H.B. 4078 (H-3): COMMITTEE SUMMARY SOCC DETERMINATION APPROVAL
House Bill 4078 (Substitute H-3 as passed by the House) Sponsor: Representative Eric Bush
House Committee: House Oversight and Ethics Senate Committee: Government Operations
Date Completed: 9-18-96
The bill would amend Public Act 357 of 1968, which prescribes the powers and duties of the State Officers Compensation Commission (SOCC), to provide that approval of salary and expense allowances recommended by the SOCC would take effect in the legislative session immediately following the next general election held after they were approved; provide that approval of SOCC recommendations would take a majority vote of the members in each house of the Legislature; and require that the salary and expense allowance determinations include determinations for the Attorney General and the Secretary of State.
Currently, the Act requires the SOCC to determine the salaries and expense allowances of the members of the Legislature, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the justices of the Supreme Court. The seven-member Commission is appointed by the Governor. The SOCC must file its determinations before December 31 of each even-numbered year. The SOCC’s determinations automatically take effect January 1 of the year following their filing unless two-thirds of the members of each house of the Legislature vote to reject the determinations before February 1.
The bill would require the SOCC to file its determinations before February 15, 1998, and every two years thereafter. The determinations of the SOCC would be effective only upon the adoption of a concurrent resolution by a majority vote of the members in each house of the Legislature. The Senate would have to originate the concurrent resolution in 1998 and every four years thereafter; the House of Representatives would have to originate the concurrent resolution in 2000 and every four years thereafter. The concurrent resolution would have to be voted upon by the first house on or before March 15. If the resolution received an affirmative vote in the first house, it would have to be voted upon by the second house on or before April 1. If the concurrent resolution were adopted, then those determinations would become effective for the legislative session immediately following the next general election. If the recommendations of the Commission were not adopted, the existing salary and expense allowances would remain in effect.
The bill would take effect on January 1, 1998. It is tie-barred to House Joint Resolution A, which would amend Article 4, Section 12 of the State Constitution regarding SOCC determinations and legislative approval of those determinations.
MCL 15.213 et al. Legislative Analyst: G. Towne
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Fiscal Analyst: B. Bowerman
S9596\S4078SA
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.