The bill amends the Michigan Military Act by adding a new section, Sec. 323, which establishes a "buddy-to-buddy" program aimed at providing personal mentorship and support to active military members, including those in the Michigan National Guard and military reserves, as well as veterans residing in Michigan. The program will be overseen by a designated official within the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and will connect individuals to resources related to education, employment, family issues, financial matters, and healthcare, as well as to advocates for mental health and substance use disorders. While non-veterans can serve as mentors, the agency is encouraged to prioritize recruiting veterans for this role.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that any documents created or retained by the agency that contain specific information about individual service members or veterans will not be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The agency is also permitted to seek funding from various sources to support the program. The enactment of this bill is contingent upon the passage of House Bill No. 5270.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 32.501, 32.851