TRAUMA SYSTEM FUNDING H.B. 4915:
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
House Bill 4915 (as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative Matt Lori
CONTENT
The bill would amend the crime victim's rights services Act to delay the date that triggers a lower spending authorization from the Crime Victim's Rights Fund for a statewide trauma system.
The Act provides for spending from the Crime Victim's Rights Fund. Amounts in the Fund in excess of revenue necessary to pay for crime victims' rights services may be used for crime victim compensation under the crime victim's compensation Act. Any additional excess revenue, but not more than $3.5 million in any fiscal year, may be used for the establishment and maintenance of a statewide trauma system, including staff support associated with trauma and related emergency medical services program activities.
Beginning October 1, 2014, the amount spent from the Fund for the statewide trauma system may not exceed 50% of the maximum allowed under that provision, unless the amount spent is reasonably proportional to crime victims' use of the system. The bill would change the date lowering the amount authorized for the system to October 1, 2018.
MCL 780.904 Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would delay an October 1, 2014, sunset by four years to allow up to $3.5 million in Crime Victim's Rights Fund revenue to be used each fiscal year to establish and maintain a statewide trauma system. Under current law, the maximum amount that may be set aside for the trauma system after October 1, 2014, is $1.75 million. The FY 2014-15 Department of Community Health budget assumed passage of this bill or similar legislation and appropriated $3.5 million to support the statewide trauma system. There is sufficient revenue in the Crime Victim's Rights Fund (about $25.0 million) to continue current programming unrelated to the trauma system (totaling about $16.0 million) and fund the trauma system at $3.5 million. Therefore, while the bill would limit the ability of the State to expand significantly other programming funded with Crime Victim's Rights Fund revenue, it would not result in any programmatic reductions in the near term.
Date Completed: 10-1-14 Fiscal Analyst: Steve Angelotti
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.