SENATE BILL No. 59

February 1, 2001, Introduced by Senator STEIL and referred to the Committee on

Appropriations.

A bill to amend 1984 PA 431, entitled

"The management and budget act,"

(MCL 18.1101 to 18.1594) by adding section 270.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1 SEC. 270. (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ISSUE DIRECTIVES TO ALL

2 STATE AGENCIES TO ENSURE THAT ALL STATE AGENCIES SHALL NOT USE AN

3 AUTOMATED TELEPHONE SYSTEM FOR ANSWERING TELEPHONE CALLS PLACED

4 TO THAT STATE AGENCY'S PRIMARY PUBLIC SERVICE TELEPHONE NUMBERS

5 DURING REGULAR HOURS OF OPERATION, UNLESS THE AUTOMATED TELEPHONE

6 SYSTEM PROVIDES, AS THE FIRST MENU OPTION, AN OPTION THAT PERMITS

7 A CALLER TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO AN EMPLOYEE OF THAT STATE AGENCY

8 WITHOUT LISTENING TO THE ENTIRE RECORDED MESSAGE. INCOMING TELE-

9 PHONE CALLS ON PRIMARY PUBLIC SERVICE NUMBERS SHALL BE ANSWERED

10 PROMPTLY, AND EACH STATE AGENCY SHALL MONITOR THE LENGTH OF TIME

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1 ANY INCOMING CALL IS PUT ON HOLD, WITH THE GOAL OF REDUCING HOLD

2 TIME TO 5 MINUTES OR LESS.

3 (2) AN EMPLOYEE OF A STATE AGENCY SHALL NOT USE AN AUTOMATED

4 PHONE ANSWERING SYSTEM TO SCREEN TELEPHONE CALLS FOR THE PURPOSE

5 OF REFUSING TO COMMUNICATE WITH ANY PERSON IF THE SUBJECT MATTER

6 OF THE TELEPHONE MESSAGE OR THE IDENTITY OF THE CALLER RELATES TO

7 A DUTY OR RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DIVISION OR UNIT OF THE STATE

8 AGENCY FOR WHICH THE EMPLOYEE PERFORMS SERVICES OR RELATES TO A

9 DUTY OR RESPONSIBILITY OF THE EMPLOYEE.

10 (3) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PERIODICALLY MONITOR EACH STATE

11 AGENCY FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION.

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