VEHICLE ASSIGNMENTS S.B. 1082: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
Senate Bill 1082 (as introduced 3-4-04)
Sponsor: Senator Shirley Johnson
Committee: Appropriations
Date Completed: 6-16-04
CONTENT
The bill would amend Public Act 431 of 1984, the Management and Budget Act, to restrict the conditions under which an employee of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) or the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) may be assigned a motor vehicle for "home-to-office" travel.
The bill would remove permissive language that allows State department and agency directors to be assigned a motor vehicle for use between their residences and official work stations, i.e. home-to-office travel. Further, the bill would limit the assignment of vehicles to MDOT and DNR employees for home-to-office travel. Under the Act, MDOT and DNR employees may be assigned a motor vehicle if the following two criteria are met:
- Adequate or safe work station parking is not available; the vehicle contains technical work equipment; or it is in the best interest of the State to begin or end the vehicle assignment at the employee's residence; and
- The vehicle assignment is authorized by the Director of the State department, i.e., MDOT or the DNR.
Further, the bill would strike the provision allowing an MDOT or DNR employee who is assigned a home-to-office motor vehicle to use it for nonduty transportation only when the employee is on assignment and no transportation is available.
Under the bill, an MDOT or DNR employee could be assigned a vehicle only if it contained technical work equipment and the person were on call for emergencies.
MCL 18.1215
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact on the State is indeterminate. It is unknown how many employees no longer would be assigned a motor vehicle for home-to-office travel. While it is possible that the limitation could reduce State costs, it is also possible that current vehicle assignments are generating cost savings to the State. The overall fiscal impact of the bill would be contingent on the costs/savings associated with each vehicle assignment in MDOT and DNR and how the Departments would be affected under the bill.
As a point of reference, MDOT reports that about 230 employees have home-to-office vehicle assignments. It is unknown how many of these employees would qualify for a vehicle assignment under the requirements of the bill.
Fiscal Analyst: Craig Thiel
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. sb1082/0304