
25 section 5(4).
26 Enacting section 1. This act does not take effect unless all
27 of the following bills of the 102nd Legislature are enacted into
28 law:
29 (a) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5606 (request no.
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1 04577'23).
2 (b) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5608 (request no.
3 04578'23).
4 (c) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No.____ (request no.
5 04580'23).
6 (d) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5609 (request no.
7 05524'24).
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