HB-6004, As Passed House, September 14, 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL No. 6004

 

April 26, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Palmer, Hoogendyk, Ball, Mortimer, Gosselin, Robertson, Hildenbrand, Wenke, Meyer, Proos, Pearce, Vander Veen, Hopgood and Pastor and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

 

"The revised school code,"

 

by amending sections 614, 620, 622a, 623a, 1267, and 1274 (MCL

 

380.614, 380.620, 380.622a, 380.623a, 380.1267, and 380.1274),

 

section 614 as amended by 2004 PA 419, section 620 as added by 2004

 

PA 413, section 622a as added by 2004 PA 412, sections 623a and

 

1274 as amended by 2004 PA 588, and section 1267 as amended by 2004

 

PA 232.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 614. (1) Except as provided in section 615 and subject to

 

section 642 of the Michigan election law, MCL 168.642, the members

 

of the intermediate school board shall be elected biennially at a

 

meeting on the first Monday in June by an electoral body composed

 


of 1 person designated by the board of each constituent school

 

district.

 

     (2) All of the following apply to the election under

 

subsection (1):

 

     (a) The board of a constituent district shall designate its

 

representative to this electoral body by resolution adopted not

 

earlier than 21 days before the date of this biennial election. The

 

board shall consider the resolution at not less than 1 public

 

meeting before adopting the resolution. This public meeting shall

 

not be held on the same day as the meeting at which the resolution

 

is adopted. The public meeting may be held as part of a regularly

 

scheduled board meeting. The resolution shall be adopted by

 

majority vote of the members serving on the board.

 

     (b) In its resolution designating its representative, the

 

board of a constituent district shall identify the candidate the

 

board supports for each position to be filled on the intermediate

 

school board and shall direct its representative to vote for that

 

individual or individuals at least on the first ballot taken by the

 

electoral body.

 

     (c) If a majority of the constituent district boards name the

 

same candidate for a particular position in the resolution

 

described in subdivision (b), then that candidate shall be

 

considered to be elected to that position as if he or she were

 

elected under subsection (1) and the electoral body is not required

 

to vote on that position at the meeting of the electoral body. If

 

that position is the only position to be filled that year, the

 

election meeting under subsection (1) is not required.

 


     (d) The secretary of the intermediate school board shall send

 

a notice by certified mail of the hour and place of the meeting of

 

the electoral body described in subsection (1) to the secretary of

 

the board of each constituent school district at least 10 days

 

before the meeting. The president and secretary of the intermediate

 

school board shall act as chairperson and secretary at the meeting.

 

The meeting of the electoral body shall be an open meeting

 

conducted in the manner prescribed under the open meetings act,

 

1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275.

 

     (e) If the election of a candidate at the election would

 

result in the intermediate school board including more than 3

 

members who are also members of a constituent district board in

 

violation of section 612, then all of the following apply:

 

     (i) The intermediate school board member-elect whose election

 

causes the violation shall resign either the seat on the

 

intermediate school board or the seat on the constituent district

 

board.

 

     (ii) If the violation is caused by the election of more than 1

 

member-elect, then the member-elect with the lowest number of votes

 

shall resign either the seat on the intermediate school board or

 

the seat on the constituent district board. If there was a tie in

 

the number of votes, then the member-elect who is required to

 

resign 1 of the seats shall be determined by a coin toss.

 

     (iii) If a member-elect resigns his or her seat on the

 

intermediate school board as a result of subparagraph (i) or (ii),

 

then at the meeting of the electoral body nominations shall be

 

taken from the floor for election of a new member-elect who is not

 


also a member of a constituent district board, and a new member-

 

elect who is not also a member of a constituent district board

 

shall be elected at the meeting. A candidate nominated at the

 

meeting under this subparagraph is not required to have filed

 

petitions under subsection (5) or to have paid a filing fee under

 

subsection (7).

 

     (3) Except as provided in section 703, the term of office of

 

each member elected to the intermediate school board is 6 years and

 

begins on July 1 following election. Not more than 2 members of the

 

intermediate school board shall be from the same school district

 

unless there are fewer districts than there are positions to be

 

filled.

 

     (4) A vacancy shall be filled by the remaining members of the

 

intermediate school board until the next biennial election at which

 

time the vacancy shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired

 

term. Notice of the vacancy shall be filed with the state board

 

within 5 days after the vacancy occurs. If the vacancy is not

 

filled within 30 days after it occurs, the vacancy shall be filled

 

by the state board. This subsection does not apply to a situation

 

described in subsection (2)(e).

 

     (5) Subject to  subsection  subsections (2)(e) and (7), a

 

candidate for election to the intermediate school board shall be

 

nominated by petitions that are signed by a number of school

 

electors of the combined constituent school districts of the

 

intermediate school district, as follows:

 

     (a) If the population of the intermediate school district is

 

less than 10,000 according to the most recent federal census, a

 


minimum of 6 and a maximum of 20.

 

     (b) If the population of the intermediate school district is

 

10,000 or more according to the most recent federal census, a

 

minimum of 40 and a maximum of 100.

 

     (6) A school elector may sign as many petitions as there are

 

vacancies to fill. Nominating petitions and an affidavit as

 

provided in section 558 of the Michigan election law, 1954 PA 116,

 

MCL 168.558, shall be filed with the  school district filing

 

official  secretary of the intermediate school board not later than

 

30  60 days before the date of the biennial election meeting under

 

subsection (1). The  school district filing official  secretary of

 

the intermediate school board shall determine the sufficiency of

 

the petitions and the eligibility of the candidates nominated. The  

 

school district filing official  secretary of the intermediate

 

school board shall provide ballots for the biennial election,

 

listing on the ballots the names of all candidates properly

 

nominated.  The  Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2)(e),

 

the chairperson of the biennial election meeting may accept

 

nominations for a vacancy from the floor only if no nominating

 

petitions have been filed for the vacancy.

 

     (7)  Instead  Subject to subsection (2)(e), instead of filing

 

nominating petitions, a candidate for election to the intermediate

 

school board may pay a nonrefundable filing fee of $100.00 to the  

 

school district filing official  secretary of the intermediate

 

school board. If this fee is paid by the due date for nominating

 

petitions, the payment has the same effect under this section as

 

the filing of nominating petitions.

 


     Sec. 620. (1) Not later than December 31 of each year, each

 

intermediate school district shall post on its website a report

 

containing all of the following information for the immediately

 

preceding school fiscal year in the form and manner prescribed by

 

the department:

 

     (a) All of the following general information:

 

     (i) The amount of the intermediate school district's total

 

budget.

 

     (ii) The number of full-time equated pupils served by the

 

intermediate school district.

 

     (iii) The number of employees employed by the intermediate

 

school district.

 

     (iv) The number of constituent districts, public school

 

academies, and nonpublic schools served by the intermediate school

 

district.

 

     (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) and subject

 

to subsection (9), for each intermediate school board member or

 

school administrator of the intermediate school district who had

 

travel expenses during the school fiscal year that totaled more

 

than $3,000.00 and that were paid for with intermediate school

 

district funds, all of the following information concerning that

 

travel:

 

     (i) The total cost of air travel.

 

     (ii) The total cost of overnight lodging.

 

     (iii) The total cost of car rental.

 

     (iv) The total cost of meals.

 

     (v) The dates, purpose, and locations of travel.

 


     (vi) The name and position of the board member or

 

administrator.

 

     (c) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) and subject

 

to subsection (5), for each contract, other than an employment

 

contract or a contract that is reported under subdivision (f), that

 

was entered into by the intermediate school district during the

 

school fiscal year and that either obligated the intermediate

 

school district for an amount in excess of $100,000.00; was not

 

competitively bid and obligated the intermediate school district

 

for an amount in excess of $25,000.00; or was entered into with an

 

entity in which an intermediate school board member or school

 

administrator of the intermediate school district, or a family

 

member of an intermediate school board member or school

 

administrator of the intermediate school district, was known by the

 

intermediate school board to have a monetary interest, a

 

description of the contract that includes at least all of the

 

following:

 

     (i) The subject matter and cost of the contract.

 

     (ii) Whether the contract was competitively bid or was a single

 

source contract.

 

     (iii) The name and position of each individual who signed the

 

contract on behalf of the intermediate school district.

 

     (d) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), if there

 

was a modification made during the school fiscal year to an

 

existing contract that resulted in an additional financial

 

obligation owed by the intermediate school district in excess of

 

$100,000.00 or that resulted in the total financial obligation owed

 


by the intermediate school district from the existing contract

 

exceeding $100,000.00, or was a modification to an existing

 

contract that was not competitively bid and the modification

 

resulted in an additional financial obligation owed by the

 

intermediate school district in excess of $25,000.00 or resulted in

 

the total financial obligation owed by the intermediate school

 

district from the existing contract exceeding $25,000.00, a

 

description of the modification and the total amount of the

 

additional and total financial obligation.

 

     (e) Subject to subsection (4), for each intermediate school

 

district employee with a compensation package with a total annual

 

monetary value in the top 3% among the intermediate school

 

district's employees, all of the following:

 

     (i) The dollar value of his or her salary.

 

     (ii) The dollar value of all expense accounts provided for the

 

employee and the dollar value of all reimbursed expenses.

 

     (iii) The dollar value of any bonus, stipend, or any other form

 

of supplemental compensation. As used in this subparagraph,

 

"supplemental compensation" means any payment or benefit made

 

available to that employee that is not generally made available to

 

all teaching, administrative, and executive-level employees of the

 

intermediate school district.

 

     (f) Total costs incurred during the school fiscal year, and

 

the source or sources of the money expended during the school

 

fiscal year, for fiber optic or cable equipment and operating

 

system software for fiber optic or cable equipment networks. The

 

description of the source or sources of the money expended for

 


purposes described in this subdivision shall specify the amount

 

used from each of the separate funds maintained by the intermediate

 

school district and used from each other source.

 

     (g) Payments made during the school fiscal year to persons who

 

were not employees of the intermediate school district for public

 

relations, polling, lobbying, or legal services and a description

 

of the services received by the intermediate school district in

 

return. Payments for legal services may be reported as an annual

 

aggregate amount. Other payments required to be reported under this

 

subdivision shall be reported by specifying each individual

 

payment.

 

     (h) For each person not included under subdivision (e) or (g)

 

to whom the intermediate school district was required to issue a

 

federal income tax form 1099 that showed payments in excess of

 

$25,000.00 during the school fiscal year, the total amount paid to

 

the individual, a description of the project or projects for which

 

the person was contracted, and the services provided by the person.

 

     (i) The amount and percentage of the intermediate school

 

district's total budget that was spent on each of the following:

 

     (i) Administrative costs, as defined under the Michigan public

 

school accounting manual.

 

     (ii) Public relations, surveys, polling, lobbying, and legal

 

services.

 

     (j) A list of all motor vehicles weighing 7,500 pounds or less

 

that were owned or leased by the intermediate school district

 

during the school fiscal year and are not reported under

 

subdivision (c) and a description of the purposes for which each of

 


these motor vehicles was used.

 

     (2) Subsection (1)(b) does not apply to any of the following:

 

     (a) Round-trip air travel on a scheduled airline from a

 

location in the Upper Peninsula to a location in the Lower

 

Peninsula or chartered round-trip air travel from a location in the

 

Upper Peninsula to a location in the Lower Peninsula if the cost of

 

the chartered air travel is less than the published cost of the

 

same air travel on a scheduled airline.

 

     (b) Travel expenses for air or boat travel for work-related

 

purposes within this state between an island and the mainland.

 

     (c) Travel expenses for travel within the boundaries of the

 

intermediate school district for work-related purposes.

 

     (d) Mileage reimbursement.

 

     (3) Subsection (1)(c) and (d) does not apply to a contract for

 

utilities or to a contract for an annuity or retirement benefit in

 

which all employees are eligible to participate unless the contract

 

is for payment of a commission to a third-party broker for securing

 

1 of those contracts.

 

     (4) If an intermediate school district has fewer than 3

 

employees in the top 3% of employees as described in subsection

 

(1)(e), the intermediate school district shall include the

 

information required under subsection (1)(e) for each intermediate

 

school district employee with a compensation package with a total

 

monetary value in the top 3 among the intermediate school

 

district's employees. If an intermediate school district has more

 

than 20 employees in the top 3% of employees as described in

 

subsection (1)(e), the intermediate school district shall include

 


the information under subsection (1)(e) for each intermediate

 

school district employee with a compensation package with a total

 

monetary value in the top 20 among the intermediate school

 

district's employees.

 

     (5) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c), an intermediate

 

school board member or school administrator of an intermediate

 

school district, or a family member of an intermediate school board

 

member or school administrator of an intermediate school district,

 

is not considered to have a monetary interest in any of the

 

following contracts:

 

     (a) A contract between the intermediate school district and

 

any of the following:

 

     (i) A corporation in which an intermediate school board member,

 

intermediate school district administrator, or family member is a

 

stockholder owning 1% or less of the total stock outstanding in any

 

class if the stock is not listed on a stock exchange or owning

 

stock that has a present market value of $25,000.00 or less if the

 

stock is listed on a stock exchange.

 

     (ii) A corporation in which a trust, if an intermediate school

 

board member, intermediate school district administrator, or family

 

member is a beneficiary under the trust, owns 1% or less of the

 

total stock outstanding in any class if the stock is not listed on

 

a stock exchange or owning stock that has a present market value of

 

$25,000.00 or less if the stock is listed on a stock exchange.

 

     (iii) A professional limited liability company organized

 

pursuant to the Michigan limited liability company act, 1993 PA 23,

 

MCL 450.5101 to  450.6200  450.5200, if an intermediate school

 


board member, intermediate school district administrator, or family

 

member is an employee but not a member of the company.

 

     (b) A contract between the intermediate school district and

 

any of the following:

 

     (i) A corporation in which an intermediate school board member,

 

intermediate school district administrator, or family member is not

 

a director, officer, or employee.

 

     (ii) A firm, partnership, or other unincorporated association,

 

in which an intermediate school board member, intermediate school

 

district administrator, or family member is not a partner, member,

 

or employee.

 

     (iii) A corporation or firm that has an indebtedness owed to an

 

intermediate school board member, intermediate school district

 

administrator, or family member.

 

     (c) A contract between the intermediate school district and a

 

constituent district.

 

     (6) The department shall include on its website a link to the

 

page on each intermediate school district's website that includes

 

the intermediate school district's report under subsection (1).

 

     (7) The department shall work with intermediate school

 

districts to determine the form and manner for the posting of the

 

report under subsection (1).

 

     (8) An intermediate school district shall maintain the report

 

under subsection (1) on its website only for the most recent

 

reporting period, but shall maintain paper copies of previous

 

reports for at least 10 years.

 

     (9) Beginning January 1, 2006, the monetary amount specified

 


in subsection (1)(b) shall be adjusted each January 1 by

 

multiplying the amount for the immediately preceding year by the

 

percentage by which the average consumer price index for all items

 

for the 12 months ending August 31 of the year in which the

 

adjustment is made differs from that index's average for the 12

 

months ending on August 31 of the immediately preceding year and

 

adding that product to the maximum amount that applied in the

 

immediately preceding year, rounding to the nearest whole dollar.

 

The adjustment shall apply only to expenditures or violations

 

occurring after the date of the adjusting of the amount. The

 

adjusted amount shall be determined and announced by the department

 

on or before December 15 of each year and shall be provided to all

 

persons requesting the adjusted amount. If the index is

 

unavailable, the department shall make a reasonable approximation.

 

     (10) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Competitively bid" means that a contract was entered into

 

through a request for information, a request for proposal, or a

 

formal competitive bid process that was advertised and open to the

 

public, and includes a contract entered into on behalf of the

 

intermediate school district by a federal, state, or local

 

governmental entity that performed a request for information,

 

request for proposal, or formal competitive bid process or by a

 

nonprofit corporation or nonprofit association that performed a

 

request for information, request for proposal, or formal

 

competitive bid process.

 

     (b) "Family member" means a person's spouse or spouse's

 

sibling or child; a person's sibling or sibling's spouse or child;

 


a person's child or child's spouse; or a person's parent or

 

parent's spouse, and includes these relationships as created by

 

adoption or marriage.

 

     (c) "Total budget" means budget for all funds held by the

 

intermediate school district.

 

     Sec. 622a. (1) In addition to the annual financial audit

 

required under section 622, an intermediate school district is

 

subject to an audit of the matters described in this section

 

conducted by an independent auditor under the direction of the

 

department of treasury under this section. An audit conducted under

 

this section shall be based in part on an examination of an

 

intermediate school district's accounts, financial records, and

 

accounting procedures and shall address at least 3 of the following

 

aspects of the intermediate school district's operations, as

 

directed by the department of treasury:

 

     (a) Whether intermediate school board members, intermediate

 

school district administrators, and intermediate school district

 

employees are adhering to ethics policies adopted by the

 

intermediate school board or required by state law.

 

     (b) Whether intermediate school board members, intermediate

 

school district administrators, and intermediate school district

 

employees are adhering to conflict of interest policies adopted by

 

the intermediate school board or required by state law. This

 

includes, but is not limited to, policies and practices with regard

 

to contracts in which an intermediate school board member, an

 

intermediate school district administrator, or an intermediate

 

school district employee who is involved in the contracting

 


process, or a family member of an intermediate school board member,

 

an intermediate school district administrator, or an intermediate

 

school district employee who is involved in the contracting

 

process, has a substantial conflict of interest; and policies and

 

practices with regard to an intermediate school district

 

administrator negotiating, handling, presenting, or recommending a

 

contract in which the administrator or a family member of the

 

administrator has a substantial conflict of interest. As used in

 

this subdivision, "substantial conflict of interest" means that

 

term as defined in section 634(5).

 

     (c) Whether a modification to an existing contract was made

 

during the audit period that resulted in an additional financial

 

obligation to the intermediate school district and the modification

 

was not competitively bid. As used in this subdivision,

 

"competitively bid" means that a contract was entered into through

 

a request for information, a request for proposal, or a formal

 

competitive bid process that was advertised and open to the public,

 

and includes a contract entered into on behalf of the intermediate

 

school district by a federal, state, or local governmental entity

 

that performed a request for information, request for proposal, or

 

formal competitive bid process or by a nonprofit corporation or

 

nonprofit association that performed a request for information,

 

request for proposal, or formal competitive bid process.

 

     (d) Whether the intermediate school district's policies and

 

practices for responding to requests received under the freedom of

 

information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246, and the

 

intermediate school district's actual responses to requests made

 


during the audit period under that act, were in compliance with

 

that act. This part of the audit shall include, but is not limited

 

to, an examination of whether the costs charged for responding to

 

requests exceeded the costs permitted under that act.

 

     (e) Whether intermediate school board members, intermediate

 

school district administrators, and intermediate school district

 

employees are adhering to travel guidelines and practices adopted

 

by the intermediate school board or required by state law.

 

     (f) Whether the intermediate school district has accurately

 

accounted for and reported all information relating to stipends,

 

salaries, benefits, or other compensation paid to intermediate

 

school district administrators.

 

     (g) Whether the intermediate school district has used public

 

funds in violation of law to pay for food, gifts, or other items

 

that are not used for instructional purposes, as defined by the

 

intermediate school board.

 

     (h) Whether proceeds from a tax levied under section 681 for

 

area vocational-technical education operating purposes or from a

 

tax levied under section 1724a for special education operating

 

purposes have been expended for a purpose other than the purpose

 

for which the tax was levied.

 

     (2) The department of treasury shall direct the random audits

 

of intermediate school districts under this section as follows:

 

     (a) The department of treasury shall select the intermediate

 

school districts to be audited under this section on a random

 

basis.

 

     (b) The department of treasury shall announce between July 1

 


and July 15 of each calendar year the intermediate school districts

 

that will be subject that year to an audit under this section for

 

the immediately preceding school fiscal year.

 

     (c) The department of treasury shall select 5 intermediate

 

school districts for audit under this section every 2 years.

 

     (d) Upon request by the department of treasury, the

 

intermediate school district shall notify the department of

 

treasury of the name, address, and contact person of the

 

independent auditor selected by the intermediate school board to

 

perform the annual financial audit for the intermediate school

 

district. The department of treasury shall enter into an agreed-

 

upon procedures agreement with the selected independent auditor,

 

identifying the matters to be audited and establishing the rate of

 

payment, which shall be no more than the rate the department would

 

charge for the same type of audit. The department of treasury shall

 

oversee the conduct of the audit by the independent auditor to the

 

extent the department of treasury considers necessary to meet the

 

purposes of this section.

 

     (e) An intermediate school board and intermediate school

 

district officials shall provide all information requested by the

 

independent auditors or the department of treasury and shall

 

cooperate with them to the fullest extent possible.

 

     (f) The independent auditor shall submit an audit report of

 

the audit to the center for educational performance and information

 

in the form and manner prescribed by the center for educational

 

performance and information. The center for educational performance

 

and information shall submit a copy of the audit report of each

 


audit conducted under this section to the department of treasury,

 

to the applicable intermediate school board, to the senate and

 

house standing committees having jurisdiction over education

 

legislation, to the department, and, subject to subdivision (g), to

 

the attorney general if the department of treasury considers it

 

appropriate.

 

     (g) If the department of treasury determines that an audit

 

conducted under this section has disclosed that the intermediate

 

school board or any intermediate school district official or

 

employee has violated any state law governing the financial

 

operations of an intermediate school district, the department of

 

treasury shall notify the intermediate school district of that

 

determination. If the intermediate school district disputes the

 

determination or claims that the situation has been corrected,

 

within 15 days after receipt of the determination the intermediate

 

school district may submit an appeal of the determination to the

 

department of treasury. Within 90 days after receipt of the appeal,

 

the department of treasury shall consider the appeal and make a

 

determination of whether the initial determination was correct or

 

incorrect and of whether the situation has been corrected. If the

 

department of treasury finds that the initial determination was

 

correct and that the situation has not been corrected, then the

 

department of treasury shall file a copy of the report with the

 

attorney general. The attorney general shall review the report and,

 

if the attorney general considers it appropriate, shall either

 

commence appropriate proceedings against the intermediate school

 

board or the official or employee or  direct  refer the matter to

 


the prosecuting attorney for the county in which the violations

 

occurred and encourage that prosecuting attorney to commence

 

appropriate proceedings against the intermediate school board or

 

the official or employee. These proceedings  shall  should include

 

at least a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction for

 

the recovery of any public money determined by the audit to have

 

been illegally expended and for the recovery of any public property

 

determined by the audit to have been converted or misappropriated.

 

     (3) In addition to the intermediate school districts selected

 

for a random audit under subsection (2), the department of treasury

 

may also direct an audit under this section of 1 or more additional

 

intermediate school districts selected by the department of

 

treasury if the department of treasury considers that additional

 

audit or audits to be appropriate. Subsection (2)(d), (e), (f), and

 

(g) applies to an audit under this subsection.

 

     (4) The department and the department of treasury, in

 

consultation with intermediate school districts, shall develop and

 

make available to intermediate school districts the auditing

 

criteria to be used for the purposes of this section.

 

     (5) An audit under this section shall be performed in

 

accordance with standards issued by the American institute of

 

certified public accountants and with government audit standards

 

issued by the United States general accounting office.

 

     (6) The department of treasury shall pay the costs of the

 

audit conducted under this section. The department of treasury's

 

obligation under this section is limited to the amount of a

 

separate line item appropriation identified for the purpose of

 


funding the department of treasury's duties under this section and

 

included in the annual appropriations act making appropriations for

 

the department of treasury.

 

     (7) The department shall post on its website the audit reports

 

it receives under subsection (2)(f).

 

     Sec. 623a. (1) An intermediate school board shall adopt

 

written policies governing the procurement of supplies, materials,

 

and equipment.

 

     (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), an

 

intermediate school district shall not purchase an item or a group

 

of items purchased in a single transaction costing  $17,932.00  

 

$18,490.00 or more unless competitive bids are obtained for those

 

items and the purchase of those items is approved by the

 

intermediate school board. The maximum amount specified in this

 

section shall be adjusted each year by multiplying the amount for

 

the immediately preceding year by the percentage by which the

 

average consumer price index for all items for the 12 months ending

 

August 31 of the year in which the adjustment is made differs from

 

that index's average for the 12 months ending on August 31 of the

 

immediately preceding year and adding that product to the maximum

 

amount that applied in the immediately preceding year, rounding to

 

the nearest whole dollar.

 

     (3) An intermediate school district is not required to obtain

 

competitive bids for items purchased through the cooperative bulk

 

purchasing program operated by the department of management and

 

budget under section 263(3) of the management and budget act, 1984

 

PA 431, MCL 18.1263.

 


     Sec. 634. (1) Not later than July 1, 2005, each intermediate

 

school board shall adopt and implement a conflict of interest

 

policy designed to avoid conflicts of interest by intermediate

 

school district officials and employees.

 

     (2) Not later than July 1, 2005, each intermediate school

 

board shall adopt and implement a policy to prohibit use of

 

intermediate school district funds or other public funds under the

 

control of the intermediate school district for purchasing

 

alcoholic beverages, jewelry, gifts, fees for golf, or any item the

 

purchase or possession of which is illegal. Subject to subsection

 

(8), the policy may allow the use of public funds for the purchase

 

of a plaque, medal, trophy, or other award for the recognition of

 

an employee, volunteer, or pupil if the purchase does not exceed

 

$100.00 per recipient. As used in this subsection, "public funds"

 

means funds generated from taxes levied under this act, state

 

appropriations of state or federal funds, or payments made to the

 

intermediate school district for services by a constituent district

 

or any other person, but does not include voluntary contributions

 

made for a specific purpose by an intermediate school board member,

 

an intermediate school district employee, another individual, or a

 

private entity.

 

     (3) The department shall develop and distribute to

 

intermediate school districts a model conflict of interest policy

 

for the purposes of subsection (1) and a model policy meeting the

 

requirements of subsection (2).

 

     (4) Subject to subsection (8), in any 1-month period, an

 

intermediate school board member or intermediate school district

 


administrator shall not accept from a person who does business or

 

seeks to do business of any kind with the intermediate school

 

district any money, goods, or services with a value in excess of

 

$44.00 if the board member or administrator does not provide goods

 

or services of equal value in exchange. This subsection does not

 

apply to  a  either of the following:

 

     (a) A gift or reward already prohibited under section 1805.

 

     (b) A breakfast, luncheon, dinner, or other refreshment

 

consisting of food or beverage for immediate consumption.

 

     (5) If an intermediate school board member or intermediate

 

school district administrator has a substantial conflict of

 

interest in a proposed contract, the intermediate school board

 

shall not enter into that contract. As used in this subsection,

 

"substantial conflict of interest" means a conflict of interest on

 

the part of an intermediate school board member or intermediate

 

school district administrator in respect to a contract with the

 

intermediate school district that is of such substance as to induce

 

action on his or her part to promote the contract for his or her

 

own personal benefit. In the following cases, there is no

 

substantial conflict of interest:

 

     (a) A contract between the intermediate school district and

 

any of the following:

 

     (i) A corporation in which an intermediate school board member

 

or intermediate school district administrator is a stockholder

 

owning 1% or less of the total stock outstanding in any class if

 

the stock is not listed on a stock exchange or owning stock that

 

has a present market value of $25,000.00 or less if the stock is

 


listed on a stock exchange.

 

     (ii) A corporation in which a trust, if an intermediate school

 

board member or intermediate school district administrator is a

 

beneficiary under the trust, owns 1% or less of the total stock

 

outstanding in any class if the stock is not listed on a stock

 

exchange or owns stock that has a present market value of

 

$25,000.00 or less if the stock is listed on a stock exchange.

 

     (iii) A professional limited liability company organized

 

pursuant to the Michigan limited liability company act, 1993 PA 23,

 

MCL 450.5101 to  450.6200  450.5200, if an intermediate school

 

board member or intermediate school district administrator is an

 

employee but not a member of the company.

 

     (b) A contract between the intermediate school district and

 

any of the following:

 

     (i) A corporation in which an intermediate school board member

 

or intermediate school district administrator is not a director,

 

officer, or employee.

 

     (ii) A firm, partnership, or other unincorporated association,

 

in which an intermediate school board member or intermediate school

 

district administrator is not a partner, member, or employee.

 

     (iii) A corporation or firm that has an indebtedness owed to an

 

intermediate school board member or intermediate school district

 

administrator.

 

     (c) A contract between the intermediate school district and a

 

constituent district.

 

     (d) A contract awarded to the lowest qualified bidder, upon

 

receipt of sealed bids pursuant to a published notice for bids if

 


the notice does not bar, except as authorized by law, any qualified

 

person, firm, corporation, or trust from bidding. This subdivision

 

does not apply to amendments or renegotiations of a contract or to

 

additional payments under the contract that were not authorized by

 

the contract at the time of award.

 

     (6) If an intermediate school board member, intermediate

 

school district administrator, or an employee of an intermediate

 

school district who recommends, negotiates, or is authorized to

 

sign a contract on behalf of the intermediate school district

 

either is employed by or under contract with a business enterprise

 

with which the intermediate school district is considering entering

 

into a contract or knows that he or she has a family member who has

 

an ownership interest in or is employed by a business enterprise

 

with which the intermediate school district is considering entering

 

into a contract, the board member, administrator, or employee shall

 

disclose this fact to the intermediate school board at a public

 

meeting of the intermediate school board before the intermediate

 

school board enters into the contract. If the intermediate school

 

board receives a disclosure described in this subsection, the

 

intermediate school board shall vote at a public meeting of the

 

intermediate school board on whether or not it considers the

 

relationship described in the disclosure to be a conflict of

 

interest, and shall not enter into the contract without first

 

voting at a public meeting of the intermediate school board to

 

enter into the contract. As used in this subsection, "family

 

member" means a person's spouse or spouse's sibling or child; a

 

person's sibling or sibling's spouse or child; a person's child or

 


child's spouse; or a person's parent or parent's spouse, and

 

includes these relationships as created by adoption or marriage.

 

     (7) An intermediate school board shall ensure that each

 

employment contract with a school administrator employed by the

 

intermediate school district includes both a provision prohibiting

 

the school administrator from engaging in conduct involving moral

 

turpitude and a provision allowing the intermediate school board to

 

void the contract if the school administrator violates the

 

provision prohibiting conduct involving moral turpitude.

 

     (8) Beginning January 1, 2005, the monetary amounts specified

 

in subsections (2) and (4) shall be adjusted each January 1 by

 

multiplying the amount for the immediately preceding year by the

 

percentage by which the average consumer price index for all items

 

for the 12 months ending August 31 of the year in which the

 

adjustment is made differs from that index's average for the 12

 

months ending on August 31 of the immediately preceding year and

 

adding that product to the maximum amount that applied in the

 

immediately preceding year, rounding to the nearest whole dollar.

 

The adjustment shall apply only to expenditures or violations

 

occurring after the date of the adjusting of the amount. The

 

adjusted amount shall be determined and announced by the department

 

on or before December 15 of each year and shall be provided to all

 

persons requesting the adjusted amount. If the index is

 

unavailable, the department shall make a reasonable approximation.

 

     Sec. 1267. (1) Before commencing construction of a new school

 

building, or addition to or repair or renovation of an existing

 

school building, except repair in emergency situations, the board

 


of a school district or intermediate school district or board of

 

directors of a public school academy, shall obtain competitive bids

 

on all the material and labor required for the complete

 

construction of a proposed new building or addition to or repair or

 

renovation of an existing school building.

 

     (2) The board, intermediate school board, or board of

 

directors shall advertise for the bids required under subsection

 

(1) by placing an advertisement for bids at least once in a

 

newspaper of general circulation in the area where the building or

 

addition is to be constructed or where the repair or renovation of

 

an existing building is to take place and by posting an

 

advertisement for bids for at least 2 weeks on the department of

 

management and budget website on a page on the website maintained

 

for this purpose or on a website maintained by a school

 

organization and designated by the department of management and

 

budget for this purpose. If the department of management and budget

 

designates a school organization website for this purpose, the

 

department of management and budget shall indicate this fact on its

 

website and include a link on its website to the school

 

organization website.

 

     (3)  The advertisement for bids shall do all of the following:

 

     (a) Specify the date and time by which all bids must be

 

received by the board, intermediate school board, or board of

 

directors.

 

     (b) State that the board, intermediate school board, or board

 

of directors will not consider or accept a bid received by the

 

board, intermediate school board, or board of directors after the

 


date and time specified for bid submission.

 

     (c) Identify the time, date, and place of a public meeting at

 

which the board, intermediate school board, or board of directors

 

or its designee will open and read aloud each bid received by the

 

board, intermediate school board, or board of directors by the date

 

and time specified in subdivision (a).

 

     (d) State that the bid shall be accompanied by a sworn and

 

notarized statement disclosing any familial relationship that

 

exists between the owner or any employee of the bidder and any

 

member of the board, intermediate school board, or board of

 

directors or the superintendent of the school district,

 

intermediate superintendent of the intermediate school district, or

 

chief executive officer of the public school academy. A board,

 

intermediate school board, or board of directors shall not accept a

 

bid that does not include this sworn and notarized disclosure

 

statement.

 

     (4) The board, intermediate school board, or board of

 

directors shall require each bidder for a contract under this

 

section to file with the board, intermediate school board, or board

 

of directors security in an amount not less than 1/20 of the amount

 

of the bid conditioned to secure the school district from loss or

 

damage by reason of the withdrawal of the bid or by the failure of

 

the bidder to enter a contract for performance, if the bid is

 

accepted by the board, intermediate school board, or board of

 

directors.

 

     (5) The board, intermediate school board, or board of

 

directors shall not open, consider, or accept a bid that the board,

 


intermediate school board, or board of directors receives after the

 

date and time specified for bid submission in the advertisement for

 

bids described in subsection (3).

 

     (6) At a public meeting identified in the advertisement for

 

bids described in subsection (3), the board, intermediate school

 

board, or board of directors or its designee shall open and read

 

aloud each bid that the board, intermediate school board, or board

 

of directors received at or before the time and date for bid

 

submission specified in the advertisement for bids. The board,

 

intermediate school board, or board of directors may reject any or

 

all bids, and if all bids are rejected, shall readvertise in the

 

manner required by this section.

 

     (7) This section does not apply to buildings, renovations, or

 

repairs costing less than  $17,932.00  $18,490.00 or to repair work

 

normally performed by school district, intermediate school board,

 

or public school academy employees. The maximum amount specified in

 

this subsection shall be adjusted each year by multiplying the

 

amount for the immediately preceding year by the percentage by

 

which the average consumer price index for all items for the 12

 

months ending August 31 of the year in which the adjustment is made

 

differs from that index's average for the 12 months ending on

 

August 31 of the immediately preceding year and adding that product

 

to the maximum amount that applied in the immediately preceding

 

year, rounding to the nearest whole dollar.

 

     Sec. 1274. (1) The board of a school district or board of

 

directors of a public school academy shall adopt written policies

 

governing the procurement of supplies, materials, and equipment.

 


     (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), a school

 

district or public school academy shall not purchase an item or a

 

group of items in a single transaction costing  $17,932.00  

 

$18,490.00 or more unless competitive bids are obtained for those

 

items and the purchase of those items is approved by the school

 

board or board of directors. The maximum amount specified in this

 

subsection shall be adjusted each year by multiplying the amount

 

for the immediately preceding year by the percentage by which the

 

average consumer price index for all items for the 12 months ending

 

August 31 of the year in which the adjustment is made differs from

 

that index's average for the 12 months ending on August 31 of the

 

immediately preceding year and adding that product to the maximum

 

amount that applied in the immediately preceding year, rounding to

 

the nearest whole dollar.

 

     (3) A school district or public school academy is not required

 

to obtain competitive bids for items purchased through the

 

cooperative bulk purchasing program operated by the department of

 

management and budget under section 263(3) of the management and

 

budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1263.

 

     (4) The board of a school district or local act school

 

district or board of directors of a public school academy may

 

acquire by purchase, lease, or rental, with or without option to

 

purchase, equipment necessary for the operation of the school

 

program, including, but not limited to, heating, water heating, and

 

cooking equipment for school buildings, and may pay for the

 

equipment from operating funds of the district or public school

 

academy. Heating and cooking equipment may be purchased on a title

 


retaining contract or other form of agreement creating a security

 

interest and pledging in payment money in the general fund or funds

 

received from state school aid. The contracts may extend for not

 

more than 10 years.

 

     Enacting section 1. Sections 620 and 622a of the revised

 

school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.620 and 380.622a, as amended by

 

this amendatory act, take effect July 1, 2006.