Bill Text: MI SB0718 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Economic development; Michigan economic growth authority; requirement for businesses awarded Michigan economic growth authority tax credits to pay a prevailing wage; provide for. Amends sec. 8 of 1995 PA 24 (MCL 207.808).

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-08-05 - Referred To Committee On Commerce And Tourism [SB0718 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2009-SB0718-Introduced.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE BILL No. 718

 

 

August 5, 2009, Introduced by Senators GLEASON, PRUSI, ANDERSON, CHERRY, HUNTER, OLSHOVE, CLARK-COLEMAN and BASHAM and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Tourism.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1995 PA 24, entitled

 

"Michigan economic growth authority act,"

 

by amending section 8 (MCL 207.808), as amended by 2008 PA 257.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 8. (1) After receipt of an application, the authority may

 

enter into an agreement with an eligible business for a tax credit

 

under section 9 if the authority determines that all of the

 

following are met:

 

     (a) Except as provided in subsection (5), the eligible

 

business creates 1 or more of the following as determined by the

 

authority and provided with written agreement:

 

     (i) A minimum of 50 qualified new jobs at the facility if

 

expanding in this state.

 


     (ii) A minimum of 50 qualified new jobs at the facility if

 

locating in this state.

 

     (iii) A minimum of 25 qualified new jobs at the facility if the

 

facility is located in a neighborhood enterprise zone as determined

 

under the neighborhood enterprise zone act, 1992 PA 147, MCL

 

207.771 to 207.786, is located in a renaissance zone under the

 

Michigan renaissance zone act, 1996 PA 376, MCL 125.2681 to

 

125.2696, or is located in a federally designated empowerment zone,

 

rural enterprise community, or enterprise community.

 

     (iv) A minimum of 5 qualified new jobs at the facility if the

 

eligible business is a qualified high-technology business.

 

     (v) A minimum of 5 qualified new jobs at the facility if the

 

eligible business is a rural business.

 

     (b) Except as provided in subsection (5), the eligible

 

business agrees to maintain 1 or more of the following for each

 

year that a credit is authorized under this act:

 

     (i) A minimum of 50 qualified new jobs at the facility if

 

expanding in this state.

 

     (ii) A minimum of 50 qualified new jobs at the facility if

 

locating in this state.

 

     (iii) A minimum of 25 qualified new jobs at the facility if the

 

facility is located in a neighborhood enterprise zone as determined

 

under the neighborhood enterprise zone act, 1992 PA 147, MCL

 

207.771 to 207.786, is located in a renaissance zone under the

 

Michigan renaissance zone act, 1996 PA 376, MCL 125.2681 to

 

125.2696, or is located in a federally designated empowerment zone,

 

rural enterprise community, or enterprise community.

 


     (iv) If the eligible business is a qualified high-technology

 

business, all of the following apply:

 

     (A) A minimum of 5 qualified new jobs at the facility.

 

     (B) A minimum of 25 qualified new jobs at the facility within

 

5 years after the date of the expansion or location as determined

 

by the authority and a minimum of 25 qualified new jobs at the

 

facility each year thereafter for which a credit is authorized

 

under this act.

 

     (v) If the eligible business is a rural business, all of the

 

following apply:

 

     (A) A minimum of 5 qualified new jobs at the facility.

 

     (B) A minimum of 25 qualified new jobs at the facility within

 

5 years after the date of the expansion or location as determined

 

by the authority.

 

     (c) Except as provided in subsection (5) and as otherwise

 

provided in this subdivision, in addition to the jobs specified in

 

subdivision (b), the eligible business, if already located within

 

this state, agrees to maintain a number of full-time jobs equal to

 

or greater than the number of full-time jobs it maintained in this

 

state prior to the expansion, as determined by the authority. After

 

an eligible business has entered into a written agreement as

 

provided in subsection (2), the authority may adjust the number of

 

full-time jobs required to be maintained by the authorized business

 

under this subdivision, in order to adjust for decreases in full-

 

time jobs in the authorized business in this state due to the

 

divestiture of operations, provided a single other person continues

 

to maintain those full-time jobs in this state. The authority shall

 


not approve a reduction in the number of full-time jobs to be

 

maintained unless the authority has determined that it can monitor

 

the maintenance of the full-time jobs in this state by the other

 

person, and the authorized business agrees in writing that the

 

continued maintenance of the full-time jobs in this state by the

 

other person, as determined by the authority, is a condition of

 

receiving tax credits under the written agreement. A full-time job

 

maintained by another person under this subdivision, that otherwise

 

meets the requirements of section 3(i), shall be considered a full-

 

time job, notwithstanding the requirement that a full-time job be

 

performed by an individual employed by an authorized business, or

 

an employee leasing company or professional employer organization

 

on behalf of an authorized business.

 

     (d) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision or in

 

subsection (12), the wage paid for each retained job and qualified

 

new job is equal to or greater than 150% of the federal minimum

 

wage. However, if the eligible business is a qualified high-wage

 

activity, then the wage paid for each qualified new job is equal to

 

or greater than 300% of the federal minimum wage. However,

 

beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act that added

 

this sentence, the authority may include the value of the health

 

care benefit in determining the wage paid for each retained job or

 

qualified new job for an eligible business under this act.

 

     (e) The plans for the expansion, retention, or location are

 

economically sound.

 

     (f) Except for an eligible business described in subsection

 

(5)(c), the eligible business has not begun construction of the

 


facility.

 

     (g) The expansion, retention, or location of the eligible

 

business will benefit the people of this state by increasing

 

opportunities for employment and by strengthening the economy of

 

this state.

 

     (h) The tax credits offered under this act are an incentive to

 

expand, retain, or locate the eligible business in Michigan and

 

address the competitive disadvantages with sites outside this

 

state.

 

     (i) A cost/benefit analysis reveals that authorizing the

 

eligible business to receive tax credits under this act will result

 

in an overall positive fiscal impact to the state.

 

     (j) If the eligible business is a qualified high-technology

 

business described in section 3(m)(i) 3(n), the eligible business

 

agrees that not less than 25% of the total operating expenses of

 

the business will be maintained for research and development for

 

the first 3 years of the written agreement.

 

     (2) If the authority determines that the requirements of

 

subsection (1), (5), (9), or (11) have been met, the authority

 

shall determine the amount and duration of tax credits to be

 

authorized under section 9, and shall enter into a written

 

agreement as provided in this section. The duration of the tax

 

credits shall not exceed 20 years or for an authorized business

 

that is a distressed business, 3 years. In determining the amount

 

and duration of tax credits authorized, the authority shall

 

consider the following factors:

 

     (a) The number of qualified new jobs to be created or retained

 


jobs to be maintained.

 

     (b) The average wage and health care benefit level of the

 

qualified new jobs or retained jobs relative to the average wage

 

and health care benefit paid by private entities in the county in

 

which the facility is located.

 

     (c) The total capital investment or new capital investment the

 

eligible business will make.

 

     (d) The cost differential to the business between expanding,

 

locating, or retaining new jobs in Michigan and a site outside of

 

Michigan.

 

     (e) The potential impact of the expansion, retention, or

 

location on the economy of Michigan.

 

     (f) The cost of the credit under section 9, the staff,

 

financial, or economic assistance provided by the local government

 

unit, or local economic development corporation or similar entity,

 

and the value of assistance otherwise provided by this state.

 

     (g) Whether the expansion, retention, or location will occur

 

in this state without the tax credits offered under this act.

 

     (h) Whether the authorized business reuses or redevelops

 

property that was previously used for an industrial or commercial

 

purpose in locating the facility.

 

     (3) A written agreement between an eligible business and the

 

authority shall include, but need not be limited to, all of the

 

following:

 

     (a) A description of the business expansion, retention, or

 

location that is the subject of the agreement.

 

     (b) Conditions upon which the authorized business designation

 


is made.

 

     (c) A statement by the eligible business that a violation of

 

the written agreement may result in the revocation of the

 

designation as an authorized business and the loss or reduction of

 

future credits under section 9.

 

     (d) A statement by the eligible business that a

 

misrepresentation in the application may result in the revocation

 

of the designation as an authorized business and the refund of

 

credits received under section 9.

 

     (e) A method for measuring full-time jobs before and after an

 

expansion, retention, or location of an authorized business in this

 

state.

 

     (f) A written certification from the eligible business

 

regarding all of the following:

 

     (i) The eligible business will follow a competitive bid process

 

for the construction, rehabilitation, development, or renovation of

 

the facility, and that this process will be open to all Michigan

 

residents and firms. The eligible business may not discriminate

 

against any contractor on the basis of its affiliation or

 

nonaffiliation with any collective bargaining organization.

 

     (ii) The eligible business will make a good faith effort to

 

employ, if qualified, Michigan residents at the facility.

 

     (iii) The eligible business will make a good faith effort to

 

employ or contract with Michigan residents and firms to construct,

 

rehabilitate, develop, or renovate the facility.

 

     (iv) The eligible business is encouraged to make a good faith

 

effort to utilize Michigan-based suppliers and vendors when

 


purchasing goods and services.

 

     (g) A condition that if the eligible business qualified under

 

subsection (5)(b)(ii) and met the subsection (1)(e) requirement by

 

filing a chapter 11 plan of reorganization, the plan must be

 

confirmed by the bankruptcy court within 6 years of the date of the

 

agreement or the agreement is rescinded.

 

     (4) Upon execution of a written agreement as provided in this

 

section, an eligible business is an authorized business.

 

     (5) Through December 31, 2007, after receipt of an

 

application, the authority may enter into a written agreement with

 

an eligible business that meets 1 or more of the following

 

criteria:

 

     (a) Is located in this state on the date of the application,

 

makes new capital investment of $250,000,000.00 in this state, and

 

maintains 500 retained jobs, as determined by the authority.

 

     (b) Meets 1 or more of the following criteria:

 

     (i) Relocates production of a product to this state after the

 

date of the application, makes capital investment of

 

$500,000,000.00 in this state, and maintains 500 retained jobs, as

 

determined by the authority.

 

     (ii) Maintains 150 retained jobs at a facility, maintains 1,000

 

or more full-time jobs in this state, and makes new capital

 

investment in this state.

 

     (iii) Is located in this state on the date of the application,

 

maintains at least 100 retained jobs at a single facility, and

 

agrees to make new capital investment at that facility equal to the

 

greater of $100,000.00 per retained job maintained at that facility

 


or $10,000,000.00 to be completed or contracted for not later than

 

December 31, 2007.

 

     (iv) Maintains 300 retained jobs at a facility; the facility is

 

at risk of being closed and if it were to close, the work would go

 

to a location outside this state, as determined by the authority;

 

new management or new ownership is proposed for the facility that

 

is committed to improve the viability of the facility, unless

 

otherwise provided in this subparagraph; and the tax credits

 

offered under this act are necessary for the facility to maintain

 

operations. The authority may not enter into a written agreement

 

under this subparagraph after December 31, 2007. Of the written

 

agreements entered into under this subparagraph, the authority may

 

enter into 3 written agreements under this subparagraph that are

 

excluded from the requirements of subsection (1)(e), (f), and (h) ,

 

and (i) if the authority considers it in the public interest and if

 

the eligible business would have met the requirements of subsection

 

(1)(g) , and (h) , and (k) within the immediately preceding 6

 

months from the signing of the written agreement for a tax credit.

 

Of the 3 written agreements described in this subparagraph, the

 

authority may also waive the requirement for new management if the

 

existing management and labor make a commitment to improve the

 

viability and productivity of the facility to better meet

 

international competition as determined by the authority.

 

     (v) Maintains 100 retained jobs at a facility; is a rural

 

business, unless otherwise provided in this subparagraph; the

 

facility is at risk of being closed and if it were to close, the

 

work would go to a location outside this state, as determined by

 


the authority; new management or new ownership is proposed for the

 

facility that is committed to improve the viability of the

 

facility; and the tax credits offered under this act are necessary

 

for the facility to maintain operations. The authority may not

 

enter into a written agreement under this subparagraph after

 

December 31, 2007. Of the written agreements entered into under

 

this subparagraph, the authority may enter into 3 written

 

agreements under this subparagraph that are excluded from the

 

requirements of subsection (1)(e), (f), and (h) if the authority

 

considers it in the public interest and if the eligible business

 

would have met the requirements of subsection (1)(g) (1)(e), (g),

 

and (h) , and (e) within the immediately preceding 6 months from

 

the signing of the written agreement for a tax credit. Of the 3

 

written agreements described in this subparagraph, the authority

 

may also waive the requirement that the business be a rural

 

business if the business is located in a county with a population

 

of 500,000 or more and 600,000 or less.

 

     (vi) Maintains 175 retained jobs and makes new capital

 

investment at a facility in a county with a population of not less

 

than 7,500 but not greater than 8,000.

 

     (vii) Is located in this state on the date of the application,

 

maintains at least 675 retained jobs at a facility, agrees to

 

create 400 new jobs, and agrees to make a new capital investment of

 

at least $45,000,000.00 to be completed or contracted for not later

 

than December 31, 2007. Of the written agreements entered into

 

under this subparagraph, the authority may enter into 1 written

 

agreement under this subparagraph that is excluded from the

 


requirements of subsection (1)(f) if the authority considers it in

 

the public interest.

 

     (viii) Is located in this state on the date of the application,

 

makes new capital investment of $250,000,000.00 or more in this

 

state, and makes that capital investment at a facility located

 

north of the 45th parallel.

 

     (c) Is a distressed business.

 

     (6) Each year, the authority shall not execute new written

 

agreements that in total provide for more than 400 yearly credits

 

over the terms of those agreements entered into that year for

 

eligible businesses that are not qualified high-technology

 

businesses, distressed businesses, rural businesses, or an eligible

 

business described in subsection (11).

 

     (7) The authority shall not execute more than 50 new written

 

agreements each year for eligible businesses that are qualified

 

high-technology businesses or rural business. Only 25 of the 50

 

written agreements for businesses that are qualified high-

 

technology businesses or rural business may be executed each year

 

for qualified rural businesses.

 

     (8) The authority shall not execute more than 20 new written

 

agreements each year for eligible businesses that are distressed

 

businesses. The authority shall not execute more than 5 of the

 

written agreements described in this subsection each year for

 

distressed businesses that had 1,000 or more full-time jobs at a

 

facility 4 years immediately preceding the application to the

 

authority under this act. The authority shall not execute more than

 

5 new written agreements each year for eligible businesses

 


described in subsection (11). The authority shall not execute more

 

than 4 new written agreements each year for eligible businesses

 

described in subsection (11) in local governmental units that have

 

a population greater than 16,000.

 

     (9) Beginning January 1, 2008, after receipt of an

 

application, the authority may enter into a written agreement with

 

an eligible business that does not meet the criteria described in

 

subsection (1), if the eligible business meets all of the

 

following:

 

     (a) Agrees to retain not fewer than 50 jobs.

 

     (b) Agrees to invest, through construction, acquisition,

 

transfer, purchase, contract, or any other method as determined by

 

the authority, at a facility equal to $50,000.00 or more per

 

retained job maintained at the facility.

 

     (c) Certifies to the authority that, without the credits under

 

this act and without the new capital investment, the facility is at

 

risk of closing and the work and jobs would be removed to a

 

location outside of this state.

 

     (d) Certifies to the authority that the management or

 

ownership is committed to improving the long-term viability of the

 

facility in meeting the national and international competition

 

facing the facility through better management techniques, best

 

practices, including state of the art lean manufacturing practices,

 

and market diversification.

 

     (e) Certifies to the authority that it will make best efforts

 

to keep jobs in Michigan when making plant location and closing

 

decisions.

 


     (f) Certifies to the authority that the workforce at the

 

facility demonstrates its commitment to improving productivity and

 

profitability at the facility through various means.

 

     (10) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act

 

that added this subsection April 28, 2008, if the authority enters

 

into a written agreement with an eligible business, the written

 

agreement shall include a repayment provision of all or a portion

 

of the credits received by the eligible business for a facility if

 

the eligible business moves full-time jobs outside this state

 

during the term of the written agreement and for a period of years

 

after the term of the written agreement, as determined by the

 

authority.

 

     (11) Beginning January 1, 2008, after receipt of an

 

application, the authority may enter into a written agreement with

 

an eligible business that does not meet the criteria described in

 

subsection (1), if the eligible business meets all of the

 

following:

 

     (a) Agrees to create or retain not fewer than 15 jobs.

 

     (b) Agrees to occupy property that is a historic resource as

 

that term is defined in section 435 of the Michigan business tax

 

act, 2007 PA 36, MCL 208.1435, and that is located in a downtown

 

district as defined in section 1 of 1975 PA 197, MCL 125.1651.

 

     (c) The average wage paid for each retained job and full-time

 

job is equal to or greater than 150% of the federal minimum wage.

 

     (12) Beginning January 1, 2010, the authority shall not enter

 

into a written agreement with an eligible business unless the

 

eligible business states, in writing, that the eligible business

 


will pay a wage equal to or greater than the prevailing wage paid

 

in the local governmental unit for each retained job or qualified

 

new job, as determined by the authority. As used in this

 

subsection, "prevailing wage" means the prevailing wage determined

 

under 1965 PA 166, MCL 408.551 to 408.558.

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