HOUSE BILL NO. 4797

A bill to provide for a grant program for certain public broadcast stations; to create the public media fund and provide for the distribution of money from the public media fund; to make appropriations for the grant program; and to provide for the powers and duties of certain state governmental officers and entities.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 1. This act may be cited as the "securing access to vibrant, enlightening education and local media outlets act".

Sec. 2. As used in this act:

(a) "Department" means the department of education.

(b) "Director" means the director of the department or the director's designee.

(c) "Fund" means the public media fund created in section 4.

(d) "Grant program" means the grant program described in section 4.

(e) "Public broadcast station" means that term as defined in 47 USC 397.

Sec. 4. (1) The director shall operate a grant program to provide money to public broadcast stations. To apply for a grant, a public broadcast station must submit an application to the department, on a form and in a manner as prescribed by the director, that includes all of the following:

(a) A description of the public broadcast station's mission and programming content and the educational, cultural, civic, or locally responsive services that the public broadcast station provides to residents of this state.

(b) Documentation that demonstrates that the public broadcast station is based in this state and serves audiences of this state.

(c) Documentation that demonstrates the public broadcast station's need for financial support, including, but not limited to, any current or prior reduction in support from the federal government, if applicable.

(d) The public broadcast station's proposed use of grant funds, including, but not limited to, how the funding will maintain or enhance access to public interest programming and services.

(e) Financial statements or budget summaries from the current fiscal year and immediately preceding fiscal year, and a projected operating plan for the immediately following fiscal year.

(2) Each year, the director shall accept applications during the period that begins on January 2 and ends on March 15. The director shall, not later than June 15 of each year, determine whether a public broadcast station that submitted an application during the acceptance period is eligible for a grant and issue a letter of approval or denial to the public broadcast station. The director shall use the following criteria in making a determination under this subsection:

(a) The public broadcast station provides programming that serves educational, cultural, civic, or informational needs of communities in this state.

(b) The public broadcast station demonstrates a commitment to broad public access, noncommercial operation, editorial independence, and a mission aligned with public interest broadcasting.

(c) The public broadcast station's proposed use of the grant money is reasonably related to sustaining or expanding services that meet public media needs, including, but not limited to, programming, staffing, technical infrastructure, or advertising and outreach.

(3) The director shall not approve a grant for more than $1,500,000.00.

Sec. 5. (1) The public media fund is created in the state treasury.

(2) The state treasurer shall direct the investment of money in the fund and credit interest and earnings from the investments to the fund. Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year does not lapse to the general fund.

(3) The department is the administrator of the fund for audits of the fund.

(4) The director shall expend money from the fund on appropriation, only for 1 or more of the following purposes:

(a) To provide grants to public broadcast stations under the grant program.

(b) To operate the grant program.

(5) For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, $13,000,000.00 is appropriated from the general fund to the fund.