CHALLENGERS; TRAINING                                                                                                               S.B. 292 (S-2):

                                                                                                                                                                                SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                                                                                REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 292 (Substitute S-2 as reported)

Sponsor:   Senator Rick Outman

Committee:   Elections

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Michigan Election Law to do the following:

 --     Require the Secretary of State (SOS) to establish a comprehensive training curriculum for each political party, incorporated organization, or organized committee of interested citizens that sought to designate election challengers.

 --     Require challengers to have attended election challenger training within the last two years in order to serve as a challenger in an election.

 --     Require a challenger to submit and sign an affidavit that attested to having attended the training to the political party, incorporated organization, or organized committee of interested citizens that had conducted the training.

 --     Require a political party, incorporated organization, or organized committee of interested citizens to provide election challenger training for individuals seeking to serve as challengers for that entity.

 --     Require the election challenger training provided by a political party, incorporated organization, or organized committee of interested citizens to include the comprehensive training curriculum established by the SOS.  

 --     Require an entity to retain a signed affidavit for at least two years.

MCL 18.31 et al.                                                                                         Legislative Analyst:   Dana Adams

FISCAL IMPACT

There could be additional costs for the Department of State to establish a comprehensive training curriculum for each political party, incorporated organization, or organized committee of interested citizens to designate election challengers at an election. The Department likely would incur costs beyond current appropriations to develop the required comprehensive training curriculum and training materials, along with the costs associated with providing any necessary trainings. The costs are indeterminate and would depend on the number of trainings ultimately required, the material costs for those trainings, as well as possible travel costs for staff associated with providing those trainings.

Date Completed:   1-25-22                                                                             Fiscal Analyst:   Joe Carrasco

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.