Substitute For

HOUSE BILL NO. 5164

A bill to create the call center jobs retention act; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state governmental officers and entities; to impose certain duties on certain employers; and to prescribe civil sanctions.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 1. This act may be cited as the "call center jobs retention act".

Sec. 3. As used in this act:

(a) "Call center" means a centralized office used primarily for receiving or transmitting customer requests or inquiries by telephone.

(b) "Department" means the department of labor and economic opportunity.

(c) "Employer" means a person that employs, either full-time or part-time, 50 or more individuals at a call center.

(d) "Person" means an individual or a sole proprietorship, partnership, association, corporation, or any other legal entity.

Sec. 5. (1) An employer shall notify the department at least 30 days before the employer does either of the following:

(a) Relocates either of the following from this state to a foreign country:

(i) A call center.

(ii) A facility or operating unit within a call center comprising at least 30% of the call center's total call volume as measured against the call center's average call volume during the immediately preceding 12-month period.

(b) Closes or otherwise ceases the operations of a call center or of a facility or operating unit described in subdivision (a)(ii) if the employer contracts with or intends to contract with a person to provide the same services that the call center, facility, or operating unit provided in a foreign country.

(2) An employer that violates subsection (1) is subject to a civil fine of not more than $10,000.00. The prosecutor of the county in which the violation occurred or the attorney general may bring an action to collect the fine. A fine collected must be deposited in the general fund.

Sec. 7. Beginning 6 months after the effective date of this act, and every 6 months thereafter, the department shall compile a registry of the employers required to provide notice under section 5(1) and publish the registry on its website. The registry must include all of the following information:

(a) The name of the employer.

(b) The date of the relocation or closing, as applicable.

(c) The number of jobs to be relocated or eliminated, as applicable.

(d) The location of the relocated or new call center, facility, or operating unit, including the name of the city and the country.

Enacting section 1. This act takes effect 90 days after the date it is enacted into law.