SENIOR/YOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL CORPS S.B. 1031: FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 1031 (as reported without amendment) Sponsor: Senator Dale L. Shugars
Committee: Economic Development, International Trade and Regulatory Affairs
The bill would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to create the Senior and Youth Environmental Corps within the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The corps, which would be administered by the DEQ and the Department of Natural Resources, would consist of individuals aged 17 years and younger and individuals aged 55 years and older and would be required to:
-- Provide resources and a support structure to facilitate corps activities and accomplish goals.
-- Carry out professional and paraprofessional projects that focused on conservation, protection, rehabilitation, and enhancement of the State’s natural, environmental, and recreational resources and that otherwise would not be implemented because of limited financial resources.
-- Assist agencies in carrying out statutory assignments with limited funding resources.
-- Enhance community understanding of environmental issues through educational outreach.
-- Enhance the State’s ability to provide needed public services in both urban and rural settings.
The DEQ would have to convene a Senior and Youth Environmental Corps Coordinating Council to meet as needed to establish and assess policies; define standards for, and evaluate and select, projects; develop recruitment, training, and placement procedures; receive and review project status and completion reports; and provide for recognition of volunteer activity.
Contingent upon available funding, the DEQ would have to provide various support services to the council and to agencies that participated in the corps; provide reports to the Legislature and the council, as requested; and, with the approval of the council, enter into memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements with Federal, State, and local agencies to carry out corps approved projects. The Department could not use corps volunteers to displace currently employed workers. All volunteer activity of corps participants would have to be performed under the terms of a written master agreement approved by the council and the Attorney General.
MCL 324.801 et al. Legislative Analyst: L. Burghardt
The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on State and local government, dependent upon the appropriations process.
For FY 1995-96, $2.2 million has been appropriated for the Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps within the Department of Natural Resources. The program focuses on providing job training for low income youth on natural resources-related projects.
Date Completed: 5-21-96 Fiscal Analyst: G. Cutler
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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.