PUBLIC SERVANT; OTHER SERVICE                                                                  S.B. 17:

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                     REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 17 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Senator Dale Zorn

Committee:  Local Government

CONTENT

The bill would amend Public Act 317 of 1968, which governs contracts between public servants and public entities, to raise, from 25,000 to 40,000, the maximum population of a city, village, township, or county in which a public servant may serve as an emergency medical personnel or firefighter. The bill also would raise, from 25,000 to 40,000 the maximum population of a governing body that would limit a public servant from performing other additional services for the local unit of government.

In addition, the bill would allow a public servant to serve as a fire chief, police officer, chief of police, or public safety officer in units of government that met the population criteria, if he or she did not negotiate collective bargaining agreements with the municipality on behalf of the firefighters, fire chiefs, police officers, chiefs of police, or public safety officers.

MCL 15.323a                                                        Legislative Analyst:  Christian Schmidt

FISCAL IMPACT

Adding to the types of emergency services-related positions that may be held by public servants and extending to larger local governments the option for public servants to serve in those positions, either paid or unpaid, would have no direct fiscal impact on local government. Any fiscal impact would depend on local decisions by eligible local units of government to exercise the authority provided by the bill. The table below shows counts of local governments by population size. Currently, there are 1,725 local governments with a population under 25,000 that are eligible for the employment exception for public servants. Under the bill, an additional 49 local units would become eligible for the employment exception based on 2010 population counts. The 82 largest local governments in the State would not be eligible for the employment exception under either current law or the bill.

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State government.

Counts of Local Governments by Population Size and Type
	Under 25,000	25,000 to 39,999	40,000 or More	Total
Counties	27	15	41	83
Cities	235	16	29	280
Villages	253	0	0	253
Townships	1,210	18	12	1,240
Total Local Units	1,725	49	82	1856
Source:  2010 US Decennial Census and Senate Fiscal Agency

Date Completed:  2-3-21                                                     Fiscal Analyst:  Ryan Bergan

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.