HOUSE AND SENATE JOURNALS ON INTERNET

House Bill 5610

Sponsor:  Rep. Cindy Denby

Committee:  Oversight

Complete to 5-30-14

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5610 AS INTRODUCED 5-28-14

House Bill 5610 would amend Public Act 44 of 1899, which provides for the publication and distribution of legislative documents, to:

o                   Specify that the official journals of the Senate and House of Representatives be made available to the public on the Internet.

o                   Eliminate the requirement that up to 500 copies of the official journals be printed and bound in a certain format and distributed to certain specified places and persons.

o                   Require, instead, the official journals to be printed and bound in volumes of convenient size and in a quantity to be determined by the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Copies would be provided to any governmental officers and agencies and libraries when approved by the secretary and/or clerk.

[Now under the law, the official journal of the Senate and House of Representatives must be printed in highland type or equivalent and with the same size page as that used in 1929. and be printed bound in volumes of convenient size.  Each of the following currently receives one copy:  each principal state department; the members of the legislature in the year when the journals are issued; the Secretary, assistant secretary and clerks of the Senate, and the Clerk and assistance clerks of the House; the Legislative Service Bureau; the Library of Congress; the Clerk of the State Supreme Court; state-supported universities or colleges; and private universities and colleges in Michigan, upon written request to the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House.]

           

MCL 24.6

FISCAL IMPACT:

House Bill 5610 would lower printing costs for the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives by an unknown but significant amount relative to current printing costs.  Required distributions of the journal to specific persons and entities would be eliminated.  Additionally, the official journals would be printed on less expensive paper products.  Access to the official journals would remain available to the public on the Internet.  Individuals or entities could still request a printed copy of the official journals.  According to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, annual printing costs for the official journal of the House of Representatives are between $25,000 and $30,000.   It is estimated that the Secretary of the Senate spends a similar amount on printing costs for the official journal of the Senate. 

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault     

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Ben Gielczyk

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.