DOE, DHS & DOT SUPPLEMENTAL H.B. 4310 (S-1): FLOOR SUMMARY
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House Bill 4310 (Substitute S-1 as reported with amendments)
Sponsor: Senator Ron Jelinek
Committee: Appropriations

CONTENT
House Bill 4310 (S-1) would appropriate $9.5 million Gross in the Department of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Transportation for FY 2008-09. The proposed appropriation changes were recommended by the Office of State Budget in letters submitted to the Legislature on May 15, 2009, June 10, 2009, and March 12, 2009. The table below provides a summary of the line-item appropriations contained in the bill. Following the table is a brief description of the proposed appropriations.

FY 2008-09 Supplemental Appropriation
HB 4310 (S-1) (actual dollars)
Department/Program Gross Appropriation GF/GP Appropriation
   
  Education Longitudinal Data System $5,517,300 $ 0
   
  Human Services Additional Eligibility Staff (200.0 FTEs)
Food Assistance Outreach		 $3,123,900 $500,000 $0 $ 0
   
  Transportation Rail Passenger Service $400,000 $ 0
  Total Supplemental Appropriations $9,541,200 $ 0
Department of Education
The bill would appropriate $5.5 million in Federal grant funds for the development and implementation of a statewide longitudinal data system. This data system would provide State and school personnel with data about student achievement and learning through time. The additional Federal funds would be appropriated for the Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability.


Department of Human Services

The bill would provide $3.1 million in Federal funding for the hiring of an additional 200.0 FTEs on a limited-term basis. These staff, who would be available until the end of FY 2009-10, would be allocated to eligibility determination in local DHS offices and were requested in response to significant increases in applications for assistance through the Food Assistance and Medicaid programs. Food assistance cases increased by 10.1% over the first six months of FY 2008-09 and Medicaid cases increased by 3.8% over the same period of time. These staff would be funded with $1.5 million in Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administrative dollars available through the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).


The bill also would use $500,000 in ARRA funding for SNAP administrative functions for grants to Elder Law of Michigan and the Michigan Food Bank Council for food assistance outreach efforts.

Department of Transportation
The bill would provide for the appropriation of $400,000 of State Restricted funding for passenger rail service. The source of the funding is the State Comprehensive Transportation Fund. The initial State subsidy for Amtrak passenger rail service on the Pere Marquette line (Grand Rapids to Chicago) and the Blue Water line (Port Huron to Chicago) expires on June 30, 2009. This supplemental appropriation will allow this rail service to continue through the balance of FY 2008-09.

FISCAL IMPACT
The bill contains $9.5 million of supplemental appropriations for FY 2008-09. This includes $3.6 million in Federal ARRA funds, $5.5 million in non-ARRA Federal funding, and $400,000 from the Comprehensive Transportation Fund.


Date Completed: 6-25-09 Fiscal Analyst: David Fosdick Debra Hollon

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. 4310/0910