STATE OF MICHIGAN

92ND LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2003

Introduced by Senators Stamas, Kuipers, Johnson, Hardiman, Jelinek, McManus, Goschka, Allen, Toy, Birkholz, Van Woerkom, Brown, Patterson, Garcia, Gilbert, Bishop, Sanborn, Hammerstrom and Sikkema

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 840

AN ACT 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:

Sec. 1. As used in this act, "Michigan economic development corporation" means the public body corporate created under section 28 of article VII of the state constitution of 1963 and the urban cooperation act of 1967, 1967 (Ex Sess) PA 7, MCL 124.501 to 124.512, by a contractual interlocal agreement effective April 5, 1999 between local participating economic development corporations formed under the economic development corporations act, 1974 PA 338, MCL125.1601 to 125.1636, and the Michigan strategic fund.

Sec. 2. (1) The office of small business czar is created in the Michigan economic development corporation. The small business czar shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. The individual appointed small business czar shall have experience in creating jobs in the private sector. The small business czar shall report directly to the president of the Michigan economic development corporation.

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

(a) Devote his or her entire time to facilitating the creation and retention of small business jobs in this state.

(b) Implement the portions of the Michigan economic development corporation's strategic plan that address small business job creation and retention in this state.

(c) Coordinate all programs within the Michigan economic development corporation to create and retain small business jobs in this state.

(d) Coordinate programs across government to create and retain small business jobs in this state.

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

(f) Work to create a business environment that encourages and sustains entrepreneurship in this state.

(g) Work to empower entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities the market offers in this state.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor