AGENTS OF DHHS INSPECTOR GENERAL                                                  S.B. 384 & 385:

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                      REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bills 384 and 385 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Senator Rick Jones

Committee:  Judiciary

CONTENT

Senate Bill 384 would amend the Social Welfare Act to do the following:

-- Authorize the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to appoint agents of the Department's Office of Inspector General.

-- Specify that the agents would have the powers of peace officers for the purpose of enforcing the Act.

-- Provide that the Director could authorize agents to carry firearms.

-- Authorize an agent to arrest a person for a felony without a warrant, while the agent was on duty, if he or she had reasonable cause to believe that the offense had been committed and reasonable cause to believe that the person committed it.

-- Authorize an agent to arrest a person without a warrant if the agent had received positive information by written, telegraphic, teletypic, telephonic, radio, or other authoritative source that a peace officer held a warrant for the person's arrest.

Senate Bill 385 would amend the Michigan Penal Code to include agents of the DHHS Office of Inspector General in the list of people who are exempt from certain weapons-related prohibitions in the Code.

Senate Bill 385 is tie-barred to Senate Bill 384. Both bills would take effect 90 days after their enactment.

MCL 400.43b (S.B. 384)                                            Legislative Analyst:  Patrick Affholter

       750.231 (S.B. 385)

FISCAL IMPACT

Senate Bill 384: The DHHS estimates that the costs to implement the bill would range from $300,000 to $400,000 to cover the start-up costs to equip up to 10 agents with firearms, depending on available equipment pricing. The costs are associated largely with equipment and training for the Office of Inspector General to support implementation of the bill.

Senate Bill 385: The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

Date Completed:  6-17-15                                                 Fiscal Analyst:  Frances Carley

                                                                                                           John Maxwell

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.