Bill Text: MI SB0657 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Public employees and officers; compensation and benefits; out-of-state travel restrictions; extend to local government and local public pension funds and include reporting requirements. Creates new act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-06-23 - Referred To Committee On Local, Urban And State Affairs [SB0657 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2009-SB0657-Introduced.html

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE BILL No. 657

 

 

June 23, 2009, Introduced by Senators GILBERT, SANBORN, PAPPAGEORGE and BIRKHOLZ and referred to the Committee on Local, Urban and State Affairs.

 

 

 

     A bill to establish travel expenditure limitations for certain

 

local units of government and other local governmental entities; to

 

establish permissible conditions for out-of-state travel; and to

 

establish reporting requirements.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the

 

"travel expense responsibility act".

 

     Sec. 3. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Local pension or retirement system" means a program that

 

controls money that funds pension or retirements benefits accrued

 

by employees of a local unit of government.

 

     (b) "Local unit of government" means a city, village,

 

township, county, school district, road commission, or any other

 

local governmental unit or entity of this state.

 

     Sec. 5. A local unit of government or a local pension or

 

retirement system shall not pay the expenses for a person to travel

 

outside this state from funds under its control unless 1 or more of

 

the following conditions apply to the travel:

 

     (a) It is required by legal mandate or court order or for law

 

enforcement purposes.

 

     (b) It is necessary to protect the health or safety of

 

Michigan citizens or visitors or to assist other states' similar

 

circumstances.

 

     (c) It is necessary to produce budgetary savings or to

 

increase revenues, including protecting existing federal funds or

 

securing additional federal funds.

 

     (d) It is necessary to comply with federal requirements.

 

     (e) It is necessary to secure specialized training for staff

 

that is essential to performing the duties of the position and is

 

not available within this state.

 

     (f) It is financed entirely by federal funds or by private

 

funds granted expressly for the purpose of the travel.

 

     Sec. 7. Not later than January 1 of each year, each local unit

 

of government and local pension or retirement system shall prepare

 

a travel report listing all travel outside this state in the

 

immediately preceding fiscal year that was funded in whole or in

 

part with public funds and post the report on an internet website

 

that is available to the general public. The report shall include

 

all of the following information for each travel occurrence:

 

     (a) The name of each person receiving reimbursement for travel

 

outside this state or whose travel costs were paid by the reporting

 

governmental agency.

 

     (b) The destination.

 

     (c) The dates.

 

     (d) A brief statement of the reason for the travel.

 

     (e) An itemization of the transportation and related costs,

 

including the amount for food, lodging, and vehicle rental and

 

listing the names of hotels, restaurants, vehicle rental agencies,

 

and vehicle models.

 

     (f) The total expenses for all out-of-state travel funded

 

during the immediately preceding fiscal year.