0233: CONCURRENCE SUMMARY (Date Completed: 3-21-13) - FY 2012-13 MICHIGAN NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST FUND BUDGET

FY 2012-13 MICHIGAN NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST FUND BUDGET S.B. 233 (H-1): CONCURRENCE SUMMARY

FY 2012-13 Senate-Passed Gross Appropriation..............................

$44,309,700

House Changes to Senate-Passed:
1. Michigan Sentencing Guidelines Study. The House transferred $250,000 from the Department of Corrections Budget to the Legislative Council for a contract with the Council of State Governments to continue its review of Michigan's sentencing guidelines and practices, including, but not limited to, studying length of prison stay and parole board discretion. The fund transfer is included in State Budget Office (SBO) request 2013-7.	0
2. Veterans' Service Delivery Initiative. The House included 11.0 FTEs and $2,997,500 GF/GP for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to commence implementation of a veterans' service delivery initiative as provided for in Executive Order 2013-2. The Executive Order created the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. The supplemental funding is consistent with SBO request 2013-4.	2,997,500
3. Marina Dredging Loan Origination Program. The House reduced the Qualified Agricultural Loan Program by $1.0 million GF/GP, from $15.0 million to $14.0 million. The Department of Treasury estimates that demand for the Qualified Agricultural Loan Program will be substantially below the current $15.0 million appropriation. Applications for payments under the program, however, can be submitted until March 31, 2013. The $1.0 million is transferred to a new Marina Dredging Loan Origination Program to provide financial assistance to eligible marinas to alleviate financial distress caused by low water levels affecting watercraft use and related economic impacts. The program will support payments to qualified financial institutions for marina dredging loan origination fees for administrative costs incurred by qualified financial institutions. Senate Bill 252 would create a marina dredging loan origination program to pay a limited amount of loan origination fees to financial institutions that issue loans for marina dredging to eligible applicants on specific terms.	0

Total Changes..............................................................................................	$2,997,500
FY 2012-13 House-Passed Gross Appropriation.........................................	$47,307,200

FY 2012-13 MICHIGAN NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST FUND BUDGET BOILERPLATE HIGHLIGHTS

Changes from FY 2012-13 Senate-Passed:

1. Michigan Sentencing Guidelines Review. The funds appropriated in part 1 for the legislative council shall be used for a contract with the council of state governments to continue its review of Michigan's sentencing guidelines and practices, including, but not limited to, studying length of prison stay and parole board discretion. ( Sec. 351)

2. Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Strategic Plan. The Michigan veterans affairs agency shall submit a strategic plan to the senate and house standing committees on appropriations, the senate and house fiscal agencies, and the state budget office by October 1, 2013 that includes the following:

(a) A plan to serve as the coordinating office for all executive branch departments responsible for programs that provide services to veterans.

(b) A plan to identify opportunities to improve the provision of services to veterans by state agencies and to improve the oversight of grants to veterans service organizations.

(c) A plan to re-engineer the current veterans' service delivery system in a manner that ensures the efficient and effective utilization and allocation of resources, programs, and services among state agencies, local government agencies, veterans service organizations, and non-profit organizations.

(d) Quantifiable performance measures and outcomes of veterans service programs, with a goal of increasing veterans' and the public's awareness of services available to veterans and their families and increasing the number of verified fully-developed claims for veterans benefits submitted to the United States department of veterans affairs. Identified measures should include outcomes for programs affecting veterans education, health, economic, and quality of life well-being. These goals shall include, among other things, a goal of 100% of benefit claims presented to the United States department of veterans affairs shall be fully-developed.

(e) Immediate, short-term, and long-term initiatives that assist the agency in achieving the performance measures and outcomes identified in subsection (d). (Sec. 401)

3. Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Report. The Michigan veterans affairs agency shall submit a report to the senate and house standing committees on appropriations, the senate and house fiscal agencies, and the state budget office by October 1, 2013 that includes the following:

(a) A description of the current programs, activities, roles and responsibilities of, and interrelationships among, state agencies, local government agencies, veterans service organizations and other non-profit organizations to provide services and outreach to veterans, including providing assistance with the preparation and presentation of claims for benefits to the United States department of veterans affairs.

(b) A description of the activities, roles and responsibilities of, and interrelationships among, state agencies, local government agencies, veterans service organizations and other non-profit organizations undertaken under the re-engineered veterans service delivery system identified in the strategic plan developed pursuant to section 401. (Sec. 402)

4. Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Quarterly Reports. The Michigan veterans affairs agency shall submit quarterly reports as provided in section 219 of article XII of 2012 PA 200 providing a summary of the agency's activities, including data on the number of claims presented to the United States department of veterans affairs by the agency and the number of claims that are fully-developed. (Sec. 403)

5. Marina Dredging Loan Origination Program Work Project Designation. The funds appropriated in part 1 for the marina dredging loan origination program are considered work project appropriations, and any unencumbered or unallotted funds are carried forward into the succeeding fiscal year. The following is in compliance with section 451a(1) of the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1451a:

(a) The purpose of the project is to provide financial assistance to eligible marinas and to alleviate financial distress caused by low water levels impacting watercraft use and related economic impacts through the program.

(b) The work project will be accomplished through the use of payments to qualified financial institutions for marina dredging loan origination fees for administrative costs incurred by qualified financial institutions.

(d) The tentative completion date is March 1, 2014. (Sec. 501)

Date Completed: 3-21-13 Fiscal Analyst: Bill Bowerman

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.