Bill Text: MI SB1176 | 2025-2026 | 103rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: State agencies (proposed): boards and commissions; Michigan defense and readiness commission and fund; create, and make appropriation to the fund. Creates new act.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-09-10 - Referred To Committee On Appropriations [SB1176 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2025-SB1176-Introduced.html
SENATE BILL NO. 1176
A bill to create the Michigan defense and readiness commission and provide for its powers and duties; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental entities; to create certain funds; and to make appropriations.
the people of the state of michigan enact:
Sec. 1. This act may be cited as the "Michigan defense and readiness commission act".
(a) "Commission" means the Michigan defense and readiness commission created in section 3.
(b) "Department" means the department of military and veterans affairs.
(c) "Fund" means the Michigan defense and readiness fund created in section 5.
(d) "Military installation" means a federal or state military fort, base, camp, post, station, yard, depot, arsenal, armory, or other installation, if located within this state.
Sec. 3. (1) The Michigan defense and readiness commission is created in the department.
(2) The commission shall consist of the following members and the members appointed under subsection (3):
(a) One member appointed by the governor.
(b) One member appointed by the lieutenant governor.
(c) Two members appointed by the senate majority leader.
(d) One member appointed by the senate minority leader.
(e) Two members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(f) One member appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives.
(g) The adjutant general of this state, or the adjutant general's designee.
(h) The director of the department, if the director is an individual other than the adjutant general, or the director's designee.
(i) The director of the Michigan economic development corporation, or the director's designee.
(j) The chief executive officer of each of the following chambers of commerce or that chief executive officer's designee:
(i) Detroit Regional Chamber.
(ii) Grand Rapids Chamber.
(iii) Michigan Chamber.
(k) The chief executive officer of the National Advanced Mobility Consortium, or the chief executive officer's designee.
(3) The governor shall appoint to the commission one civic leader with significant experience in military relocations from each of the following 5 communities in which the major military facilities described in subsection (16) are located:
(a) The city of Warren.
(b) Harrison Township.
(c) The city of Grayling.
(d) The village of Augusta.
(e) The city of Alpena.
(4) Of the first members of the commission, the members described in subsections (2)(j) and (3) shall serve 1-year terms, the members described in subsection (2)(e) and (f) shall serve 2-year terms, the members described in subsection (2)(c) and (d) shall serve 3-year terms, and the members described in subsection (2)(a) and (b) shall serve 4-year terms. Except for the first members of the commission described in this subsection, the term of a member appointed to the commission is 4 years or until a successor is appointed, whichever is later.
(5) The member appointed by the governor under subsection (2)(a) shall call the first meeting of the commission within 90 days after the effective date of this act. At the first meeting, the commission shall elect a member as a chairperson and may elect other officers that it considers necessary or appropriate. The commission shall meet at least once per year, or more frequently at the call of the chairperson.
(6) A majority of the members of the commission constitutes a quorum for transacting business. A vote in favor by a majority of the members of the commission serving is required for any action of the commission.
(7) The commission shall adopt rules for its governance, including, but not limited to, the filling of vacancies, the election of officers, the creation of committees including an executive committee, and the execution of documents.
(8) The department, the secretary of the senate, the clerk of the house of representatives, the legislative council, the house fiscal agency, and the senate fiscal agency shall provide assistance as requested by the commission.
(9) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a member of the commission is not entitled to compensation for service on the commission, but the commission may reimburse a member for actual and necessary expenses incurred in serving. Each legislative member of the commission and supporting staff is entitled to regular legislative compensation and per diem and travel expenses for each day that member or supporting staff attends a meeting of the commission which must be paid out of any funds appropriated for the use of the legislature.
(10) The commission shall do all of the following:
(a) Make proactive attempts to ensure the stability of Michigan-assigned Department of Defense resources and encourage the placement of additional Department of Defense resources in this state by studying and evaluating military organizations, military installations, personnel, civilian support personnel, equipment, and infrastructure currently located in this state, and the restationing or reorganization of military resources located in, relocating to, or outside of this state using the following items of evaluation:
(i) All Department of Defense personnel, assets, and equipment, including that belonging to the Michigan national guard and reserve units or forces.
(ii) The economic impact of these resources on surrounding communities.
(iii) Current policies, programs, and services that impact Department of Defense resources located in this state.
(iv) The impact these Department of Defense assets and resources have on state and local job creation.
(v) The impact of Department of Defense assets and resources on local businesses and industry.
(vi) Funding available or required to promote the sustained presence of Department of Defense assets and resources appropriated to this state.
(b) Assist with extracting, developing, and coordinating a state and federal defense-related policy plan and positions on specific defense-related issues.
(c) Make recommendations to the governor, the legislature, the President, and Congress.
(11) The appointing authorities of the commission shall coordinate their appointments to ensure the membership of the commission represents the geographic regions of this state.
(12) The commission shall make an annual report to the legislature not later than the seventh session day of each regular session after the commission is appointed detailing all commission activities and recommendations.
(13) The commission may accept gifts, contributions, bequests, grants, and other donations, whether public or private, of money, real property, or personal property and shall expend the same in furtherance of the work of the commission.
(14) The work of the commission shall be supported by the Michigan Defense and Readiness Council, a Michigan nonprofit corporation incorporated on June 8, 2026, which shall not be considered a government body. A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by the Michigan Defense and Readiness Council is not subject to disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246, including a writing prepared by the Michigan Defense and Readiness Council that is viewed by or delivered to the commission. The commission may provide funding to the Michigan Defense and Readiness Council as appropriate to allow it to support the commission.
(15) The commission may work with liaisons of all of the following:
(a) The Armed Forces of the United States.
(b) The Department of Defense.
(c) Each of the following major military facilities in this state:
(i) Detroit Arsenal, including representatives of any of the following:
(A) Ground Vehicle Systems Center.
(B) Program Executive Office - Ground Combat Systems.
(C) Program Executive Office - Combat Systems and Combat Support Systems.
(D) Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross-Functional Team.
(E) Tank-automotive and Armaments Command.
(ii) Selfridge Air Force Base.
(iii) Camp Grayling.
(iv) Fort Custer.
(v) Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center.
Sec. 5. (1) The Michigan defense and readiness fund is created in the state treasury.
(2) The state treasurer shall deposit money and other assets received from any source in the fund. The state treasurer shall direct the investment of money in the fund and credit interest and earnings from the investments to the fund.
(3) The department is the administrator of the fund for audits of the fund.
(4) The department shall expend money from the fund on appropriation to support the commission in fulfilling the commission's duties under this act.
(5) For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, $250,000.00 is appropriated from the state general fund to the department and shall be deposited in the fund. Money deposited in the fund under this subsection is appropriated and available for expenditure for the purposes described in subsection (4).
