VETS' GRAVES: FLAGS MADE IN U.S. S.B. 428:
COMMITTEE SUMMARY
Senate Bill 428 (as introduced 6-12-13)
Sponsor: Senator Roger Kahn, M.D.
Committee: Veterans, Military Affairs and Homeland Security
CONTENT
The bill would amend Public Act 63 of 1915, which provides for the furnishing of flag holders and United States flags for the graves of U.S. military veterans, to do the following:
-- Prohibit local units of government from buying flags or flag holders assembled or manufactured outside of the United States if competitively priced flags and holders of comparable quality made in Michigan or elsewhere in the U.S. were available.
-- Require local units to post on their website that they bought foreign assembled or manufactured flags or flag holders because competitively priced and comparable quality products made in the U.S. were not available.
Upon the petition of a recognized veterans' organization or five eligible voters, the Act requires the legislative body of a city, village, municipality, township, or county to furnish a suitable flag holder and U.S. flag for the grave of each veteran who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and who is buried in a public or private cemetery within that local unit.
Under the bill, the city, village, municipality, township, or county could not purchase flag holders or U.S. flags assembled or manufactured outside of the United States, if flags and holders that were competitively priced and of comparable quality made in Michigan or elsewhere in the U.S. were available.
If a local unit bought flag holders or U.S. flags assembled or manufactured outside of the U.S. because competitively priced and comparable quality flags or holders made in Michigan or elsewhere in the U.S. were not available, the local unit would have to post notice of that action and reason on its website. The local unit also would have to post on that website the country of origin of the flag holders or U.S. flags that it bought.
MCL 35.831 & 35.831a Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have an indeterminate and likely negligible impact on local unit expenses. It is unknown how many local units that furnish flags for the graves of U.S. military veterans currently use flags not made in Michigan or elsewhere in the United States. The relative prices of alternative flag manufacturers also are not known.
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.