HOUSE BILL NO. 5131

June 24, 2021, Introduced by Rep. Clements and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

A bill to create a grant program to provide grants to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of hiring public service assistants; to create the public service assistants fund; and to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and entities.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "public service assistants grant program act".

Sec. 3. As used in this act:

(a) "Department" means the department of state police.

(b) "Fund" means the public service assistants fund created in section 7.

(c) "Grant program" means the public service assistants grant program created in section 5.

(d) "Law enforcement agency" means that term as defined in section 2 of the Michigan commission on law enforcement standards act, 1965 PA 203, MCL 28.602.

(e) "Public service assistant" means a specially trained, unarmed, and part-time employee of a law enforcement agency with no arrest or criminal enforcement powers.

Sec. 5. (1) The department shall create, implement, and administer a grant program to award grants to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of hiring public service assistants.

(2) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a law enforcement agency must comply with the department's application process.

(3) The department shall provide the grants on a first-come, first-serve basis to eligible law enforcement agencies for the purpose described in subsection (1).

Sec. 7. (1) The public service assistants fund is created as a separate fund in the department of treasury. The department shall be the administrator of the fund for auditing purposes.

(2) The state treasurer may receive money or other assets from any source for deposit into the fund. The state treasurer shall credit to the fund money appropriated to the fund. The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the fund and shall credit to the fund interest and earnings from fund investments.

(3) The department shall expend money from the fund to carry out the purpose of this act and shall not expend money from the fund for any other purpose.

(4) Money remaining in the fund at the close of the fiscal year must remain in the fund and must not lapse to the general fund.

Sec. 9. The department shall promulgate rules and procedures to implement this act in accordance with the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, including, but not limited to, rules and procedures governing the grant application and disbursement process, and the method for establishing eligibility.