May 10, 2007, Introduced by Senators GILBERT, ANDERSON and OLSHOVE and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs.
A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled
"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"
by amending section 5204a (MCL 324.5204a), as added by 2005 PA 254.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 5204a. (1) The authority in conjunction with the
department shall establish a strategic water quality initiatives
grant program that provides grants totaling not more than
$40,000,000.00
$80,000,000.00 to eligible municipalities. The grant
program shall provide assistance to municipalities to complete the
loan application requirements of section 5308.
(2) The grant program is subject to all of the following:
(a) The grant program shall provide grants to cover not more
than 90% of the costs incurred by a municipality to complete an
application for loan assistance from the state water pollution
control revolving fund or the fund.
(b) The 10% local match is not eligible for loan assistance
from the state water pollution control revolving fund or the fund.
(c) Grant funds shall not be used for general local government
administrative activities or activities performed by municipal
employees.
(d)
A municipality shall not receive more than $1,000,000.00
$2,000,000.00 in total grant assistance under this section.
(e) Grants under this section shall be available for projects
seeking or intending to seek loan assistance after September 30,
2006.
(f) The department shall cease accepting grant applications
under
this section 2 4 years after the date the first grant
agreement is entered into under subsection (3).
(3)
Within 6 months after the effective date of the amendatory
act
that added this section, the The
department shall establish an
application and review process for considering grant applications
under this section. The application shall contain the information
required by the department and the authority. Within 30 days after
receipt of an application, the department shall publish notice of
the application on the department's calendar. Within 60 days after
receipt of an administratively complete grant application, the
department shall, in writing, notify the applicant whether the
application is approved or rejected. If the department approves a
grant under this section, the department and the authority shall
enter into a grant agreement with the recipient prior to
transferring funds. The grant agreement shall contain terms
established by the department and the authority and a requirement
that the grant recipient repay the grant, within 90 days of being
informed to do so, with interest at a rate not to exceed 8% per
year, to the authority for deposit into the fund if any of the
following occur:
(a) The applicant fails to submit an administratively complete
loan application for assistance from the state water pollution
control revolving fund or the fund for the project within 3 years
of the grant award.
(b) The project has been identified as being in the fundable
range and the applicant declines loan assistance from the state
water pollution control revolving fund or the fund in that fiscal
year.
(c) The applicant is unable to, or decides not to, proceed
with constructing the project or opts to finance construction by
means other than a grant from the state water pollution control
revolving fund or the fund.
(4) For each year in which the department receives grant
applications under this section, the department shall report by
July 1 of each year to the standing committees of the senate and
the house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over issues
pertaining to natural resources and the environment and to the
senate and house of representatives appropriations committees on
the utilization of funds under this part that were received from
the Great Lakes water quality bond fund created in section 19706.
The report shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(a) The number of grant applications received under this
section.
(b) The name of each municipality applying for a grant.
(c) The individual and annual cumulative amount of grant funds
awarded, including an identification of whether each award was for
the purpose of applying for assistance from the state water
pollution control revolving fund or the fund.
(d) A summary of loan assistance, by year, tendered from the
state water pollution control revolving fund and the fund.
(5) The senate and house appropriations committees shall
annually review whether there is sufficient money in the fund to
implement this section and section 5202.