BIENNIAL DEQ REPORT - S.B. 462 (S-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 462 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Ken Sikkema
Committee: Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to require the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in conjunction with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biennially to prepare a report that assessed the status of and trends related to the overall state of the environment in Michigan. The bill would be repealed December 31, 2005.
The report would have to be based on environmental indicators identified by the DEQ and the DNR and data obtained through sound scientific methodologies and processes. ("Environmental indicator" would mean a measure of the state of the natural environment that could be derived from empirical data.)
The report would have to be submitted to the Governor, the legislative standing committees with jurisdiction over issues primarily related to natural resources and the environment, and the Senate and House Appropriations subcommittees on environmental quality and natural resources. The first report would have to be submitted by October 1, 2001, and subsequent reports by October 1 every other year. The reports also would have to be made available to the public electronically and, upon request, in paper format.
The DEQ and DNR would have to monitor efforts undergoing in other states and nationally to establish uniformity among environmental indicators that might be included within the report. All State agencies would be required to cooperate with the DEQ and DNR in carrying out their responsibilities under the bill.
Proposed MCL 324.2521 - Legislative Analyst: N. Nagata
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would result in an indeterminate increase in the DEQ's administrative costs. The increase would probably be absorbed within existing Department resources.
Date Completed: 9-28-99 - Fiscal Analyst: P. GrahamFloor\sb462 - Bill Analysis @ http://www.state.mi.us/sfa
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.