MINIMUM STAFF FOR POLICE/FIRE S.B. 319:

SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL

IN COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 319 (as introduced 5-21-25)

Sponsor: Senator Veronica Klinefelt

Committee: Labor

Date Completed: 6-11-25

CONTENT

The bill would amend the public employment relations Act to specify that collective bargaining between a public police or fire department bargaining unit and its employer would include minimum staffing levels within the bargaining unit; however, the bill would make this requirement voluntary if the public employer had collected less sales tax and property tax revenue than the previous fiscal year.

Under the Act, representatives designated or selected for purposes of collective bargaining by the majority of the public employees in a unit are the exclusive representatives of all the public employees in the unit for the purposes of collective bargaining with respect to rates of pay, wages, hours of employment, or other conditions of employment. These individuals are known as collective bargaining representatives. The Act requires a public employer to bargain collectively with its employees' collective bargaining representatives concerning the same matters.

Under the bill, for employees subject to Public Act (PA) 312 of 1969, collective bargaining with respect to "other conditions of employment" would include minimum staffing levels within the bargaining unit; however, if, as compared to the immediately preceding fiscal year, there were a reduction in the amount of sales tax revenue the public employer received from revenue sharing or a reduction in property tax collections due to a reduction in the total taxable value of the public employer, the public employer could, but would not have to, collectively bargain with employees subject to PA 312 of 1969 with respect to minimum staffing levels within the bargaining unit. For employees not subject to PA 312 of 1969, the requirements above would not prohibit the employees from collectively bargaining with respect to minimum staffing levels within the bargaining unit.

(Public Act 312 of 1969 governs compulsory arbitration for public police or fire department employees, who generally include local government police department and fire department employees, county corrections officers, emergency medical service personnel employed by public police or fire, and emergency telephone operators employed by public police or fire.)

MCL 423.211 & 423.215

PREVIOUS LEGISLATION

(This section does not provide a comprehensive account of previous legislative efforts on this subject matter.)

Senate Bill 319 is a reintroduction of Senate Bill 1167 from the 2023-2024 Legislative Session. Senate Bill 1167 passed the Senate but saw no further action.

Legislative Analyst: Alex Krabill

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on the State and an indeterminate fiscal impact on local governmental units. There are approximately 18,000 police officers and 8,700 full-time paid firefighters that would be subject to the bill.

Fiscal Analysts: Bruce R. Baker

Bobby Canell

SAS\S2526\s319sa

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.