HOUSE BILL No. 5024 July 8, 1997, Introduced by Reps. Hammerstrom, Voorhees, Bodem, Horton and McNutt and referred to the Committee on Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs. A bill to create a board and a fund in the department of military and veterans affairs; to provide for grants; to pre- scribe the powers and duties of the board and certain state offi- cials; and to provide for an appropriation. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: 1 Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 2 "community memorial fund act". 3 Sec. 2. As used in this act: 4 (a) "Board" means the community memorial board established 5 in section 3. 6 (b) "Department" means the department of military and veter- 7 ans affairs. 8 (c) "Fund" means the community memorial fund created in 9 section 4. 03566'97 JLB 2 1 (d) "Local unit of government" means a county, city, 2 village, or township. 3 Sec. 3. (1) The community memorial board is created within 4 the department. 5 (2) The board shall consist of the following members: 6 (a) The director of the department. 7 (b) The deputy director of the department overseeing veter- 8 ans affairs. 9 (c) The chairperson of the senate appropriations subcommit- 10 tee on veterans affairs. 11 (d) The chairperson of the house of representatives appro- 12 priations subcommittee on veterans affairs. 13 (e) The governor's policy advisor on veterans affairs. 14 (3) A majority of the members of the board constitute a 15 quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of the 16 board. 17 (4) The business that the board may perform shall be con- 18 ducted at a public meeting of the board held in compliance with 19 the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275. 20 (5) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, 21 or retained by the board in the performance of an official func- 22 tion is subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, 23 MCL 15.231 to 15.246. 24 (6) Members of the board shall serve without compensation. 25 However, members of the board may be reimbursed for their actual 26 and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their 27 official duties as members of the board. 03566'97 3 1 Sec. 4. (1) The community memorial fund is created within 2 the state treasury. 3 (2) The state treasurer shall credit to the fund all money 4 appropriated to the fund and all money or other assets from any 5 other source to the fund. The state treasurer shall direct the 6 investment of the fund. The state treasurer shall credit to the 7 fund interest and earnings from fund investments. 8 (3) Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall 9 remain in the fund and shall not lapse to the general fund. 10 Sec. 5. The board shall administer the fund to provide 11 grants to local units of government to erect veterans memorials 12 within the local unit of government. 13 Sec. 6. A local unit of government shall apply to the board 14 for a grant on a form and in a manner prescribed by the board. 15 The application shall include, but is not limited to, the follow- 16 ing information: 17 (a) Resolution or written statement of support from the 18 local unit of government's board or governing body. 19 (b) Written statement of support from at least 1 of the area 20 chapters of the 11 federally-chartered veterans organizations. 21 (c) Detailed plans or description of the proposed memorial, 22 including site plan. 23 (d) The aesthetically pleasing nature of the proposed monu- 24 ment as it relates to the site and the community. 25 (e) Originality of the proposed memorial and information 26 about any other memorials in the county in which the proposed 27 memorial is to be located. 03566'97 4 1 (f) Financial records that indicate that the local unit of 2 government has accumulated at least 50% of the local unit of 3 government's portion of the total cost of the monument. 4 Sec. 7. (1) In determining whether to make a grant from the 5 fund to a local unit of government, the board shall consider the 6 information contained in the application described in section 6. 7 (2) A grant under subsection (1) shall not exceed $1.00 for 8 each $4.00 collected or financed by the local unit of 9 government. 10 (3) A grant under subsection (1) shall not be disbursed to a 11 local unit of government until 80% of the total cost of the monu- 12 ment has been collected and earmarked for the monument by the 13 local unit of government. 14 (4) The board may condition grants made under this act on 15 whatever reasonable terms the board considers appropriate. 03566'97 Final page. JLB