HOUSE BILL No. 4973

 

May 19, 2009, Introduced by Reps. Lipton, Valentine, Warren, Scripps, Smith, Tyler and Bolger and referred to the Committee on Intergovernmental and Regional Affairs.

 

     A bill to operate certain programs in certain state agencies;

 

to give certain priorities; and to impose certain duties and

 

responsibilities on certain state employees and public employees.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Aggregation" means 2 or more collaborating cities,

 

villages, or townships that have combined populations of more than

 

35,000 or 2 or more collaborating counties that have combined

 

populations of more than 200,000.

 

     (b) "Department" means the department of energy, labor, and

 

economic growth.

 

     (c) "Energy efficiency and conservation block grant program"


 

means the federal energy efficiency and conservation block grant

 

program authorized under the energy independence and security act,

 

Public Law 110-140, that is operated by the department.

 

     (d) "Eligible units of local government" means a city,

 

village, township, or county.

 

     (e) "Nonprofit local government organization" means a

 

nonprofit entity incorporated under state and federal law that has

 

eligible units of local government as its paid members and has a

 

written agreement with those members to work on energy initiatives

 

on their behalf.

 

     Sec. 2. When distributing grants for local government energy

 

efficiency projects or local government renewable energy projects,

 

including those funded by the United States department of energy,

 

the department shall give priority consideration to nonprofit local

 

government organizations that are encouraging aggregation of effort

 

and increased efficiency among their members.