SB-0840, As Passed Senate, December 2, 2003                                 

SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL NO. 840

                                                                             A bill to create certain offices in the Michigan economic                         

development corporation; to provide for the appointment of                  

certain officers with the advice and consent of the senate; and             

to impose certain duties and responsibilities on those officers             

and on certain state employees and public employees.                        

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Sec. 1.  As used in this act, "Michigan economic development                

2   corporation" means the public body corporate created under                  

3   section 28 of article VII of the state constitution of 1963 and             

4   the urban cooperation act of 1967, 1967 (Ex Sess) PA 7, MCL                 

5   124.501 to 124.512, by a contractual interlocal agreement                   

6   effective April 5, 1999 between local participating economic                

7   development corporations formed under the economic development              

8   corporations act, 1974 PA 338, MCL 125.1601 to 125.1636, and the            

9   Michigan strategic fund.                                                    

1       Sec. 2.  (1) The office of small business czar is created in                

2   the Michigan economic development corporation.  The small                   

3   business czar shall be appointed by the governor with the advice            

4   and consent of the senate.  The individual appointed small                  

5   business czar shall have experience in creating jobs in the                 

6   private sector.  The small business czar shall report directly to           

7   the president of the Michigan economic development corporation.             

8       (2) The small business czar shall do all of the following:                  

9       (a) Devote his or her entire time to facilitating the                       

10  creation and retention of small business jobs in this state.                

11      (b) Implement the portions of the Michigan economic                         

12  development corporation's strategic plan that address small                 

13  business job creation and retention in this state.                          

14      (c) Coordinate all programs within the Michigan economic                    

15  development corporation to create and retain small business jobs            

16  in this state.                                                              

17      (d) Coordinate programs across government to create and                     

18  retain small business jobs in this state.                                   

19      (e) Aid and assist small business in this state.                            

20      (f) Work to create a business environment that encourages and               

21  sustains entrepreneurship in this state.                                    

22      (g) Work to empower entrepreneurs to take advantage of the                  

23  opportunities the market offers in this state.