RELIGIOUS COLLEGE H.B. 6014 (H-5): FLOOR ANALYSIS
House Bill 6014 (Substitute H-5 as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative Kevin Elsenheimer
House Committee: Higher Education and Career Preparation
Senate Committee: Education
CONTENT
The bill would amend Public Act 327 of 1931 (which governs various types of corporations) to permit an ecclesiastical corporation to organize and operate a postsecondary religious college if it were incorporated under the Act in 1986, and if it were located in a county with a population of more than 22,500 and fewer than 25,000 residents at the time it organized the religious college.
The college's educational programs would have to be designed for, directed toward, and attended solely by students seeking to learn the ecclesiastical corporation's particular religious faith or beliefs. The sole purpose of the educational programs would have to be to prepare students for ordination or appointment as a member of the clergy. The college could not offer general or liberal arts educational programs or any other programs. The college could award certain associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees related to biblical studies, religious studies, theology, or other areas provided that the degrees did not contain the words "arts" or "science", and provided that students completed certain specified semester hours or equivalent of study.
The bill would require the college to state clearly and prominently on a student's diploma, certificate of graduation, transcript, or other document the name of the degree, the religious limitation on it, and a notice that the college was not licensed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the State of Michigan. The college also would have to indicate on all application materials, course catalogs, and elsewhere that it was an unincorporated division of the ecclesiastical corporation; that the programs were solely designed for, directed toward, and attended by students seeking to learn that particular faith; and that the college was not licensed, approved, or endorsed by the State.
The ecclesiastical organization would not have to obtain a license or approval from the Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG) to operate the college. Every four years, however, the ecclesiastical corporation would have to submit an affidavit to DLEG certifying that the college was complying with the bill's requirements, along with other information.
The bill is tie-barred to House Bill 6016.
MCL 450.171 et al. Legislative Analyst: Curtis Walker
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Date Completed: 6-28-06 Fiscal Analyst: Elizabeth Pratt
Maria Tyszkiewicz
floor\hb6014 Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org
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.
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. hb6014/0506