HOUSE BILL NO. 6218
A bill to amend 2012 PA 411, entitled
"Rural development fund act,"
by amending the title and section 7 (MCL 286.947) and by adding section 6a.
the people of the state of michigan enact:
An act to establish certain programs that promote the sustainability of land-based industries and support infrastructure that benefits rural communities; to establish a fund and provide for its use; to make certain loans, grants, and investments; and to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state agencies and officials.
Sec. 6a. (1) The department shall create and operate a nonferrous mining research grant program as provided in this section.
(2) The grant program must meet both of the following requirements:
(a) Grants must be made only to public colleges and universities located in this state that have a focus on mining, geology, or a related scientific or technological field.
(b) Grants must be used for qualified research projects.
(3) The department, with the advice of the board, shall create an application process, selection criteria, and a grant dispersal process for the grant program and post the application process, selection criteria, and grant dispersal process on the department's website.
(4) As used in this section:
(a) "Grant program" means the nonferrous mining research grant program created under subsection (1).
(b) "Nonferrous metallic mineral" means that term as defined in section 63201 of the natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.63201.
(c) "Public college or university" means a college or university described in section 4, 5, or 6 of article VIII of the state constitution of 1963.
(d) "Qualified research project" means a research and development project that advances knowledge regarding the processing or reclamation of nonferrous metallic minerals or other activities related to the mining of nonferrous metallic minerals.
Sec. 7. (1) Money in the fund shall be expended, upon legislative appropriation, for all of the following:
(a) Grants, loans, and loan guarantees to fund projects identified under subsection (3).
(b) Administrative expenses of the department in implementing this act.
(c) Not more than $250,000.00 of the revenue received during each state fiscal year may be transferred to the nonferrous metallic mineral surveillance fund created in section 63217 of the natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.63217.
(d) Not less than $100,000.00 of the revenue received during each state fiscal year must be used to fund the nonferrous mining research grant program created under section 6a.
(2) The department shall solicit requests for project proposals to be funded with money from the fund from individuals, organizations, businesses, local units of government, federally recognized tribes, and educational institutions.
(3) The department, with the advice of the board, shall determine which projects should be funded with money from the fund under subsection (1)(a), based on the criteria established by the board under section 6. However, money from the fund shall not be expended for any of the following:
(a) Projects that include telecommunication facilities owned or operated by an educational institution or an affiliate, a local unit of government, or any other governmental entity.
(b) The construction of telecommunication facilities or wireless telecommunication facilities in areas where broadband service of at least 3 mbps downstream and 768 kbps upstream is available.
(4) Grants from the fund may be used to provide matching funds for other available grants, as allowed by law.