REVISE STATE OFFICERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION SALARY AND EXPENSE DETERMINATIONS

House Bill 4918

Sponsor:  Rep. Chris Ward

House Bill 4919

Sponsor: Rep. Mary D. Waters

Committee:  House Oversight, Elections, and Ethics

Complete to 6-21-05

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 4918 - 4919 AS INTRODUCED 6-14-05

The bills would revise the duties of the State Officers' Compensation Commission concerning legislative salaries and expenses, in order that they conform to the state constitution, and would include the attorney general and the secretary of state within the commission's purview.

House Bill 4918 would amend Public Act 357 of 1968 (MCL 15.217) to specify that the commission's determinations concerning salaries and expense allowances would go into effect only if the legislature, by concurrent resolution adopted by a majority of the members elected and serving in each house, approved them.  The bill also specifies that the Senate and House of Representatives would alternate on which house of the legislature would originate the concurrent resolution, with the Senate originating the first concurrent resolution in 2005. 

Under the bill, the concurrent resolution could amend the salary and expense determinations of the State Officers Compensation Commission to reduce them by the same proportion for the members of the legislation, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the justices of the supreme court.  However, the legislature could not reduce the salary and expense determinations to below the level that the members and other officers received on the date the determinations were made.  If the determinations were approved or amended, they would become effective for the legislative session immediate following the next general election.

House Bill 4919 would also amend Public Act 357 of 1968 (MCL 15.213 and 15.216) so that the SOCC would set the salaries and expense allowances for the attorney general and the secretary of state.  (Currently, the legislature sets those salaries.)  The act currently specifies that the commission shall determine the salaries and expense allowances of the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, the justices of the supreme court, and the members of the legislature, and file its determination with the clerk of the House of Representatives, the secretary of the Senate, and the director of the Department of Management and Budget after December 1 and before December 31 of each even numbered year, and furnish copies to all of the officers.  The act does not currently refer to the attorney general and the secretary of state.

FISCAL IMPACT:

There would be no fiscal impact to the state or to local units of government.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Robin Risko

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.