Reps. Murphy, Accavitti, Anderson, Bieda, Brown, Byrum, Cheeks, Clack, Condino, Cushingberry, Farrah, Gillard, Gleason, Gonzales, Hood, Hopgood, Huizenga, Hunter, Kolb, Lemmons, III, Lemmons, Jr., Lipsey, McDowell, Meisner, Miller, Nofs, Plakas, Polidori, Sak, Sheen, Alma Smith, Spade, Tobocman, Vagnozzi, Waters and Zelenko offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 237.

            A resolution to urge the governor and the Michigan Civil Service Commission to allow that administrative leave to be used by state workers absent from work to assist in the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding effort.

            Whereas, Thousands of personnel and millions of dollars in equipment and other resources from across the country have been sent to areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama affected by Hurricane Katrina. Forty-nine states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have provided aid. More than 50,000 people have been deployed to the affected areas at one time or another. Thousands of pieces of equipment, from medivac helicopters to diapers, from water purification systems to decontamination showers, have been sent to the Gulf Coast; and

            Whereas, There are provisions in Michigan law which provide a means by which state employees can assist in emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina. Act No. 199 of the Public Acts of 1976, being sections 15.501 through 15.512 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, provides for the temporary assignment of Michigan state employees to a receiving state. A state employee who is participating in a temporary assignment shall be considered on detail to a regular work assignment of the sending agency or in a status of leave of absence. An employee who is on detail shall receive at least the same salary and benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled and shall be paid by the sending state except as otherwise agreed to between the sending state and the receiving state. A receiving state shall supervise the duties of an employee who is on detail except as otherwise agreed to by the sending and receiving agencies; and

            Whereas, The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is also available as a vehicle  by which state employees can be sent to assist states during their emergencies. The  EMAC is a state-to-state mutual aid agreement that allows support across state lines when a disaster occurs. The governor of the affected area must first declare a state of emergency. This allows the receiving state to pre-stage resources and be in a position when the state asks for the help it needs. It is this request that triggers response from other EMAC member states and sets the EMAC operations system of coordination and deployment in motion. The compact uses established protocols that allow reimbursement from the requesting state to all assisting states. The  EMAC also has procedures in place to resolve worker's compensation and liabilities issues. Michigan became a member of the compact through Act No. 247 of the Public Acts of 2001 and Act No. 248 of the Public Acts of 2001; and

            Whereas, Michigan Civil Service Commission Rule 2-11.2 also provides that an appointing authority may grant administrative leave with pay for necessary absence from duty for which annual, sick, if other leave with pay are not applicable. It is generally up to the director of an agency to determine what resources they can provide. However, the appointing authority must grant administrative leave when specifically required by the Civil Service Commission; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the governor and the Michigan Civil Service Commission to allow that administrative leave to be used by state workers absent from work to assist in the Hurricane Katrina  rebuilding effort; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the governor and the Michigan Civil Service Commission.